Tony Bennett the Basketball Coach

There are two famous Tony Bennetts in the United States, but this is a piece about the less famous Bennett.

Most people have heard about the singer Tony Bennett. But there is also another Bennett laboring as head coach at the University of Virginia.

The basketball Bennett is having a tough season. In year two of his tenure at Virginia, Bennett’s team is just 12-12 and 3-7 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. In all fairness, Virginia lacks bodies (injuries) and talent. In the ACC, you need talent or you go to the bottom of the league. It’s basically Duke and North Carolina on a yearly basis. Oh sure, there are exceptions with the likes of Georgia Tech, Maryland etc. occasionally, but this is generally a two-team league.

Bennett is a good coach. He did it at Washington State. He is building a basketball family at Virginia. Bennett needs time and better players. He needs patience from the administration and fans. This obviously will not be a quick fix. Will he be able to compete in a Duke-North Carolina dominated league? We wait for that answer.

I am a huge Tony Bennett supporter. I met the guy when he was playing professional basketball in New Zealand. I was impressed with his genuineness and humility. Word has it he is the same guy today.

Bennett will not failure due to lack of effort or love and care for his players. The guy is a winner no matter what happens.

Who is Quarterback Russell Wilson?

North Carolina State's Russell Wilson is an outstanding football player. Too bad most of the nation outside the Atlantic Coast Conference have never heard of the junior quarterback.

However, Wilson put a show on for the nation last night under the bright lights of the ESPN cameras. He completed 26-of-40 passes for 333 yards including three touchdowns. He also rushed for 33 yards in the Wolfpack's 30-19 victory over Cincinnati.

These guy is a joy to watch. He is just an athlete. He throws a catchable ball, has a rocket right arm and can scramble and put up valuable rushing yards. Wilson is a total quarterback package.

Wilson has started for the Wolfpack for three years. He has been plagued with injuries and inconsistency. He has made first team ACC but has also offered forgettable performances where you ask why can a guy with this much talent be this bad?

NC State has started 3-0 this season. It has a solid offense and a good, serviceable defense. But if the Pack is to surprise folks in the conference and the country, Wilson will lead them. He is the type of player who can definitely carry a team.

Wilson's best sport may not even be football. He has played middle infield for the Pack baseball team and performed this past summer in the Colorado Rockies chain.

So in the future, he will have a decision. Right now, Pack fans are hoping they have another ACC first-teamer that will lead NC State to many victories this fall.