Bennett hits the ground running

It has been three-plus weeks since Tony Bennett was named the new Virginia basketball coach. In that time, Bennett has been a busy fella.

The 39-year-old Wisconsin native has hired a coaching staff, convinced the program’s top two recruits to honor their national letters of intent, become acquainted with his new team and hobnobbed with school officials and alums.

He’s even found a little time to hit the Downtown Mall, grab a slice of pizza from Christian’s and satisfy his sweet tooth at the Ben & Jerry’s off Barracks Road. On Thursday, the former Washington State coach sat down for a one-on-one interview with beat writer Whitelaw Reid of The Daily Progress.

DP: What have your first few weeks on the job been like?

TB: It’s been fast and furious, but I certainly expected that coming in. Anytime you take over a job, that’s going to be the case for quite a while. I’ve really enjoyed driving around Charlottesville and seeing the great restaurants and just how beautiful everything is. They had brought me in [for the interview] at night, so I hadn’t gotten a really good view of it. I’ve just enjoyed that.

DP: How does Charlottesville compare to Pullman, Washington?

TB: There are certainly more restaurants and it’s bigger. The thing that was so great about Pullman was the people. It’s just a family- and community-oriented place — such a college town. Those things are similar. But there’s a Target here, an Outback Steakhouse — we didn’t have those places, and the people seem so friendly.

DP: At your introductory press conference, you said that your daughter had negotiated for a bigger room and a puppy after you told her you wanted to move to Charlottesville. What’s the status on that?

TB: My wife is coming out on Monday and is going to look for a house…the puppy is still in negotiation (laughs). If we can get it all set, maybe [the kids] will come out and finish school here. If not, they’ll finish out there.

DP: During the players’ recent group workouts, has anything surprised you?

TB: They’re all really hungry. When you don’t have to coach effort and you know they’re hungry, that’s a compliment to the previous staff — that these kids work hard and seem pretty tough-minded. They’ve all shown some nice things. There are some nice pieces here. We just have to see how everything fits as a unit with the two young men [Tristan Spurlock and Jontel Evans] that we have signed.

DP: When it came to recruiting, the last regime tended to go after a lot of the big fish — the Patrick Pattersons, the Ed Davises, the Elliot Williamses — and always finished as the runner-up. What is your philosophy on going after the “five-star” recruit?

TB: You have to have a balance. You have to try and go after some of those guys, but in the end you have to go after guys that are excited about coming to the University of Virginia and want to be part of turning the program around. You have to have kids who are passionate about that. You have to have the right kind of kids who can have success on the court and also in the classroom. They have to want to be a part of this. You can spin your wheels trying to convince a kid who really has no interest. In recruiting, you’re not going to get everyone you go after. You have to go after guys hard, but you have to have solid guys, the right kind of guys. I think here you have to recruit the state and the Eastern Seaboard, but you also have the possibility to look nationally and internationally and assemble the best team that you can over time.

DP: Boo Williams is obviously a big name when you talk about recruiting in this area. Have you met him yet? Have you offered to mow his lawn, perhaps donate a kidney?

TB: Yes, I have met him (laughs). Boo said realistically that it’s going to take some time. You’ve got to build relationships. He certainly has produced many great players. We feel like we have a lot to offer and we want kids who are excited about coming here and want to be part of something special.

DP: A lot of people who meet you are a little surprised when they find out that you played in the NBA (with the Charlotte Hornets from 1992-95). Why do you think that is?

TB: My wife and I have a fight about this. I say I’m 6 feet and she says, “No way, you’re 5-11.” I probably don’t pass the eye test. I was pretty quick and could shoot, but I probably don’t look like a typical NBA player. That’s why I stood by Mugsy [Bogues] during the timeouts. He was the only guy I was taller than.

DP: A lot of people compare your playing career to former Virginia point guard John Crotty’s. Accurate?

TB: I played against him [in the NBA]. We each played our 13 to 15 minutes per game and went at it hard. I just talked to John on the phone. I marvel at how long he lasted. I’ve had six knee surgeries, which kind of cut my career short.

DP: Toughest NBA opponent?

TB: Certainly Michael Jordan, but there were other guys. Trying to bring the ball up against Mookie Blaylock was scary. Guarding Mark Price was tough — his ability to shoot and his quickness. When Tim Hardaway was healthy, he was unbelievable. Kevin Johnson was so explosive and quick. Penny Hardaway would take me right to the post. There were so many good ones, but Jordan was the best. I probably played against him like 15 times and was just in awe.

DP: Do you have an NBA playoffs prediction this year?

TB: L.A. is certainly impressive. If I had to pick someone, I’d go with Lakers.

DP: Has it hit you yet that you’ll be coaching against the likes of Coach K and Roy Williams?

TB: Those are certainly two of the greatest names in college basketball. That’s an exciting challenge. That’s easy to say sitting here in April or May, but [I’ve gone] against the Arizona’s and UCLA’s — the Lute Olsons, Ben Howlands and all that in the Pac-10. Certainly [this] is the elite and will be a great challenge.

DP: It’s been pretty well-documented that you weren’t a fan of ties at Washington State — you didn’t wear one during games. Have you thought about what you’ll wear for games here at Virginia?

TB: At the press conference, [Craig] Littlepage said I was “coachable,” so I have no problem with that. It’s not a big sticking point with me. [A Virginia fan] sent me a dozen boxes of Cavalier-colored ties. That was awesome! But I guess that’s a hint.

DP: Your defensive-oriented system has been called by some — for a lack of a better adjective — “boring.” Does that bother you?

TB: Not one bit. I think any good coach looks at his team and says, “What gives us the best chance to win? We have to play in a way that gives us a chance to be successful.” Wherever I’ve been, I’ve always tried to do that. I’ve said, “Let’s look at our team and adjust to our talent.” You’re always adjusting. My style of play will adapt to whatever the league dictates…You want your opponent to take as many contested shots as possible, and on offense you want to get as many good shots as possible. Whether that comes early in the shot clock or late, that’s how you play. I think people have a view that we’re going to walk the ball up the court every time and make 10 to 12 passes and then when the shot clock gets below 8 seconds, shoot. That’s the furthest thing from the truth. But that’s how it is. People are going to use that to negatively recruit…but I’m very adaptable. You have to know who you are and what your strengths are.

DP: Do you have a favorite movie?

TB: “Rocky.”

DP: Favorite television show?

TB: “American Idol.”

DP: Who would play you in a movie?

TB: I like [Robert] DeNiro, [Al] Pacino and Sean Penn.

DP: Do the Tony Bennett-the-singer references and jokes ever get old?

TB: I’d be a rich man if I had a nickel for every time someone brought that up, but nah…I just roll with the punches, go with the flow.

DP: Your favorite music? What does Tony Bennett, the basketball coach, sing in the shower?

TB: I’m a big R&B guy — Beyonce, Ne-Yo. Back in the day, it was New Edition, Johnny Gill, Brian McKnight.

DP: What are your goals for this program?

TB: I want to recruit young men who are passionate about turning this around and playing quality basketball. The expectations that were explained to me was that it was going to take some time to get [my] players and system in place, but then be able to compete within the top four of the ACC and try and be fairly consistent in the NCAA tournament — make some pushes. But when you start a program, I think your goals need to be more about quality than quantity. I think you need the right kind of people. Like they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day. That’s not a cop-out, but it’s going to take time. I want to build it for the long haul. That’s my goal.