What, you think those Indiana rumors are annoying Tony Bennett? Not a chance.
“Last year was even worse,” said Tony’s dad, Dick Bennett. “It was all over the place. It was Iowa, it was Michigan, it was Minnesota, and then a few others. So he’s used to that.”
Indiana could do a lot worse. Bennett, 38, was the national coach of the year in 2006-07 after leading Wazzu to a 26-8 record in his first year. Not only that, he’s got street cred, having put in two-plus seasons playing for the Charlotte Hornets in the early ’90s.
“He’s a very good coach now, and he’s getting better with experience,” said Dick Bennett. “Composure is his greatest strength, always has been. Even when he was a little kid and as a player, he just doesn’t rattle. His ability to recruit is also a great strength, and he’s had to use every ounce of that ability in Pullman.”
So, if the Hoosiers come calling, would Tony listen?
“I’ll be surprised if they do,” said Bennett. “But one thing I’ve stayed away from is telling him what to do. He talks some about being an assistant at the NBA level. I think he’d be a great assistant because he’s a great teacher.” . . .
More fodder for those Bennett- to-Indiana rumors: His sister, Kathy, coached the Indiana women’s team to a Big Ten championship before sustaining a broken neck in a car accident. . . .
A quick look at Bennett’s NBA career, which is only appropriate since it was, well, quick: He made the Hornets’ roster after being selected with the 35th pick in the 1992 draft. In two seasons as a backup point guard, he averaged 3.7 and 3.4 points a game. He played a handful of games the next season before taking his game overseas. . . .
So anyway, I’m thinking 19 first- half points weren’t what Notre Dame coach Mike Brey had in mind for his 49th birthday present. . . .
The all-ex-NBA team at The Can during the subregional: Len Elmore, doing color analysis for CBS, at center; Golden Domers Bill Hanzlik and LaPhonso Ellis at forward; and Bennett and ex-Nugget Mo Martin at guard. The coach of this washed-up outfit? Former Warriors coach-turned-analyst Mike Montgomery. . . .
But then, Martin all but lives at the Pepsi Center. He’s on the crew that switches out the playing surfaces from hockey to hoops. . . .
How much were tickets going for outside The Can Saturday afternoon? “Five bucks each,” the nice scalper person told me. Five bucks? No, he wasn’t giving people a break because of the economy. A cop was standing a few feet away. . . .
March Madness? You walked away mad, all right, if you wanted to see close games at the Pepsi Center. The average margin of victory was 19.8 points for the first five games.
Then you have the Wazzu band. Or, more specifically, the four dudes in the band who, contrary to rumor, didn’t cut their hair that way after losing a bet. We’re talking mohawks with dyed hair that’s supposed to be crimson, one of the school colors. “It kind of started out blond, then went pink, and now it’s this,” said tuba player James Marth. “We call it our gamecock because it’s almost like a rooster’s head.” . . .
Marth and two of his bandmates went with the new look during the Pac-10 Tournament, then talked another into it after arriving in Denver. “It’s kind of a superstition thing now,” he said. “It seems like it’s working, so, from now on, we’re going to shave our heads before every game.” . . .
The happiest man in Our Town this weekend? Dave Keefe would have to be on the short list. Keefe is the proprietor of Brooklyn’s, located a Tiger Woods sand wedge from the Pepsi Center atrium. “We had our biggest day ever on Thursday,” said Keefe. “It was bigger than Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in ’01. We’re closed tomorrow, and that’s good. We can relax and get ready for six events next week.” . . .
Assuming the woman in question’s favorite color is green, Matt Phipps is a chick magnet in that Notre Dame leprechaun outfit of his. We’re talking green knickerbockers, a green coat and a green hat. But Matt, how can a guy named Phipps be a leprechaun? “Phipps is English, but my mother’s name was Keating.” . . .
As for Notre Dame’s bowl losing streak — the Irish haven’t won one since the Boo Hoo Lou Holtz era — don’t blame Phipps. “I’m supposed to bring good luck to both teams, but I’ve done pretty well with the basketball team,” he said. “We haven’t lost a home game in two years. We’ve won 37 games in a row. That’s not too bad, is it?”
Jim Armstrong: 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com
