The court in John Paul Jones Arena is now dedicated to Tony Bennett – and those who helped the coach reach great heights during his 15 seasons in Charlottesville.

The Los Angeles Lakers hired former Virginia coach Tony Bennett as an NBA draft advisor on Wednesday. Bennett, a three-time NCAA national Coach of the Year, retired from coaching in October 2024. He guided the Cavaliers to a national championship in 2018-19 and won four ACC Coach of the Year nods.

UVA Athletics wanted to honor Tony Bennett by putting his name on the court where he led eight teams to ACC titles, and the 2019 team to a national title.

First-year Cavaliers coach Ryan Odom grasps those heights like few others, for it was Odom’s UMBC Retrievers who historically excused Virginia from the 2018 NCAA Tournament. And it was Odom, the son of former UVA assistant coach Dave Odom, who was among the legions applauding the Cavaliers’ 2019 national title.