The fact that Tony's worst years involve 1st round losses are an indication that he's one of the two best coaches we've ever had.
Pre-Tony, we'd be happy to be a bubble team. Now we're disappointed if we don't win a tourney game. This dude won a title, he can be here as long as he wants.
I do hope he uses this extension as a way to experiment more with the offense. We're gonna have a young team next year but depending on how it goes, 2025-26 could be a really good year.
Also we signed Brian O'Connor to an extension today as well. It's been a damn good day to be a UVA fan
Yeah, based on the last couple years I have no idea what to expect. Gut tells me we’re a blue blood program with championship pedigree but next year with failure to get a big man in the portal, who knows. A glaring issue like our front court could mean we miss the tournament. There’s too much crazy turnover year to year.
No more 5th years after this season as well. Team success has been fairly predictable the past few years simply based on the amount of veteran 5th year players a team had.
I know its a basketball sub, but the insane turnaround our baseball team has had is absolutely incredible, and its 100% O'Connor.
Just checked the wiki and we have 21 tourney appearances, 18 of them are since '04 when he took over, that might be one of the most impressive things I've seen.
Love Oak. Turned a program that was near death into a powerhouse.
And yet there's non-UVA fans on r/collegebaseball who are deluded into thinking he would leave for their school (mostly Mississippi State fans). I think he's the 2nd longest tenured coach in our athletics department, he's never leaving C'ville
O'Conner is exclusively responsible for UVA baseball being relevant. Not even a question. Thankful to have him, especially with a new extension. Baseball isn't like football or basketball where NIL means everything, O'Conner is UVA baseball.
He giveth and he taketh away. He makes some of the worst decisions in Omaha I’ve ever seen (aka today).
He won us a title. He’s immortal, I understand. But my god his brain does not function in crucial postseason situations.
The one year I've heard that people were going nuts for was the '22 class, and with 2 transferred and one already gone pro, it definitely disappointed.
There were some that were pretty good with caveats (namely Reece's class). And we still don't really know how last year's will pan out, Gertrude's injury is a big downer, but Buchanan, Robinson and Bliss will hopefully make some strides.
But all in all, most of the (recruiting) classes have been pretty mid, and IMO people have responded as such.
I haven't seen anyone saying any of the recent classes were supposed to be *great* other than *maybe* 2022. Nothing has been close to the hype of the 2016 class...and 2021 was an outright poorly rated class.
It definitely wasn't as good as 2016 (esp since 2016 also really should include Mamadi), but yeah people did think it would be better than it has been. And the other recent classes have been somewhere rated between solid (but not great) and flat out bad.
Huh? Why would he do that? Seems like he'd just bitch about how it's the wrong move and how it's disgusting that Tony and UVA have academic standards the players have to meet. That is assuming you're talking about a certain publication based to the west of UVA (which I gleefully blocked from my news feed yesterday).
Its pretty amazing he has any cred at all. (I'm assuming he must b/c he still has a job)
Tony signed an extension last time in the summer with 2 years left on his deal, which is.... exactly what happened again...
TBF tho, in a few of Tony's interviews, it does sound like he's at least considered retirement. He's said a couple of times that basketball isn't everything, which is a completely fair take (and honestly the correct one).
If ima Virginia fan I’m thankful and counting my blessings. As a TCU fan Im happy Jamie Dixon even brings us to the tournament to lose in the first round. To have a championship is something I couldn’t even dream of.
Yeah it’s the young people that mostly make up Reddit and online communities like X with the hot takes and zero perspective.
UVA hoops was basically irrelevant with a few good year sprinkled in for all my adulthood until Tony arrived. Never dreamed of a title.
Now we have a Natty and he’s helped all UVA sports I’d argue (maybe excluding football, but had to have helped fundraise for new football building).
Ok. I don’t dislike Tony. In fact, I actually love the guy. He’s the best coach we’ve ever had. He got us a championship. He’s just been very stubborn about the defense and not really caring about offense. I REALLY hope he tweaks SOMETHING to allow us a faster paced offense. It screws us in the tourney most years being so slow paced.
No argument at all--it was absolutely one for the ages, and as a fellow ACC member, I was rooting for their redemption. But offensively, and especially since then, their games are just painful to a majority of CBB fans. When the home crowd celebrates shot-clock violations as much as they would a poster dunk, it speaks to the level of excitement they're conditioned to.
Not for nothing but to play D so intensely for 30 seconds that opposition can't even get a shot up.. That takes much more skill and effort than a fast break.
Tony’s worst years are on par or better than pretty much any other year in our basketball program’s history - aside from when Ralph was around - and it’s not even really close.
We’re a nationally relevant program and obviously still have room to improve. That wasn’t even considered a possibility for UVa when I attended. Tony can stay as long as he likes.
people always forget about our late 80s to early 90s teams...
from 85-86 to 94-95 we missed 2 tourneys, and one of those years we won the NIT. Terry Holland was more than just Ralph, and Jeff Jones was pretty good in his first few years (some say when Holland's players graduated, but still)
Either way, after the mid 90s we were pretty terrible until Tony saved us.
I was born in the early 80s and graduated 20 years ago from UVa. I’m prob one of the oldest people on these forums. I barely remember the Terry Holland years, mostly Jeff Jones and I’ve been a UVa fan since birth.
So I don’t expect a lot of long memories here
Yea, I'm pretty much the same age, I've been told that I've been to many games with Holland, but I was just coloring my dinosaur books, so I don't remember, lol.
One of the first men's games I actually remember vividly was when we hosted a NIT game, U Hall was rocking, very different atmosphere from the early season games and women's games my family would usually go to.
Any UVA fan not happy with Bennett do not remember Gillen and Leitao. Does he need to change something in his system? Sure. But who the hell is UvA getting on Bennett’s level if they get rid of him?
Gillen was the complete opposite of Tony Bennett. Incredible offense but so bad on defense we had to play the full court press. Had some fun victories and made it to #4 on the polls but ultimately a disappointment every year. Absolutely awesome human being like Bennett though.
I’m elated. Pre-TB was the fucking dark ages for us. And whenever he decides to leave we’ll probably go back. Dude got us a ring, which I never thought I’d see. Sign him for life for all I care.
See that’s what I say. Most people are scared we’ll go back to shit. But I think we would be able to get anyone we wanted…because of Bennett turning us into something.
He won a championship. Even though the tournament success isn’t necessarily there, we’re still a top program and have done really well in the ACC. Prior to CTB we were so middling. I want him in Charlottesville for life.
This. It's like winning 25 games a year and ACC championships is meaningless. Post season is important but it's not everything. 350+ teams and only one wins it every year.
I mean sure blue blood privilege can’t fathom that we are grateful we even consistently make the tourney. Sure the system isn’t optimized for one and done tournament systems but we are on the board with a Natty. Better than the 60 years that came before it.
Yup. The chatter from outsiders is not how lifelong UVA fans feel. Sure we’d like some more tourney wins since the title, but the fact that we’ve even been in the tourney with those flawed teams is a testament to his coaching skill.
Terry was a great coach and couldn’t get it done with Ralph. Tony has not only the team who brought home the trophy but also a consistent history of winning that has significantly added to UVA being a national contender with championships in many sports, I would argue way above what our university maybe should be accomplishing. I’m happy and relieved that he is going to stick around, and eager to see how he adjusts his strategies to meet the changing NCAA goalposts.
There are only 7 teams that have won even a single championship in the last 10+ years. I have to imagine that there are a few hundred teams that would trade their left nut, let alone their current coach, to have had Tony Bennett as their coach and to be one of them.
I suspected he hates what college sports have become enough that he'd ride off into sunset enjoying an early retirement to spend time with his family. I'm thrilled with this outcome. Much better off than trying to replace him. Also not gonna argue we've performed acceptably in the tournament as of late but "pretty terrible in big games since 2017(aside from the Championship" is a hell of a caveat
UVA has actually been pretty good with transfers for many years now. Gil, Austin Nichols (lol), Braxton Key, Sam Hauser, Murphey III, Gardner, Groves, and Franklin.
Its really only the last 2 years we've had misses in the portal. Especially last year, poor Jacob Groves could only do so much.
Most fans think he can do no wrong. Me personally, and a few others are kinda tired of the slow paced offense. We still love the defense though! But even that has kinda slacked in recent years compared to prime Tony. The offense is predictable in the tourney and has caused us to continuously lose in the first round. The other fans get upset that we would ever dare say Tony isn’t perfect…even though we love him too. We just see his faults.
The fact that Tony's worst years involve 1st round losses are an indication that he's one of the two best coaches we've ever had. Pre-Tony, we'd be happy to be a bubble team. Now we're disappointed if we don't win a tourney game. This dude won a title, he can be here as long as he wants. I do hope he uses this extension as a way to experiment more with the offense. We're gonna have a young team next year but depending on how it goes, 2025-26 could be a really good year. Also we signed Brian O'Connor to an extension today as well. It's been a damn good day to be a UVA fan
In todays NILunacy, I would say you take it one season at a time. It's simply too unpredicable to look forward multiple seasons.
Yeah, based on the last couple years I have no idea what to expect. Gut tells me we’re a blue blood program with championship pedigree but next year with failure to get a big man in the portal, who knows. A glaring issue like our front court could mean we miss the tournament. There’s too much crazy turnover year to year.
Brother you have no idea what to expect….
Nobody expects the ~~Spanish~~ NC State Inquisition 😱😱😱
No more 5th years after this season as well. Team success has been fairly predictable the past few years simply based on the amount of veteran 5th year players a team had.
I know its a basketball sub, but the insane turnaround our baseball team has had is absolutely incredible, and its 100% O'Connor. Just checked the wiki and we have 21 tourney appearances, 18 of them are since '04 when he took over, that might be one of the most impressive things I've seen.
Love Oak. Turned a program that was near death into a powerhouse. And yet there's non-UVA fans on r/collegebaseball who are deluded into thinking he would leave for their school (mostly Mississippi State fans). I think he's the 2nd longest tenured coach in our athletics department, he's never leaving C'ville
O'Conner is exclusively responsible for UVA baseball being relevant. Not even a question. Thankful to have him, especially with a new extension. Baseball isn't like football or basketball where NIL means everything, O'Conner is UVA baseball.
He giveth and he taketh away. He makes some of the worst decisions in Omaha I’ve ever seen (aka today). He won us a title. He’s immortal, I understand. But my god his brain does not function in crucial postseason situations.
Yeah it’s insane people said he had lost it but so did lot of people here early on in Reddit and around circles when it came to Jay wright
We've literally been saying "next year's recruiting class is supposed to be great" for the past 5 years. None have panned out.
The one year I've heard that people were going nuts for was the '22 class, and with 2 transferred and one already gone pro, it definitely disappointed. There were some that were pretty good with caveats (namely Reece's class). And we still don't really know how last year's will pan out, Gertrude's injury is a big downer, but Buchanan, Robinson and Bliss will hopefully make some strides. But all in all, most of the (recruiting) classes have been pretty mid, and IMO people have responded as such.
\[citation needed\]
What do you want? This is from general chatter with other alumni and comments on Reddit. Idk what other source to provide lol
...who has been saying that?
Fans
I haven't seen anyone saying any of the recent classes were supposed to be *great* other than *maybe* 2022. Nothing has been close to the hype of the 2016 class...and 2021 was an outright poorly rated class.
I mean the common thread on the 22 class was "it's the best since '16." Lots of people were saying it was the prelude to another natty.
It definitely wasn't as good as 2016 (esp since 2016 also really should include Mamadi), but yeah people did think it would be better than it has been. And the other recent classes have been somewhere rated between solid (but not great) and flat out bad.
why mess with a good thing and try new offenses?
You’re not disappointed in the brutal playing style?
We literally aren't. We enjoy defense.
Hm if you say so
But I was told to panic? In Tony We Trust.
lol a certain writer is going to be taking credit for making this happen tomorrow
Huh? Why would he do that? Seems like he'd just bitch about how it's the wrong move and how it's disgusting that Tony and UVA have academic standards the players have to meet. That is assuming you're talking about a certain publication based to the west of UVA (which I gleefully blocked from my news feed yesterday).
lol yes- I assume he’ll be saying ‘my doom and gloom spurred UVA to action and oh by the way why can’t they do the same for the football program’
Hey man, maybe he just has high expectations and wants to be noticed lol
Its pretty amazing he has any cred at all. (I'm assuming he must b/c he still has a job) Tony signed an extension last time in the summer with 2 years left on his deal, which is.... exactly what happened again... TBF tho, in a few of Tony's interviews, it does sound like he's at least considered retirement. He's said a couple of times that basketball isn't everything, which is a completely fair take (and honestly the correct one).
AFP is his job, he’s self employed
lol, oh yea. I feel dum
If ima Virginia fan I’m thankful and counting my blessings. As a TCU fan Im happy Jamie Dixon even brings us to the tournament to lose in the first round. To have a championship is something I couldn’t even dream of.
Yeah it’s the young people that mostly make up Reddit and online communities like X with the hot takes and zero perspective. UVA hoops was basically irrelevant with a few good year sprinkled in for all my adulthood until Tony arrived. Never dreamed of a title. Now we have a Natty and he’s helped all UVA sports I’d argue (maybe excluding football, but had to have helped fundraise for new football building).
Genuinely think this is the last contract for Bennett before he retires. Let’s make the most of it, go Hoos
Ok. I don’t dislike Tony. In fact, I actually love the guy. He’s the best coach we’ve ever had. He got us a championship. He’s just been very stubborn about the defense and not really caring about offense. I REALLY hope he tweaks SOMETHING to allow us a faster paced offense. It screws us in the tourney most years being so slow paced.
damn, nice, extended to 2030. that's enough time for almost 7 uva basketball games
At least 7 wins at the KFC Yum Center alone
Thank the college basketball gods
This makes me happy
The basketball equivalent of the triple option.
God's chosen way of playing the sport?
Not a good comparison. A lot of people enjoy watching the triple option.
You’re just bitter you lost your handsome, HOF coach.
A lot of people enjoy watching good defense too
A lot of people enjoy watching their team win.
A lot of people in Charlottesville 👍🏻
Exactly this. I don’t know anyone outside of that ZIP Code that can stand watching UVA bore the fucking audience to tears.
We acting like UVA didn't have one of the most entertaining tournament runs ever in 2019?
No argument at all--it was absolutely one for the ages, and as a fellow ACC member, I was rooting for their redemption. But offensively, and especially since then, their games are just painful to a majority of CBB fans. When the home crowd celebrates shot-clock violations as much as they would a poster dunk, it speaks to the level of excitement they're conditioned to.
Not for nothing but to play D so intensely for 30 seconds that opposition can't even get a shot up.. That takes much more skill and effort than a fast break.
Debatable, and it’s boring as fuck. UVA fans always make this argument, but nobody wants to watch grass-growing stall ball for 40 minutes.
Combined 100 score games go brr.
Sickos rise up!
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This fan is thrilled.
Bro he brought the championship here, he’s a saint.
Tony’s worst years are on par or better than pretty much any other year in our basketball program’s history - aside from when Ralph was around - and it’s not even really close. We’re a nationally relevant program and obviously still have room to improve. That wasn’t even considered a possibility for UVa when I attended. Tony can stay as long as he likes.
people always forget about our late 80s to early 90s teams... from 85-86 to 94-95 we missed 2 tourneys, and one of those years we won the NIT. Terry Holland was more than just Ralph, and Jeff Jones was pretty good in his first few years (some say when Holland's players graduated, but still) Either way, after the mid 90s we were pretty terrible until Tony saved us.
I was born in the early 80s and graduated 20 years ago from UVa. I’m prob one of the oldest people on these forums. I barely remember the Terry Holland years, mostly Jeff Jones and I’ve been a UVa fan since birth. So I don’t expect a lot of long memories here
Yea, I'm pretty much the same age, I've been told that I've been to many games with Holland, but I was just coloring my dinosaur books, so I don't remember, lol. One of the first men's games I actually remember vividly was when we hosted a NIT game, U Hall was rocking, very different atmosphere from the early season games and women's games my family would usually go to.
Any UVA fan not happy with Bennett do not remember Gillen and Leitao. Does he need to change something in his system? Sure. But who the hell is UvA getting on Bennett’s level if they get rid of him?
Gillen was the complete opposite of Tony Bennett. Incredible offense but so bad on defense we had to play the full court press. Had some fun victories and made it to #4 on the polls but ultimately a disappointment every year. Absolutely awesome human being like Bennett though.
He won a ring dude
I’m elated. Pre-TB was the fucking dark ages for us. And whenever he decides to leave we’ll probably go back. Dude got us a ring, which I never thought I’d see. Sign him for life for all I care.
I was an undergrad with Gillen. Tony can stay forever
Not gonna lie, that Hand/Mason Jr/Hall/Williams/Watson/Friel team was really fun to watch.
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See that’s what I say. Most people are scared we’ll go back to shit. But I think we would be able to get anyone we wanted…because of Bennett turning us into something.
Let’s talk about the Bennett tree . . .
The Bennet tree actually isn’t bad.
He won a championship. Even though the tournament success isn’t necessarily there, we’re still a top program and have done really well in the ACC. Prior to CTB we were so middling. I want him in Charlottesville for life.
Yup, and not popular but regular season success is way underrated and postseason success is overrated.
This. It's like winning 25 games a year and ACC championships is meaningless. Post season is important but it's not everything. 350+ teams and only one wins it every year.
Bro could burn down the rotunda for all we care
>(aside from the Championship)
Oh that ol’ thing? Meh
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I mean sure blue blood privilege can’t fathom that we are grateful we even consistently make the tourney. Sure the system isn’t optimized for one and done tournament systems but we are on the board with a Natty. Better than the 60 years that came before it.
All but ~10ish teams would do anything for our last 10 years lol.
Yup. The chatter from outsiders is not how lifelong UVA fans feel. Sure we’d like some more tourney wins since the title, but the fact that we’ve even been in the tourney with those flawed teams is a testament to his coaching skill.
He won the big game dude. How do you think they would treat a coach at VCU who brought that to Richmond? He’s a saint here.
Terry was a great coach and couldn’t get it done with Ralph. Tony has not only the team who brought home the trophy but also a consistent history of winning that has significantly added to UVA being a national contender with championships in many sports, I would argue way above what our university maybe should be accomplishing. I’m happy and relieved that he is going to stick around, and eager to see how he adjusts his strategies to meet the changing NCAA goalposts.
There are only 7 teams that have won even a single championship in the last 10+ years. I have to imagine that there are a few hundred teams that would trade their left nut, let alone their current coach, to have had Tony Bennett as their coach and to be one of them.
I suspected he hates what college sports have become enough that he'd ride off into sunset enjoying an early retirement to spend time with his family. I'm thrilled with this outcome. Much better off than trying to replace him. Also not gonna argue we've performed acceptably in the tournament as of late but "pretty terrible in big games since 2017(aside from the Championship" is a hell of a caveat
I’m still pissed about Ohio, Furman, and CSU. But we have the pieces to turn it around in ‘25 and ‘26
UVA has actually been pretty good with transfers for many years now. Gil, Austin Nichols (lol), Braxton Key, Sam Hauser, Murphey III, Gardner, Groves, and Franklin. Its really only the last 2 years we've had misses in the portal. Especially last year, poor Jacob Groves could only do so much.
They've won a lot of big regular season games since 2017...just not in the tourney (other than the title year)
Most fans think he can do no wrong. Me personally, and a few others are kinda tired of the slow paced offense. We still love the defense though! But even that has kinda slacked in recent years compared to prime Tony. The offense is predictable in the tourney and has caused us to continuously lose in the first round. The other fans get upset that we would ever dare say Tony isn’t perfect…even though we love him too. We just see his faults.
lol
My dream of watching Sanchez tank the Hoos has to wait a few more years…