CINCINNATI LEAVES HUGGINS, WVU WITH A PARTING LOSS

February 27, 2009


Last night in Cincinnati there were a lot of Huggs and Misses (Charleston Gazette) as Bob Huggins' Night Not One to Remember (Charleston Gazette) as West Virginia falls to UC, 65-61.

It was an Emotional Return for Huggins (Times West Virginian) who wiped tears from his eyes during a pregame video highlight tribute film to his career as the UC head coach, one which saw him become the winningest coach of the program's history. In the game, however, it was the Bearcats Who Made their Own Highlights (Cincinnati Enquirer) as Mick Cronin beat his former mentor and UC icon for the second consecutive season. It was a win UC simply had to have to keep their NCAA Tournament chances alive and they delivered by riding the back of freshman big man Yancy Gates, picking up the slack for injured starter Mike Williams, whose sprained knee could improve enough to have him back for a game at Syracuse on Sunday. Gates finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds and the Mountaineers had no answer for him when he got the ball on the block. He was 9-11 from the field. Deonta Vaughn added 13 points for the winners as UC Takes Down Huggins and WVU (Cincinnati Enquirer), improving to 18-7 in the Big East and 18-10 overall.

West Virginia fell to 8-7 in the Big East and into a tie in the standings with UC and Syracuse in Big East competition as the Mountaineers Waste an Opportunity Against the Bearcats (Daily Mail) to seperate themselves a little from the pack. They also lose an tie-breaker with both the Orange and Bearcats since they have lost to each of them.

WVU shot just 34% from the field in the game. Alex Ruoff led the Mountaineers with 18 points, but he was just 3-15 from the field and 2-11 from beyond the arc. Freshman Devin Ebanks posted a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds and classmate Kevin Jones also added a dozen.

West Virginia plays on the road against South Florida on Sunday and closes out their regular season next week at home against DePaul and Louisville, which is a 9 PM Saturday night contest in Morgantown, prior to the 2009 Big East Tournament.

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: WEST VIRGINIA @ CINCINNATI

February 26, 2009


Although much of the attention in tonight's game between West Virginia and Cincinnati will focus on the return to UC by former coach Bob Huggins, this is a pivotal game for both schools. West Virginia is 19-8 overall on the season and 8-6 in Big East play, having won their last three games, beating Villanov, Notre Dame and Rutgers in succession. While everything looks good for WVU in terms of the NCAA Tournament, they can not afford to slump at the wrong time as the stretch run continues.

Cincinnati is is more dire need of wins. At 7-7 in the Big East and 17-10 overall, the Bearcats are fully on the bubble, most likely on the wrong side of it at the moment. They have a chance tonight, along with a game at Syracuse on Sunday, to pick up a quality win against a fellow NCAA Tournament-worthy opponent. They finish up against South Florida and Seton Hall, two games they will be expected to win, so finding a win in a game that will pad their resume is a must.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on tonight's match-up:

Huggs Returns to Cincinnati, Tribute Planned (kypost.com)
Ruoff Grew Up a Cincy Fan (Times West Virginian)
Bearcats Must Avoid Distractions (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Huggs Will Be 'Fine' for Cincy Game (Daily Mail)
Old Stomping Grounds (Charleston Gazette)
Homecoming 'Uncomfortable' for Huggins (Register-Herald)
Emotional Night in Store for Huggins (Charleston Gazette)
Cincinnati Game Means a lot to Huggins (Charleston Gazette)
Mountaineer Players Want to Win Next One for Huggins (Daily Mail)
Huggs Got their Best (Cincinnati Enquirer)

For 16 seasons, Bob Huggins roamed the sidelines as head coach of the University of Cincinnati. The last 14 of those seasons finished with a trip to the NCAA Tournament, including a run to the 1992 Final Four as 'Huggs' built a very loyal fan following. Since being pushed out as coach by UC president Nancy Zimpher, the fan support at UC has noticeably dwindled as the program, now headed by former Huggins' assistant Mick Cronin, has yet to make a NCAA Tournament appearance since he was exiled from the program.

Tonight, Huggins returns to Fifth Third Arena and will be brining in his new team, West Virginia, his alma mater, along with him in an attempt to come up with a win and make a return to the NCAA Tournament even more tougher for the Bearcats. Both teams have plenty to play for and motivation to get a key win tonight.

West Virginia's ability to defend and rebound the basketball make them a very worthy candidate to pick up key road wins in the Big East. Senior Alex Ruoff and junior Da'Sean Butler provide the scoring punch needed and make WVU a very dangerous team on both ends of the floor. However, the emerging threat of freshman Devin Ebanks could mean the Mountaineers still have their best basketball ahead of them this season.

The Bearcats have been getting deeper, stronger and more athletic, especially in the frontcourt, under Mick Cronin. In the process, they do resemble a team that Huggins might have coached in the past. While the talent level might not be up to the par as a whole of a Huggins coached UC team, the program is definitely moving in a positive direction, even if the crowd still yearns for the days of their former leader on the bench.

Cronin was a former UC assistant under Huggins and also served under Rick Pitino at Louisville. Last season, the Bearcats shocked both teams coached by Cronin's former mentors on the road. This year they have already lost to Louisville and in the emotional setting that tonight promises to be, they will look to avoid a sweep at the hands of their coach's former mentors.

Both teams will work hard defensively and on the boards, but it will likely be offense that is the key. West Virginia, a 4 1/2-point favorite, seems to have a couple more players with higher offensive potential. While UC will likely look to ride Deonta Vaughn's scoring tough, the WVU perimeter defense could be fairly successful in limiting his amount of free looks. If that is the case, UC will struggle in scoring.

I expect a very tight game, emotions and energy could be at a fever pitch, but in the end, Bob Huggins walks out as a winner in his return home.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

West Virginia 67
Cincinnati 64

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MOUNTAINEERS GETS PAST RUTGERS IN BIG EAST PLAY

February 23, 2009


A balanced West Virginia attack, with six players scoring eight or more points, picked up a 74-56 road win against Rutgers on Sunday afternoon.

The Mountaineers got out of the gate quickly, building a 21-4 lead, but the Scarlet Knights battled back to close the gap to within five before the half and again to within four at around the seven minute mark in the second half. However, Bob Huggins' had his Message Received (Charleston Gazette) and the Second Half Work on the Boards Keyed WVU Win (Daily Mail) at the RAC. After zero offensive rebounds in the first half, WVU corralled 15 in the second half, leading to 10 second chance points as Rebounding Ruins Rutgers (Asbury Park Press) at key points of the contest. For the game, WVU held an edge of 39-29 on the boards, with freshman Devin Ebanks posting a double-double with a team-high 14 points and 11 rebounds. Ebanks was a high-priority recruiting target of Fred Hill Jr. and the RU staff before signing with WVU.

Also, Rutgers was Done in by Da'Sean Butler - Another Jersey Kid that Got Way (NY Daily News), Wellington Smith, yet another, and Kevin Jones, a former high school teammate of current Scarlet Knights Mike Coburn and Jonathan Mitchell, who was also heavily recruited by Hill and staff. Smith and Jones Steal Show for WVU (Times West Virginian) as Smith registeres 12 points and 5 blocks and Jones adds 10 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists in 20 minutes.

Alex Ruoff and Butler each added 12, rounding out the five in double figures for the Mountaineers, who are now 8-6 in the Big East and 19-8 overall. Prior to the 2009 Big East Tournament, WVU hits the road for a date with Huggins' former school, Cincinnati, as well as a match-up against South Florida before returning home to close out the regular season with DePaul and Louisville.

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WEST VIRGINIA LOOKS TO PICK UP ROAD WIN AT RU

February 22, 2009


West Virginia has won three of their last four games to move to 7-6 in the Big East and 18-8 overall. All three of those wins came at home and now they embark on a three-game road swing of winnable games, but they have lost their last three conference road games.

The first opponent for WVU in this road swing is the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers, who are 1-12 in Big East play. The game is a homecoming of sorts for junior small forward Da’Sean Butler and forward Wellington Smith, a pair of Jersey natives in the WVU starting line-up.

Huggins Sees No Let Down at Rutgers (Times West Virginian)
WVU Hits Road for Three Games (Times West Virginian)
Rutgers’ Frosh Sensation (Charleston Gazette)

West Virginia finds themselves in a pretty good position heading into the Big East stretch drive. They have climbed over .500 in the conference and they have a favorable slate to close out, even with the next three on the road.

The WVU toughness and willingness to defend and rebound should serve them well against Rutgers. Expect them to hold a lead throughout with Da’Sean Butler and Alex Ruoff leading the way like upperclassmen should.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

West Virginia 76
Rutgers 64

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WEST VIRGINIA HOSTS NOTRE DAME IN BIG EAST CONTEST

February 18, 2009


As we head down the stretch of the big East conference season, key games carry more and more weight. Tonight in Morgantown is such a game as Notre Dame travels to take on West Virginia. The Irish have won two in a row following their seven-game losing streak, but now they leave the comfy confines of the Joyce Center to hit the road.

West Virginia, coming off Friday's 93-72 romp over Villanova in the Coliseum, is looking to start a favorable stretch of scheduling off on the right foot. The win over 'Nova should restore some confidence for a young team as they clumbed back to .500, at 6-6, in Big East play. Following the game with the Irish, WVU hits the road for three games against Rutgers, Cincinnati and South Florida before finishing up at home with DePaul and Louisville.

Much like WVU, Notre Dame ended their recent slide in memorable fashion with a 90-57 dismantling of Louisville last Thursday. The Irish followed that up with a 67-57 win over USF on Sunday. At 5-7 in the Big East and 14-10 overall, the Irish need wins and need them in a hurry.


Here are some pregame stories and previews found on the internet this morning:

Kevin Jones Unsung Part of Heralded Frosh Class (Times West Virginian)
Can ND Locate its Road Swagger (South Bend Tribune)
Notre Dame vs. West Virginia (Chicago Tribune)
3 Pointers Could Decide It (Charleston Gazette)
WVU Hosting Skidding Irish (Journal News)
Huggins Confident RPI Will Get WVU NCAA Berth (Charleston Gazette)
Fighting Irish Will Test Mountaineers Perimeter Defense (Daily Mail)


Everyone still seems perplexed about Notre Dame's seven-game losing streak. Looking at that stretch, it really does seem rather simple...six of the teams were rated in the top 10 at one time or another in that stretch. The other team, Cincinnati, is a pretty good team and that game, along with four of the other six, was on the road. I do not think the stretch of losses proved the Irish are not good, maybe not quite top 25 good, but it was a stretch than many teams would have found themselves 0-7 in.

However, it is about winning and that is what the Irish need to do now. The perimeter shooting from multiple players that was missing in the seven game losing streak has returned the last few games, now it needs to show itself on the road. Luke Harangody seems good for 25 points and 15 rebounds each time out, but the level of efficiency of those numbers rises significantly when he is getting help from the perimeter.

West Virginia is not always the prettiest team, but like a Bob Huggins-coached team, they will battle and scrap and there is not a shortage of long, lean and athletic players that will wreak havoc on offenses. The Mountaineer attack is driven by senior guard Alex Ruoff and junior win Da'Sean Butler. Their veteran leadership is needed as they have a young supporting crew, which includes freshmen point guard Darryl Bryant and forward Devin Ebanks. In the win over Villanova, Butler rebounded from a four-point night in a loss at Pitt to explode for 43 points in the win. Ebanks matched his career high of 16 points, originally established in the Pitt loss on Monday, and added 10 rebounds. The pair are very tough match-ups for the WVU defense and could be in line for big nights. If Ruoff can connect on a few three's, the Mountaineer momentum can start to roll again.

The Mountaineers are a healthy 9 1/2-point favorite at home. At first blush, that numbers seems high, but looking at the Kenpom.com effeciency ratings, it shows WVU as a 12-point winner. I still contend that much of the WVU strength in the power numbers was built on the backs of the poor in their non-conference schedule, but they still should be a match-up tonight that is difficult for the Irish to handle as WVU will keep coming at them in waves of athleticism.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

West Virginia 74
Notre Dame 66

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: VILLANOVA @ WEST VIRINIA

February 13, 2009


Last night we saw how a desperate team could react on their home floor in a must-win situation. West Virginia has much of the same necessity for a win tonight when they host Villanova for a Friday night Big East conference special.

Friday the 13th in Morgantown for a 9 PM contest, that is a scary proposition for an opponent. The red-hot Villanova Wildcats, winners of six in a row, look to continue their winning ways against a WVU squad that has lost three of their last four games and fallen below .500 in the Big East at 5-6.


Here are some pregame stories and previews on tonight's contest:

Nova-WVU Not Lacking Intrigue (Times West Virginian)
Rare Friday Night Gem Kicks Off Full Weekend of Hoops (ESPN)
WVU Faces Elite Villanova (Daily Mail)
WVU Looks to Cage Wildcat Offense (Journal-News)
Streaking Villanova Visits (Charleston Gazette)
WVU to Host No. 13 West Virginia at its Hottest (Times West Virginian)
Difficult Stretch Continues for WVU (Metro News)
Wildcats Hopes to Open Tourney Close to Home (Philadelphia Inquirer)

During the 'Nova six-game winning streak, they have gotten big games from Scottie Reynolds (31 at PC, 27 vs. Marquette) and Dante Cunningham (31 vs. SU), but the consistent play of Corey Fisher, averaging 13 points, shooting over 56% and stepping up his defensive efforts, might be the biggest lift the team has had.

Fisher came to Villanova amidst much hype, but he struggled in his freshman season. He battled injuries as well as finding his place in the backcourt alongside Scottie Reynolds as both seemed to be scoring point guards. Fisher finished the Big East schedule last season shooting under 25% (15-61) from the field over the last eight games and averaging 5.6 points a game and in the Big East Tournament, he scored just two points in two games.

His play of late seems to indicate he finally is getting 'it' in Jay Wright's system and finding his place. His 21-points in this week's win over Marquette was another display of a more efficient Fisher on offense while still helping with the little things at the other end of the court when needed.

With Reynolds and Cunningham consistently leading the offense, Fisher finding a role to excel at in a complimentary position has helped take VU to new heights.

The schedule has been pretty brutal for WVU and they begin a crucial two-game homestand with Villanova on Friday and then Notre Dame coming in on Wednesday. For a team fighting to stay on the right side of the NCAA Bubble, they must pick up wins that will serarate them from other NCAA hopefuls. Following the pair of home games, they hit the road for Rutgers, the anticipated return of Bob Huggins to Cincinnati and a game at South Florida before finishing at home with DePaul and Louisville to close the regular season.

Offensively, WVU has shown they can struggle mightily in Big East play. Villanova will look to concentrate on Alex Ruoff and Da'Sean Butler, the two most responsible for making the WVU offense go. The experienced guard corps of VU will also target freshman point guard Darryl Bryant and try to disrupt the flow of the Mountaineer offense by making everything tough on him. This might be the key development. WVU has not dealt well with the pressure and physical defense of Louisville, UConn, Pitt and Marquette, and the Wildcats will look to unleash their attack as well.

For WVU to win, the x-factor will likely have to be Devin Ebanks. The much-hyped, 6-foot-9, multi-talented freshman forward needs to be a consistent source of offense in support of Ruoff and Butler. Ebanks has scored in double figures in four of the last five games, including a career-high 16 in Monday's loss at Pitt.

West Virginia, unranked, is a 4 1/2-point favorite tonight against the 13th ranked team in the country. While the WVU computer numbers remain very strong, led by a tough defense, their play in the Big East does not give one a lot of confidence in this match-up, mostly because of their youth at key spots, especially at point guard.

Villanova is averaging 99 points a game in their last three outings as they have been able to play in a free-flowing environment, averaging over 81 possessions a game, an astounding number. WVU plays at an average pace nearly identical to the national average of 66.7 possessions a game. With a freshman point guard, controlling that tempo will decide the game. However, in the ebb and flow of college hoops over the long season, 'Nova is due for an off game and with a raucous crowd and a desperate team coached by Bob Huggins, WVU should squeek one out.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

West Virginia 68
Villanova 65

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WVU FOULED-UP BY RIVAL PITT

February 10, 2009


ESPN kicked off Rivalry Week with a Big Monday match-up between the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Pittsburgh Panthers. It was the 177th rendition of the 'Backyard Brawl' on the hardwood.

From the beginning, the game had little flow as constant stoppages for whistles, usually fouls called well away from the basket, had the game stopping and starting often as the Officials Put Themselves in the Game (Times West Virginian) and the Refs Cost the Fans a Good Game (Post-Gazette) between two Big East rivals.

While niether team was whistled for an absurd amount of fouls or sent to the line in any one-sided or over of abundance, the fouls impacted DeJuan Blair (just 16 minutes of action), Da'Sean Butler (just 18 minutes before fouling out) and Alex Ruoff (24 minutes before fouling out with over 7 minutes left) the most, leaving WVU in a Foul Mood After Another Loss to Pitt (Daily Mail).

As an Upsetting of a Loss (Times West Virginian) as it was because of the foul frustration, the Lack of Offense is Killing the Mountaineers (Post-Gazette) in big games. Last night, WVU shot just 40%, 21-52, for the game in the 70-59 loss as Pitt handles WVU (Charleston Gazette).

Getting Blair in foul trouble has been a recipe that Villanova and Louisville have used to defeat Pitt in their only two losses. Blair played just five minutes in the first half before sitting the remainder of the half with two fouls. He did not pick up #3 until 11 minutes into the second half, but #4 came with it as his frustration over a foul led to a technical foul. After Alex Ruoff made one of two free throws, Pitt led 52-41, nearly an identical situation to the loss at UL where Pitt saw a 10-point second half evaporate when Blair went to the bench with four fouls at the 8-minute mark.

However, this time, Blair Sits and Doesn't Foul Up the Panthers (Observer-Reporter) as Pitt quickly went on an 8-2 run extending the lead to 60-43 and Ruoff fouled out in the process. The run was sparked by Levance Fields, the Panthers brilliand 'Fields' General (Beaver County Times), scoring on a lay-up and then drawing the fifth foul on Ruoff. Fields finished the game with 13 points and 7 assists despite sitting much of the 1st half because of an early two fouls.

On a Busy Night for the Whistle Blowers (Charleston Gazette), one star was able to stay on the floor and make his presence felt throughout as Sam Young scored a game-high 20 points as Pitt Survives With Victory over WVU (Tribune-Review), sweeping the pair of games from their rivals from the south.

West Virginia was out-rebounded by the Panthers, 39-23.

Butler was just two for 10 from the field for WVU, finishing with four points, 0 rebounds and 0 assists in 18 minutes. Ruoff led WVU with 17 points and freshman Devin Ebanks scored a career-high 16 in the game.

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: WEST VIRGINIA @ PITTSBURGH

February 9, 2009


The 'Backyard Brawl', basketball-style, heads to Pittsburgh tonight for an ESPN Big Monday showdown between the Pitt Panthers and West Virginia Mountaineers. The two rivals just 90 miles apart will square off in a key Big East conference game at the Peterson Events Center on the Pittsburgh campus. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 PM with a national ESPN television audience set to watch.

If you subscribe to the Pomeroy Ratings as being the best indicator of team's strengths and weaknesses, then this game should be a dandy as the Panthers are #4 in the current Pomeroy Ratings and West Virginia is a surprising #7. It is also surprising, based on the perception of the two teams, that Pitt is rated that high because of their offense, currently the best in America according to Pomeroy with an effeciency of 123.1, which means they score 1.23 points per posession. The Panther defense is rated #36, with a 90.8 rating. The Mountaineers are #5 in the nation in regards to defense, with an 85.8 rating.

However, if you adjust the WVU numbers for Big East games, in which they are 5-5, WVU has an offensive effeciency of 1.06 and a defense of 0.97 and in road games in the Big East they have a 1.00 on offense and a 0.99 on defense.

Pitt, meanwhile, has an offensive effeciency of 1.17 in league games and a defense of 1.01. At home, in their four Big East contests in the Peterson Events Center, their offense is cranking at an unreal clip of 1.27 and their defense is 1.02, not quite Pitt-like, but with that offense, it more than gets the job done as Pitt has an extremely low turnover rate and is off the charts in terms of offensive rebounding, led by DeJuan Blair.

In Pitt's two losses, at Louisville and at Villanova, Blair struggled with foul trouble and the Pitt offense was held well below their normal average. Blair's offensive rebounding ability and his presence in the paint makes all the difference in the world for Pitt. In the 8 wins, Pitt is at an offensive effeciency clip of 1.26 in Big East games, in the two losses, the Panthers struggled at a rate of 0.87! The case for Blair being the most important player in the Big East could probably be made right there!


Here are some pregame stories and previews on tonight's Backyard Brawl matchup:

Mountaineers Catching Pitt at Bad Time (Times West Virginian)
Mountaineers Set for Rematch (Register Herald)
Can WVU Finish the Job (Charleston Gazette)
Playing the Mind Game (Martinsburg Journal)
Pitt Guard Fields Silencing Skeptics (Tribune Review)
Panthers Taking Long Look at Defense (Tribune-Review)
WVU Energized by Offense (Daily Mail)
Big Backyard Brawl Monday (wvmetronews.com)
Porous Defense Angers Dixon (Post-Gazette)


So, with all the Pomoroy number crunching, their site predicts Pitt by 5 points tonight. The latest odds have the Panthers as a 7 1/2-point favorite and when you factor in the numbers looking just at Big East games, that number seems to be very fair.

The two teams met back in January in Morgantown and Pitt used an impressive run midway through the second half to beat WVU 79-67. Sam Young led the way with 22 points, 16 of which were in the second half and Blair added 16 points and 11 rebounds. Pitt torched WVU with a 54% field goal percentage on their own floor.

With Pitt looking to put more of an emphasis on defense, that is not very good news for WVU. The Mountaineers are still a rather young team, and that has shown itself on the road. They were blown out at Marquette and trailed Louisville by 20 at the half. In their latest road game, they were blitzed by Syracuse as their effort and decision making was very inconsistent, traits of a younger team.

Da"Seant Butler had 21 in their first meeting and Alex Ruoff add3ed 16. Ruoff seemed to snap out of his recent shooting slump, nailing six of seven on three's in Saturday's win over Providence, but tonight he will see a lot of Jermaine Dixon and Brad Wanamaker, two of the better defensive players on the perimeter in the Big East. Another key for Pitt has been the offense provided by Dixon and Wanamaker, along with freshman Ashton Gibbs, giving Pitt some capable three-point shooters.

With senior point guard Levance Fields running the ship, Pitt has scored at least 92 points in their last three games. Fields has been incredible, handing out 36 assists with just three turnovers in the three games. He has also picked up his scoring, averaging 14 a game in that stretch. A top-notch Fields makes this a top-notch club, expect them to show it again tonight.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Pittsburgh 76
West Virginia 67

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WVU 2009 FOOTBALL RECRUTING CLASS PLAYER PROFILES

By Matt Whitfield



Shawne Alston, RB

Could be a short yardage back next year.

“He’s a big, strong back,” Bill Stewart said. “He has had some great accolades against great football.”

Had other offers from Penn State, Illinois, Maryland, and East Carolina.


Tavon Austin, RB

Heralded record holding Maryland back could follow in Slaton’s and Devine’s footsteps.

“Lonnie Galloway went into Baltimore and knocked them out,” Stewart said. “He established a great relationship with Tavon. He can go any direction and is lightning in a bottle. He’s special.” Austin also runs a 4.4 40.

Boston College, Michigan, North Carolina, Pittsburgh and Rutgers also were in the hunt.


Stedman Bailey, WR

Bailey caught 68 passes for 1,163 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior from his teammate and soon also to be Mountaineer Eugene Monroe.

Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, South Carolina, Rutgers, and Ole Miss also offered.


Cole Bowers, OL

One of three in-state players that chose to dawn the blue and gold.

Virginia and Marshall also offered.


Branko Busick, LB

Another in-state recruit. Also the son of a former WWE wrestler. Busick himself was a standout wrestler and football player in high school.


Darwin Cook, S

High school teammate of Mountaineer basketball player Will Thomas. Accounted for 99 tackles, 20 sacks and six forced fumbles his senior season at Shaw High School.

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Read More on WVU's recruiting...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

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Dominik Davenport, DT

Phoebus teammate of Shawne Alston.

Also had offers from Florida State, Virginia, and Maryland.


Pat Eger, OL

His Thomas Jefferson team rushed for more than 3,500 yards and almost 50 touchdowns with the help of Eager.

Also had offers from Pittsburgh and Maryland.


Curtis Feight, OL

Native of Germany, started playing American football his junior year at Mercersburg Academy. Accounted for 41 tackles, five-and-a-half sacks, eight tackles for loss and four breakups at Mercersburg.


Tevita Finau, DE

Rated as one of the best JUCO prospects and is expected to see playing time immediately.

Also had offers from the Florida, Oklahoma, USC, Tennessee, California, and Oregon.


Terence Garvin, DB

Named to Maryland All State team. Also RB at Loyola High School in Baltimore.

Also had offers from Boston College, Maryland, Virginia, Syracuse, and NC State.


Daquan Harquett, RB

Bill Stewart sees the 4.5 running Harquett as a speedy tailback with great change-of-direction ability.

Also held offers from Clemson, Minnesota, Iowa State, and South Florida.


Logan Heastie, WR

The best player in the Mountaineer recruiting class?

Is currently enrolled for the spring semester. Participant of the ESPN Under Armour All-American Game. Finished with 58 receptions and 886 yards with nine touchdowns his senior year at Great Bridge High School.

The 6-foot-3, 192-pound, 4.3 40 running WR turned down offers from Florida, Alabama, Penn State, and Virginia Tech.


Broderick Jenkins, CB

Had 48 tackles, four interceptions and nine pass breakups while totaling close to 400 yards on kick returns, including eight touchdowns his senior season at South Fort Myers High School.

Also held offers from Wisconsin, Boston College, Iowa, Pittsburgh, and South Florida.


Nick Kindler, OL

Two-time AP Class-AA first-team all-state member. ACL injury kept him out his junior season.

Also held offers from Boston College, Rutgers, Illinois, and Virginia.


Deon Long, WR

Had 35 catches for 840 yards and nine touchdowns his senior season at Dunbar High School. Amassed 95 receptions for 2,072 yards and 22 touchdowns in three seasons at Dunbar.

Turned down offers from Michigan State, Illinois, and Maryland.


Pat Miller, DB

Ranked as the 15th best prospect in Alabama by the Birmingham News. Had 64 tackles and a team-leading five interceptions his senior year.

Miller also received offers from Oregon, Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Oklahoma State.


Taige Redman, LB

Had 56 tackles, 12 of which for a loss his senior year at Keyser in High School.


Jonathan Scott, DB

6’4 DB who had 40 tackles and one interception his senior year at Seabreeze. Scott should see playing time next year.

Also received offers from Alabama, Michigan, Florida State, Illinois, and Clemson.


Eugene Smith, QB

The Parade All American was ranked the third best prospect in Florida. Smith completed 66 percent of his pass attempts for 3,089 yards and 32 touchdowns as a senior.

“He’s going to bring some exciting times to West Virginia,” Stewart said. “In terms of character, he’s everything we’re looking for.”

Also had offers from Florida, Michigan, Alabama, Clemson, Oregon, Florida State, and Miami.


Chris Snook, FB

Top ranked fullback. The 6’3 220 pound Snook will leave Highland High School with nearly 4,000 rushing yards including 1,851 as a senior.

“He’s everything we want,” Stewart said. “But we’ll find out how good he is when he has to block (WVU defensive lineman) Chris Nield.”

Also had offers from Wake Forest and Cincinnati.


Ryan Spiker, OL

The 6-foot-4 offensive lineman helped his Tri-Valley High School team average 32.5 points a game in 2008.

Wake Forest, Cincinnati, and Michigan State also offered.


Jordan Weingart, OL

Earned Florida Class-5A first-team honors in back-to-back seasons and was selected as the Gainesville Sun Class 3A-6A Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2008.

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RUOFF FINDS STROKE, WVU ROUTS PROVIDENCE

February 7, 2009


It looks like the Alex Ruoff shooting slump might be over as the West Virginia senior guard scored a game-high 24 points as the Mountaineers rout Providence, 86-59, in Big East action on Saturday afternoon.

Ruoff connected on six of seven three's and Da'Sean Butler Did it for Mountaineers and WVU Does in PC (Providence Journal) in thwarting a Friars' rally midway through the second half. Butler finished with 17 points and 9 rebounds, but his key moments in the second half made PC clear that it was not going to be their day.

The Friars were just 3-18 from three-point range, all three makes by Jeff Xavier who had a team high 15 points. PC senior Randall Hane Joins 1,000-point Club (Providence Journal) with a bucket to tie the game at 4-4 early on. It was Hanke's only two points of the day. He had two on the day and now has 1,001 in his career.

WVU evened their record at 5-5 in the Big East while PC is now 6-5, losing three straight and giving up over 91 points a game in the losing streak.

The Mountaineers face rival Pittsburgh on the road as part of ESPN's Big Monday next.

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: MOUNTAINEERS HOST FRIARS

February 7, 2009


The Providence Friars, losers of two straight, travel to Morgantown to take on West Virginia, losers of three of their last four, in a Big East conference showdown on Saturday afternoon.

The Friars, despite a 6-4 record in Big East play, are off the NCAA Tournament picture right now, so finding quality wins is a must. Finding one on the road would be a huge lift in their chances.

West Virginia, at 4-5 in the conference, is very much in the NCAA Tournament picture, but they need to be careful not to slip up down the stretch. Besides a game at Pitt on Monday night, WVU’s biggest challenges closing the regular season schedule are at home and the schedule eases significantly, but that means nothing if you do not get the job done in games you are supposed to win.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on today’s game:

Mountaineers Hope to Avert Third Straight Defeat (Register-Herald)
Getting in Big East’s Top Eight is WVU’s Goal (Daily Mail)
Huggins Spread Defense Ineffective (Daily Mail)
WVU Settles in Behind Big East Elite (Charleston Gazette)
Experience Comes to Town (wvmetronews.com)
For PC, Staying Fresh is a Challenge During Season’s Dog Days (Providence Journal)
Capsule Preview: PC @ West Virginia (Providence Journal)

The Mountaineers will look for a much better effort in this contest than what they showed against Syracuse on Wednesday night. With an energized home crowd and Bob Huggins expecting more from his team, look for WVU to have a full effort, especially defensively and on the boards.

Providence really needs to add some quality wins and any wins on the road against solid teams are a must as well. This will be a tough match-up for PC, however, as the athletic ability and toughness of the Mountaineers are likely to come to the forefront this afternoon.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

West Virginia 78
Providence 65

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WEST VIRGINIA CANT SOLVE SYRACUSE ZONE

February 5, 2009



Even with their injured players not 100%, Syracuse put things together and cruised past West Virginia, 74-61, at the Dome last night in Big East basketball conference action.

The Orange entered the contest losers of four of their last five and it looks as though the Funk is Over as a Rested SU Dominates (Watertown Daily Times) the Mountaineers.

Still showing the lingering affects of injuries, Arinze Onuaku played just 18 minutes, contributing a quiet four points and six rebounds and Andy Rautins was scoreless, missing all four three's he attempted in his 21 minutes of action.

On this night, the Mountaineers Had No Answer for Jonny Flynn (Post-Standard) as the sophomore point scored 22 points and dominated WVU frosh Darryl Bryant, who scored just 7 points but did not register an assist nor grab a rebound in the game as WVU could not solve the Orange zone, settling for three's and connecting on just seven of 27 attempts as the Orange Frustrate the Mountaineers (Charleston Gazette), who have now lost three of four, all to ranked opponents, and are 4-5 in the Big East.

Eric Devendorf matched Flynn with a team-high 22 points and Paul Harris Rebounds from Subpar Performances (Post-Standard) adding 14 points and 13 rebounds to the cause. With Onuaku still limited, SU got a lift as the Old Kristof Ongenaet Re-Appears (Post-Standard) and provides SU with six points, seven rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes, earning a healthy ovation from the Dome crowd.

For the second consecutive game, the Mountaineers found themselves down by 20 in the second half and for the second consecutive time the Mountaineers Can't Dig Out of Early Hole (Daily Mail) and lose the game. Against Louisville on Saturday, WVU trailed 45-25 at the half before losing by six. Last night, it was 62-42 before cutting the lead to nine and having a chance to pull closer but Da'Sean Butler missed two free throws with 3:38 left and SU responded with six straight to clinch the win.

Butler had a game-high 23 for WVU. The Mountaineers host Providence on Saturday afternoon before a Big Monday showdown at Pittsburgh.

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: WEST VIRGINIA @ SYRACUSE

February 4, 2009


A very important Big East conference match-up takes place tonight in the Carrier Dome as the Syracuse Orange will host West Virginia. The Mountaineers are 4-4 in the Big East and 15-6 overall on the season. They are coming off a 69-63 loss at Louisville where they dug themselves a large hole, trailing by 20 at halftime, before closing the gap but it was too little too late.

Syracuse has lost three straight games and four of their last five after a 16-1 start to the season. The Orange were 4-0 in the Big East, but now stand at 5-4 and desperately need to gain some footing as the second half of conference play is set to begin.

Here are some pregame stories and previews from the internet this morning:

SU's Onuaku Appears Tentative for WVU Game (Syracuse.com)
SU Hopes to Free Up Wings Tonight (Syracuse Post-Standard)
Scouting Report: Orange vs. West Virginia (Post-Standard)
Must-Win Game for WVU at Syracuse (Times West Virginian)
Syracuse Hungry for a Win (Charleston Gazette)
Ebanks Evolving, Improving (Daily Mail)
Syracuse Basketball in Danger of Complete Collapse (Rochester D&C)
Pivital Road Game for WVU (wvmetronews.com)


Although we still have one-half the Big East schedule left to play, this is an important game for both sides and the pregame stories available today from beat writers covering each team definitely confirms that thought.

It shoudl be a very good game and the early college basketball odds have Syracuse as the 2 1/2-point favorite on their home floor.

The biggest advantage most teams enjoy over WVU is size in the paint. Arinze Onuaku is exactly the type of player Bob Huggins' team lacks. Unfotunately for the Orange, they may be without their 6-foot-9, 265-pound interior banger as tendonitis in his knee leaves him as a gametime decision. Onuaku was listed as a gametime decision last Wednesday when SU played at Providence. He made an attempt to play, but in 15 minutes of action, he did not score and grabbed just one rebound in what should have been a favorable match-up.

The expectation was that Onuaku would be ready for the game against WVU, same with Andy Rautins, who missed the PC game all-together because of an injured ankle. While Rautins is still a bit swollen and sore, he should be a go, but in the last couple days, more questions have arisen about Onuaku's ability.

In the game with PC, SU was beaten, 100-94. Sophomore point guard Jonny Flynn poured in 35 points, playing all 40 minutes, and junior Eric Devendord added 17, also playing all 40 minutes. The Orange defense, however, was non-existent, yielding 100 points and allowing PC to shoot 54% from the field. SU also turned the ball over 21 times, while forcing just 11 turnovers of the Friars. Devendorf, himself, turned the ball over 9 times.

West Virginia relies on Da'Sean Butler, who averages a team-best 17.6 points a game, and senior Alex Ruoff (16 ppg) for the bulk of their scoring. Ruoff has not shot the ball as well as expected recently, but finding a comfort against the SU zone could help him shake some of his shooting woes.

The Mountaineers also rely on a freshman point guard, Darryl Bryant, for the bulk of their ball-handling chores. It is always a stern test for a frosh to penetrate the SU zone and dissect it, rather than just content to pass around the perimeter and settle for three's.

If Onuaku can play and be effective, he and Rick Jackson have a decided advantage of size and strength in the paint. WVU counters with several combination forwards in the 6'7+ range that are athletic and long, but can be bodied up effectively. They will attack, but solid fundamentals in the paint can limit their effectiveness, making Onuaku's availability the games biggest key to victory, for both teams.

This one has me nervous, with Onuaku, I would definitely go with the Orange. Without Onuaku or having him in limited capacity, this is a toss-up. The Orange need it, they have the scorers (Flynn, Devendorf) and an athlete in Paul Harris to get the job done. The week off hopefully has been put to good use and they win a good one.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Syracuse 75
West Virginia 73

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WVU G MAZZULLA DONE FOR YEAR

There is no more waiting on Joe Mazzulla to return for West Virginia as the Season is Over for WVU's Mazzulla (wvmetronews). Mazzulla, a junior guard, will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery this week. Mazzulla has not seen game action since their december 9th loss to Davidson at Madison Square Garden.

The Rhode Island native played in seven games this season, starting each one of those contests. He averaged 5.6 points, 3.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game.

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