Bob Cantu has worked under big names like Tim Floyd, Henry Bibby and Kevin O'Neill, but his short time assisting Jim Saia might provide the most useful guide after this sudden change at the top.
"That situation back in 2004 is almost identical to what has happened," said Cantu. "What I learned from Jim is to be a leader, to manage a situation and to be positive and encouraging."
Saia went just 10-15 after taking over for Bibby, but Floyd praised his predecessor for playing and developing young talent like Nick Young and Gabe Pruitt, which laid the foundation for a Sweet 16 run two years later. While Cantu acknowledges the need to protect the future of the program, he believes in the veteran core of this team to win now.
"We have six seniors and a lot of the guys that are contributing are upperclassmen. I think we have a very good chance to compete in the conference. We want to develop everybody."
With very little head coaching experience to harken back on, Cantu has had to find his head coaching voice in a mere 48 hours.
"I don't know if it's ever long enough. It's longer than three hours, which is all I had the last time against Arizona [in 2011]. I am still in complete shock. Since the moment I was told, I have been going 100 miles per hour and I am just trying to stay in the moment and stay focused. I feel a lot better after today's practice going into tomorrow."
Cantu's first test comes Thursday night against No. 21 Oregon at Galen Center. The head coach does not plan on making any drastic changes until after the UCLA game, which is two weeks away, but he plans on utilizing wings Ari Stewart and Renaldo Woolridge to generate some much needed bench scoring.
"I am not trying to change too much. I want to change our tempo," said Cantu who emphasized finding easy buckets in transition and getting to the free throw line. "The staple of the team is always the defense that Kevin put in."
"That situation back in 2004 is almost identical to what has happened," said Cantu. "What I learned from Jim is to be a leader, to manage a situation and to be positive and encouraging."Saia went just 10-15 after taking over for Bibby, but Floyd praised his predecessor for playing and developing young talent like Nick Young and Gabe Pruitt, which laid the foundation for a Sweet 16 run two years later. While Cantu acknowledges the need to protect the future of the program, he believes in the veteran core of this team to win now.
"We have six seniors and a lot of the guys that are contributing are upperclassmen. I think we have a very good chance to compete in the conference. We want to develop everybody."
With very little head coaching experience to harken back on, Cantu has had to find his head coaching voice in a mere 48 hours.
"I don't know if it's ever long enough. It's longer than three hours, which is all I had the last time against Arizona [in 2011]. I am still in complete shock. Since the moment I was told, I have been going 100 miles per hour and I am just trying to stay in the moment and stay focused. I feel a lot better after today's practice going into tomorrow."
Cantu's first test comes Thursday night against No. 21 Oregon at Galen Center. The head coach does not plan on making any drastic changes until after the UCLA game, which is two weeks away, but he plans on utilizing wings Ari Stewart and Renaldo Woolridge to generate some much needed bench scoring.
"I am not trying to change too much. I want to change our tempo," said Cantu who emphasized finding easy buckets in transition and getting to the free throw line. "The staple of the team is always the defense that Kevin put in."
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