I've said it all along and now it's official...Tony Bennett is not leaving Washington State. Here's the release Wazzu sent out yesterday:

"Tony Bennett announced Tuesday that he will remain the head men's basketball coach at Washington State University.

In his second season at the helm, Bennett led the Cougars to their second-consecutive 26-win season, tying the school record for wins. WSU capped its record-setting season with the school's first trip to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, where it fell to then-No. 1 North Carolina."

This doesn't come as much surprise to me, but I'm still relieved just like anyone else. Rumors started swirling yesterday that Bennett had "preliminary discussions" with LSU while at the Final Four. I don't think those were ever denied, but who cares now? Before Bennett made his "I'm staying" statement, his future seemed (more than likely) destined for WSU after Marquette hired Buzz Williams to be their head coach (refer to my last blog Bennett Latest And More for more info on the Golden Eagles search).

Obviously, this is great news to any Cougar fan. Bennett will be tested next year without his three star seniors (Derrick Low, Robbie Cowgill, and Kyle Weaver), so we'll see what he's really made of. I'm sure he'll do just fine. Plus, the conference might be down a bit next year because it continues to lose star underclassmen.

Arizona's Chase Budinger declared for the draft yesterday, but just like Cal's Ryan Anderson, he won't sign an agent. The Wildcats also lost Jerryd Bayless, who declared after one season in AZ. Stanford's Brook and Robin Lopez (both officially declared) and UCLA's Darren Collison and Kevin Love (both reportedly will declare) are also going pro. USC's O.J. Mayo is also expected to enter the draft (he hasn't announced anything yet).

There's still plenty to bIog about, so stay tuned. I'm heading to spring football practice tomorrow...I'll have an update from Pullman and so much more.

P.S. The Cougar baseball team is still stuck in my P.S.'s because they've crashed after a strong start. WSU lost to Gonzaga last night after splitting a weekend series with UC-Davis. Wazzu is now 18-13 (they started 13-4) with a home series against nationally ranked Arizona State this weekend.

1 Comments

Tim Lewis said:

Some new info to report...

Stephen Sauls will not return to Washington State next season. He wants to transfer some place closer to his home in Texas.

A concussion ended Sauls' freshman season in early January (there were reports that he needed to be revived after getting elbowed in practice). He left school and returned home to get medical treatment for his symptoms (his health is steadily improving).

Wazzu is fighting to get him a medical redshirt (that way he can still have four years of eligibility at his new school).

And...

USC's OJ Mayo is going pro...he made that announcement today.

April 9, 2008 11:33 PM

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