TOUGH STRETCH COMING FOR MOUNTAINEERS

When Bob Huggins got the head coaching job at his alma mater, West Virginia, when John Beilein made a 'bee-line' for Michigan, you had to wonder what would happen to many of the players that were a fit for the old system under Beilein as Huggins would institute his own. Afterall, the styles are nearly night and day and there was possibly just a handful of players on the roster Huggins would have likely recruited himself. However, the players and the new coach seem to have found a balance and players like senior Alex Ruoff has Come a Long Way the Last Two Seasons (Register-Herald) and made the transition a very successful one.

WVU will need Ruoff and other veterans to come even more as the young and undersized Mountaineers enter a tough stretch in their schedule with WVU in Need of Some Answers (Charleston Gazette). How tough is their stretch? Beginning with a Thursday night date at Georgetown, seven of West Virginia's next nine games are against ranked teams with the No. 12 Hoyas, No. 4 Pitt (Sunday in Morgantown), at No. 9 Louisville (Jan. 31), at No. 8 Syracuse (Feb. 4), at No. 4 Pitt (Feb. 9) and home games with No. 20 Villanova (Feb. 13) and No. 19 Notre Dame (Feb. 18).

Good luck!