OMAHA, Neb. — Typical of Dick Bennett, the conversation ended on the high road.

The former University of Wisconsin and Washington State coach had just spent 10 minutes Wednesday morning talking about Cal State Fullerton guard Josh Akognon, who had transferred out of WSU following the 2005-'06 season because he didn't like Bennett's offensive style.

While the self-deprecating Bennett was quick to point out Akognon isn't the first person to feel that way — Roy Williams, please pick up a white courtesy phone — he also admitted that every time someone complains about his methodical blocker-mover offense, it stings a little. Still ...

"If you talk to Josh, tell him Coach Bennett said 'Hi,'" Bennett said.

Then, a pause, followed by his trademark chuckle.

"Unless he's spouting negatives — then don't. But he'd never do that. He's a good kid."

And, in fact, when his decision to transfer came up before the Titans' shootaround Wednesday evening, Akognon had nary a negative to spout.

That's partly because things have turned out just fine for him: The 5-foot-11 junior has helped his new school to its first NCAA men's basketball tournament berth in 30 years, and he leads the 14th-seeded Titans in scoring (19.9 points per game) entering Thursday's Midwest Regional first-round game against third-seeded UW at the Qwest Center.

Besides, Akognon knows he has no one to blame but himself for committing to play for a coach whose offensive, uh, style — one that got UW to the Final Four in 2000 — he should have known would clash with the up-tempo game he played at Casa Grande High School in Petaluma, Calif., and the one he's playing now for the fast-paced Titans (82.6 points per game).

"Actually, leaving Washington State was a hard decision for me. The easy decision was leaving the style of play. Here, I'm playing free and playing fast, and that's what makes me happy," said Akognon, who has attempted 449 shots in 31 games this year — compared to 372 in two years and 55 games at WSU.

Coming out of high school, Akognon signed with USC — coincidentally, the sixth-seeded Trojans will face the winner of UW-Fullerton if they survive 11th-seeded Kansas State Thursday — but was released from his commitment after then-coach Henry Bibby was fired.

Akognon visited Texas, Michigan, Oregon, Baylor and Miami (Fla.) before Dick's son, Tony, flew down to Petaluma and sold him on WSU.

"I was getting a lot of advice from people, and hearing the stature of what Dick Bennett had done, that kind of overwhelmed me. I was looking at (playing in) the Pac-10 and not looking at the actual style. All the other stuff (was) what I was enamored with," said Akognon, who led the Cougars in scoring as a sophomore, averaging 10.3 points (on an average of 8.6 shots) per game and had huge games against Washington (27 points) and at UCLA (25, all in the second half) that season. "I would never take it back for anything in the world — I'm the player I am today because I went there — but if I'd done a little more homework before I went there out of high school, the outcome would've been different. No regrets, though."

Asked whether Akognon had to go to a school with a high-scoring offense to flourish as a player, Fullerton coach Bob Burton replied, "I don't think so. I (think) it's really funny how he thought that way. Here's a kid that went into Pauley Pavilion and had (25 points). Is that not enough shots for you or what?

"Watching Washington State play, I think it would have been a great place for him to stay and play. We were really fortunate for him to come and if he hadn't, I wouldn't be sitting up here."

Akognon admitted it was difficult to see the Cougars go 26-8 last year and fall just shy of the Sweet 16 (a double-overtime loss to Vanderbilt in the second round) while he sat out under NCAA transfer rules — "They were doing so much, and I couldn't do anything but sit and watch," he said — but he also made it clear that he "never second-guessed" himself.

And, as it turns out, it worked out for the best for everyone.

Washington State, the No. 4 seed in the East Regional, is playing in back-to-back NCAA tournaments for the first time in school history.

Dick Bennett said he actually hoped Akognon would stay when he retired and Tony took over as coach, but Akognon's demands made that impossible.

"Josh wanted to be playing pretty much all the time and he wanted more freedom to shoot it, and Tony couldn't promise him that," Dick Bennett said from Denver, where he'll watch Tony's Cougars play 13th-seeded Winthrop today. "I don't think he realized that to give him the kind of freedom he wanted, it would've killed any chances we had of being a successful team and to build a program.

"A lot of young kids don't understand that — something has to be established in the way of a system and discipline. That was my job, as hard as it was. He certainly couldn't complain about getting opportunities.

"I never believed in exalting the individual at the expense of the team. He found a good fit, and I'm happy for him. It's worked out well."