Just seven months ago, Randy Bennett sat in front of a microphone in Oklahoma City, fielding questions before the Saint Mary's Gaels played in the first round of the Men's NCAA Tournament.
Now in October, Bennett took to the podium once again, now five hours north and with a new logo on his shirt. The Mesa native, now at his dream job, attended Big 12 Media Days for the first time as head coach of the Arizona State Sun Devils.
Here is everything Bennett, senior forward Paulius Murauskas, senior forward Emmanuel Innocenti and sophomore forward Dillan Shaw said at the 2026 Monster Energy Big 12 Basketball Media Days.
Randy Bennett: Why Was The Move to Tempe The Right Decision For Him?
"There's several reasons, but the biggest reason was to coach at Arizona State. That was the deal. Is there other factors that were on my mind, all positive, by the way. But, I grew up in Mesa, which is 10 minutes away from Arizona State University, where I live. So I grew up as a Sun Devil, that's who I rooted for. I knew which team in the state I was rooting for the whole time, and so, just how many guys get a chance to coach in their hometown at the big school? So I've always thought it could be a great job, and I still think it can be."
Biggest Challenge In The New Age of College Basketball:
"There's some things in common. They've changed rules over the years, and you've always had to just adapt and make good decisions. You can complain about it and whine about it for a little while, but it's not going to do any good. And then you just have to make it work, and that's how we've approached this. And kids are still great kids, and these guys I have here are all great kids and trying to reach the goals that they set out for themselves and their team. So all that stuff's the same. It's just that there's money involved and they get they should get money. I don't know what the right amount is or any of that, and neither does anybody else, and so it's not that different. The only thing that's different is these guys get a chance to make some money and hopefully put it away so that they have a nice nest egg to start when they're done playing.
Bennett's Defensive Style & How Will It Translate To The Big 12:
"I think it'll translate to every league. Teams (that make it to) the end of the year are teams that defend and rebound and take care of the ball, and we want to be able to score at a high clip as well, and we're working on that. But if you don't do those other three, I don't think you have a chance. So we know that, we know who's at the top of this league, and we know how they play. We saw it in the other league that we were in, the WCC, we had a ridiculously long rivalry with Gonzaga, and you weren't getting past them if you didn't do those things. So these guys know, one of our goals is trying to put points on the board, play at a higher pace. But you better do both. I know that much."
Adapting Culture To The Big 12 Lifestyle:
"These are our three captains this year. So obviously, I have a lot of respect for all three of them, and t so do their teammates. It's a team vote that kind of picks your captains, and so I'm glad that Dylan and Paulius are part of that because I've coached them. We've coached them. They know our program. They know what we're trying to be. And as a coach, you can only do so much. But your players have to buy in, and your leaders have to double down on selling what you're trying to do as a program. And so a big part of it's being a tight team and doing things together. One of our deals this year is just because you have to, in this day and age, you have so many guys chasing their own deal, but you have to get away from that. You have to want to hit your individual goals, but your team goals have to be ahead of that. Everybody can spit it out of their mouth. How many people can do it is going to be how good of leaders these three guys are."
With International Talent From Across The Globe, How Do You Handle Coaching a Roster of Many Different Basketball Styles and Culture?
"Same stuff. You're coaching a team. I really don't even pay attention to how many international players we have. I'm so used to having players from different parts of the country. Obviously, some places we've had more players from lately: Lithuania, Australia, and from coaching those guys, we've learned more about other players from other countries and figured out how many good players are all throughout the world, so I don't even think twice about it. But I do know you're gonna have to get 14 guys, in our case, all on the same page and putting the team ahead of themselves.
Paulius Murauskas: What Made You Choose ASU?
"I think it was the right move, right move for me because Coach (Bennett) is a really great coach, and I really trust him, and I think I really improved from my freshman to sophomore season. From sophomore to junior season, I just got better, and I just really trust his coaching and all coaching staff."
How Would You Describe The Energy Around ASU Basketball Right Now?
"I think a lot of people are excited because new coach, new team. So I think energy is up, and I can't wait to play in front of our fans."
Dillian Shaw: What Kind of Identity Are You Trying To Establish at ASU?
"We're trying to establish probably a defensive mindset, same thing that we carry over from St. Mary's: defense and rebounding. I would just say we're looking to build off of that, see where we can go from there."
What's The Most Exciting Part of Playing in The Big 12?
"Just playing against like some of the top talent around, everyone is trying to play at this highest level. Everyone's trying to go to the Big 12 and play, so just playing against them. It's pretty exciting."
Emmanuel Innocenti: How Did Coach Bennett Convince You, a Former Gonzaga Player and Rival to Saint Mary's, To Come to ASU?
"I think Coach (Bennett) is a winner. The success of St. Mary's, and I like how his teams play. They are consistent for 40 minutes. They play for each other. They dominate the boards. And I thought that it fit my game."
What's The Most Exciting Part of Playing in The Big 12?
"Playing games against talented players. It's a physical conference. It's a challenge every game, and I think that's really good for us players."
2026 Monster Energy Big 12 Basketball Media Days run through Oct. 21, as Bennett and his players will rejoin the full team this weekend for their exhibition trip to Albuquerque, taking on the New Mexico Lobos in preseason action.
Bennett and the Sun Devils will open their regular season on Nov. 2 against East Tennessee State.
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