Welcome to the ACC, Coach Bennett

After watching the Hoos get outmanned by the likes of South Florida on Monday, its hard not to think about the reinforcements coming for 2010.  As we've written in this space before, Coach Tony Bennett's first class is good, not great as some have proclaimed.  Still, its hard not to get excited about the five new recruits Bennett is bringing to the 'ville, two of whom are consensus top-100 players. 

Nor should it be surprising.  At Washington State, its hard to imagine how Coach Bennett got anyone to come to Pullman (if you've ever been to or even seen pictures of it, or that "cage you call a gym," you know what I mean). Here at UVA, Bennett's got a state-of-the-art facility, is a couple hours drive from more than a few recruiting hotbeds, and has the draw of playing in what is considered by most to be the nation's premier college hoops conference.  Its kind of like swimming every morning at the local Y, and then having the chance to instead swim every day at the Aquatic and Fitness Center.  It's gotta feel pretty nice, and certainly a whole lot better than where you were. 

But reviewing the various recruiting rankings has to bring things into perspective for UVA's new head man. Case in point, ESPN just released its rankings for college basketball's top 25 recruiting classes for 2010 (insider access required).  Virginia is ranked a respectable 21st.  Its what's ahead of Coach Bennett's class in those rankings that will soon enough be keeping him up at night.  Despite the strength of Virginia's class, no less than FIVE ACC schools' classes rank ahead of Bennett's.  UNC, with three top-20 players, is No. 3.  Wake is adding four top 100 players and is ranked No. 6.  Duke is right behind them, with two elite recruits, at No. 7. NC State (how Sidney Lowe keeps doing this yet his team stinks every year I'll never know) is No. 12, and Maryland is just ahead of Virginia in ESPN's rankings at No. 18.  Florida State is right behind the Hoos at No. 24. 

Meanwhile, only two of Bennett's former rivals from the Pac-10 have classes that rank ahead of Bennett's.  Always strong UCLA is at No. 10 and new Stanford head man Johnny Dawkins checks in at No. 15.  That's it. 

The story's the same over at scout.com, where Virginia's ranked 14th, but still trumped by UNC, Duke, Wake, and NC State, and at rivals.com, where Virginia's all the way up to 12th, but still behind that foursome.  Coach Bennett is certainly doing well, but he has to be learning that he's engaged in an arms race here on the east coast he's not winning, and probably can't.

So yeah, the pool's nicer over here.  Its not that shallow 25-meter thing at the Y where you don't quite trust the water.  Here on the east coast, the pool's heated, its got olympic-sized lanes, and is plenty deep enough for diving.  But just so you know, Coach, there are sharks swimming around in it.  Keep swimming fast.  You're going to have to.