Big East Report Team Blog: West Virginia

LONG, STARNGE TRIP FOR WVU SENIOR GUARD JOE MAZZULLA

2011-01-04T22:43:00.003-05:00

Its been a long, and at times, strange trip for Joe Mazzulla through his college basketball career. Looking back to the fall of 2005 when Mazzulla made his commitment to then West Virginia head coach John Beilein, the 6-foot-2 native of Johnston (RI) never imagines how his college basketball career would twist and turn along the way.

"Not at all," replied Mazzulla when asked by NBE's Matt Whitfield Wednesday at the Big East Men's Basketball annual media day gathering at Madison Square Garden if he could imagine his career going this way when he came out of high school, "but it’s obviously been a great experience and I’ve made the best of it."

The 'best of it' was certainly highlighted last season when Mazzulla rose to the challenge of replacing an injuryed Darryl Bryant in the starting line-up down the stretch and into the NCAA Tournament. Mazzulla responded in a big way for coach Bob Huggins and his teammates earning honors as the East Region's Most Outstanding Player as the Mountaineers advanced to last season's Final Four.

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Mazzulla scored a career-high 17 points, his only double-figure scoring effort of the season, in the Mountaineers' 73-66 win over Kentucky in the East Region final at the Carrier Dome. The tough, in body and mind, left guard has had a flair for the spotlight as he narrowly missed a triple-double in a 2008 NCAA Tournament victory over Duke which propelled WVU to the Sweet 16 in 2008. Mazzulla finished that contest with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists, demonstrating often why coach Bob Huggins refers to him as one of the toughest players he has ever coached.

"I guess from the guys he’s had it’s a compliment, but he brings that out in you because of how competitive he is and what he expects from his players," Mazzulla said of the praise. "So you gotta go to him on how he brings that out every day in practice."

There are many differences in the style of play used by the Huggins-led Mountaineers compared to what was used when Coach Beilein called the shots. While Mazzulla, along with Cam Thoroughman, are still the lone holdovers from the Beilein teams, playing for a coach like Huggins seems to be right up his alley.

"Safety in practices and just the pace," answered Mazzulla when asked of the biggest differences in the two coaches he's played for at WVU. "It’s kind of more of a tactical pace to a Beilein practice and we really try and preserve energy and stuff like that. Whereas we just get after it when we’re playing for Huggins."

Mazzulla's career in Morgantown has not always been full of highlights. Injuries and a few off the court incidents has left outsiders questioning his place on the roster. After his big performance in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, Mazzulla was poised to take over a starting backcourt position as a junior in the 2008-2009 season. However his starting role did not even last through seven games as a shoulder injury which would later require surgery cut short his season. Darryl Bryant, a freshman at the time, was inserted into the starting position and held the role until an injury late last season opened the door again for Mazzulla. However, Mazzulla was nearly not there to take advantage of the opportunity.

In April of 2009, while recovering from the shoulder injury, Mazzulla was indefinitely suspended from the basketball program after his arrest on charges of domestic battery. He was involved in an incident at The Lazy Lizard bar in Morgantown in which he allegedly grabbed a woman by the neck.

It was the second arrest for the Bishop Hendricken High School grad. He pleaded guilty to charges of public drunkenness and disorderly conduct after an incident the previous September at a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game in which he had a disagreement with security personnel.

Mazzulla remianed in school, but his suspension carried into late August of 2009 before coach Huggins issued a release that Mazzulla was reinstated to the program.

"Joe has done everything that has been asked of him on all fronts,” said Huggins in the statement. “I believe he deserves to be back on our roster and play for the Mountaineers.”

Mazzulla was granted a medical redshirt because of the shoulder problem that cost him most of the 2008-2009 season, but the shoulder healed slowly. Even upon his reinstatement he was not fully able to compete on the basketball court. A portion of last season was spent shooting right-handed while he continued to work the shoulder back into shape. It was one of the reasons his scoring average and shooting percentages dipped to career lows. However, the belief and support he drew from his coach kept him confident and ready for his late season opportunity.

"Well you can tell by how he carries himself he really knows how to handle situations very well," said Mazzulla of what he has learned from playing under Coach Huggins. "He really instills that passion and competitive spirit in not only me, but the entire team, and I think that’s what helps us play so confidently and be successful."

Through the ups and downs, his coach has been in his corner and that means plenty to Mazzulla, who has already earned an undergraduate degree and has planned to pursue a master's degree in athletic coaching education before finishing at West Virginia, following the footsteps of his father Dan, who played college basketball at Bryant before spending time as a professional in Chile. Joe Mazzulla has been thankful for coach Huggins believing in him as he has persevered his winding trip through his college career.

"You know he’s been there every step of the way and we're very grateful for it," said Mazzulla.

Now, Mazzulla is ready for his senior season. The Big East conference coaches picked the Mountaineers to finish 5th this season in their preseason poll, but Mazzulla is confident they can perform sinilar to last season. Even without their talented forwards Da'Sean Butler and Devin Ebanks from a season ago, the mentality of this team is unlikely to change.

"If we play like we did last year with a defensive mentality, control the tempo and rebounding, then we’ll put ourselves in a position to be in many games," Mazzulla said.

That mentality will most likely be born through practice as Huggins will instill that mindset in his teams. After five years in the program, it sounds like an aspect of life that Mazzulla is looking forward to and will miss when it is time to move on.

"Yeah, three hour war, two hours of defense and an hour of offense and the pace is great and we just get after it," Mazzulla said of a Huggins-led practice. "We do a good job of carrying that over in the games."

Toughness and perseverance has allowed Joe Mazzulla to reach this point in his West Virginia career. Now he and the coach that has been by his side throughout the last four years will try and instill those qualities in the team they look to lead in the upcoming 2010-2011 college basketball season.

WEST VIRGINIA THROTTLES DUQUESNE IN COLLEGE HOOPS

2009-12-10T10:09:00.000-05:00

Bob Huggins had his West Virginia club on a mission defensively Wednesday night as they limited the visiting Dukes to 39 points on 32% (14-44) shooting from the floor while forcing 25 turnovers. WVU also dominated the boards with a 45-34 rebounding edge as the Mountaineers Cruised to a Win (Times West Virginia) as WVU Rolls 68-39 (Charleston Gazette) over Duquesne.

Of course, like any coach, even after as impressive of a win as last night was, Huggins is Still Looking for Improvement (Times West Virginia) from his Mountaineers with a long season ahead. Giving Huggs' immediate attention after the game was some reckless three-point shooting and some dismal play by Devin Ebanks, who was just 2-10 from the field with four rebounds and three turnovers in 29 minutes.

Kevin Jones, the do-everything forward, led West Virginia with 16 points and nine rebounds, seven of them off the offensive boards as WVU had a 20-8 edge on the offensive glass.

Despite the Win, Huggins Expects More (Daily Mail) and his team was certain to receive that message from their head coach. Huggins is Seeking Perfection (Wheeling Register) from his sixth ranked club and their next opportunity to provide it for their demanding coach comes Saturday in the Coliseum against Coppin State. A road date with Cleveland State (12/19) and a home game against #25 Ole Miss (12/23) close the pre-conference schedule ahead of the conference opener at Seton Hall December 26th.

Wellington Smith added 11 points and Da'Sean Butler 10 in Wednesday night's victory.

WEST VIRGINIA ROLLS PAST MOUNTAIN STATE IN EXHIBITION

2009-11-09T10:27:00.002-05:00

Courtest of NBE Basketball Report

It is going to be an exciting season in Morgantown for followers of West Virginia basketball and fans might have gotten a little preview on Sunday as WVU Whips Mountain State in a Hoops Exhibition (Daily Mail) 104-82.

Kevin Jones came off the bench to score 21 points and grab 10 rebounds with Devin Ebanks adding 19 points and 10 rebounds and Da'Sean Butler filled the stat sheet with 10 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists before 7,114 at the Coliseum in the contest.

A pair of names familiar to Big East fans suited up for Mountain State as former Cincinnati Bearcats Alvin Mitchell (33 points) and Nick Aldridge (29 pts, 11 rebs) put up big numbers in the contest. Englishman Paul Sturgess, who measures in at 7-foot-8, also plays for Mountain State. Sturgess had one rebound in four minutes of action.

WVU freshman Deniz Kilicli played 19 minutes on Sunday. The 6-foot-9 freshman who is suspended for the first 20 games because he played on a team with professionals in his native Turkey before coming to the United States and attending Mountain State Academy last year made a solid impression in his last game action until February. Kilicli Shows Skills in Exhibition (Times of West Virginia) scoring eight points on 4 for 6 shooting, grabbing six rebounds, registering a pair of assists, blocking two shots and making a steal.

Junior guard Joe Mazzulla sat out the exhibition due to inflammation in the shoulder that caused him to miss most of last season. Coach Bob Huggins said Mazzulla could have played and should see the court in Sunday's opener against Loyola Maryland at the Coliseum.

JUCO transfer Casey Mitchell showed off his scoring prowess with 19 points in 22 minutes for the Mountaineers.

THREE MOUNTAINEERS DRAFTED, THREE MORE SIGNED

2009-04-28T18:22:00.001-04:00

By Matt Whitfield

Four year starter Pat White led off the day and weekend Saturday for the Mountaineers being selected by Miami as a QB/WR in the second round. Former teammates CB Ellis Lankster and Kicker Pat McAfee were also picked on the second day of the draft by Buffalo and Indianapolis respectively.

The trio also saw three of their former teammates go undrafted, yet get picked up several days after. OG Greg Isdaner, who left the Mountaineers early for the draft was signed by Dallas. Four-year starter OL Ryan Stanchek was picked up by Atlanta. While fan favorite LB Mortty Ivy agreed to a deal with the Carolina Panthers.

DAN JENNINGS: WEST VIRGINIA'S ANSWER?

2009-04-22T23:45:00.005-04:00

By Matt Whitfield

A year ago, West Virginia landed a top recruiting class, headlined by three recruits from the New York City area, Devin Ebanks, Darryl ‘Truck’ Bryant and Kevin Jones. The latest to continue the pipeline is not only is the biggest, but may also be a big key in Morgantown elevating their college basketball odds next season.

Dan Jennings is a 6-foot-8, 250-pound Center, who is a muscled man-child that could be Bob Huggins’s answer down low and Big East opponent’s worst nightmare.

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“Honestly, I’m supposed to come in next year and be a beast down low and be that beast that they need that grabs all the boards, blocks shots, does all the dirty work around the basket and finishes around the basket,” said the 6’8 Staten Island native.

For all the tough talk though it would surprise some that Jennings had a childhood so harsh that it would leave many too traumatized to even pick up a basketball, let alone interact normally with their peers their own age.

According to a story in the Norwich Bulletin, Jennings was raised by a mother battling a crack addiction. After having already been in a homeless shelter in the Bronx as a young child, Jennings was taken by Child Care Services. He then would live in five different foster homes throughout New York City. While living in the foster homes, Jennings was at times neglected, abused, and ignored. When Jennings was eight his case of bad luck finally ended, as Cora Darby adopted him and he finally found a home and a family for good.

Despite being raised by a pastor, Jennings’s high school days mimicked his childhood. Jennings found himself bouncing from high school to high school as he attended four different schools in all, before finally ending up this past year at St. Thomas More for a 5th prep year. Despite all the off court issues, Jennings' size and ability on the basketball court led him to numerous college scholarship offers.

According to Jennings, schools such as Memphis, Louisville, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Minnesota, Oklahoma State, Marquette, DePaul, Xavier, Seton Hall, St. John’s, and Rutgers all offered scholarships. At first Jennings didn’t even consider West Virginia.

“After my junior year when I played with Kemba [Walker] and them, I didn’t really even look at West Virginia like that," said Jennings. "I didn’t expect to go there. Then at the end of my senior year I found out Ebanks was going there, I knew Truck was there, I knew them, and I knew that they didn’t have any big men at that position.”

Knowing all this, Jennings committed to play for the Mountaineers this past July, much to the delight of Coach Huggins and company.

Jennings knows West Virginia’s primary problem this past season was the lack of a dominant big man. With Jennings arrival, he could perhaps be the key missing piece to the puzzle, and perhaps the key component to bigger, better things. Jennings, who told NBE, he expects to play at around 260 pounds this upcoming season, implied he feels he can be the Mountaineer’s answer down low.

"I’m just trying to be that body down low that they were missing," he said. "I expect to get a good amount of playing time. The only reason I’m not going to play is because of me."

Confident words for a big man that has only stepped foot in Morgantown twice, but Jennings can certainly back it up with his toughness and physical play. Jennings, who once grabbed a chair when a fight broke during a game at the Rumble in the Bronx, told NBE that he can bench press 290 pounds and that, ‘I [just]
love the weight room,’ adding that ‘I’m only going to get bigger, as I just want to get better everyday, and just win.’

Next season Jennings knows the coach he’ll be playing is tough to please even with a win, but Jennings feels he is ready for coach Huggins.

"I’m excited", Jennings told NBE. “I know he’s tough but he can help me get to where I want to be as a player.”

Jennings, who has undoubtedly heard the stories of the chairs being thrown, and the treadmill punishment sprints, still feels he is tough enough to handle Huggins saying, “I’m ready for what he has for me.”

Next year Huggins will definitely push Jennings in practice and press him to work on things, but Jennings feels his game needs improvement now. Jennings, who already has a great inside game and all the physical tools and power to be a dominant Center told NBE he would like to work on, “my handle a little bit, my jumpshot, my 15 foot shot jumpshot, my footwork,” adding that “everything about my game I can work on.”

Despite this, Jennings feels come crunch time he’ll ready to take on the big boys of the Big East. Jennings said he was really looking forward to playing against former Pittsburgh Center Dejuan Blair, but having seen Blair opt for the NBA Draft Jennings told NBE that he now looks forward to playing against Samardo Samuels.

"I’m going be ready for him, I’m going to be in shape for him," said Jennings.

In the coming years Dan Jennings could be one of the best stories to hit college basketball. Jennings told NBE, that this is a new chapter in his life and it is time to mature with it.

"I’m not going to transfer," he said. "I’m going to listen to Coach Huggins and that’s where I want to be for the next four years."

With Jennings size, physicality and toughness also comes comparisons to former Big East greats. Where Jennings will fall amongst these players is anyone’s guess. All that is certain is that if Jennings pans out, not only will he be beloved in Morgantown, but he will be responsible for the New York-Morgantown pipeline continuing, and be indirectly responsible for perhaps decades of great basketball in Morgantown.

WVU SEASON COMES TO AN END IN ROUND ONE

2009-03-20T22:35:00.002-04:00

March 20, 2009

Dayton, from the Atlantic 10, handed the Big East their lone lose in the opening round as the 11th seeded Flyers knocked out West Virginia, 68-60, on Friday afternoon.

Sophomore forward Chris Wright dominated WVU to the tune of 27 points and 10 rebounds while senior forward Charles Little added 18, both more than double their season averages.

“We didn't we didn't have an answer for penetration from Wright or Little,” said WVU head coach Bob Huggins. “And Little made some really hard shots at the end of the game. He made hard shots over the top of people.”

While Little made several back-breaking buckets late, the Mountaineers jut never got that big basket themselves. After Dayton stretched a 33-28 halftime lead to 48-40 with 13:27 to go, WVU quickly cut the lead to one at 48-47 with 11:02 remaining as Darryl Bryant capped a 7-0 run with a three-pointer. Over the course of the next 7:14 the spread between the two teams would never be more than four points, but the Mountaineers could never tie or take the lead, despite golden opportunities.

Down 54-52 with 6:56 remaining, Alex Ruoff, a senior and 80% free-thrown shooter, missed two from the foul line that could have tied the game. A few moments later, Da’Sean Butler had a good look for a three-pointer that would have put WVU ahead, but he could not connect.

“You got an 80 some percent free throw shooter (Ruoff) shooting two free throws and he misses both of them,” says Huggins as he recounted some of the missed opportunities. “And Da'Sean (Butler) is maybe our best 3-point shooter and he has a wide open look down by one. And you know, that one had a chance.”

While WVU could not connect on their chances, Dayton finally was able to put some separation between themselves and the Mountaineers on back-to-back buckets by Luttle, giving the Flyers a 65-58 lead in the last minute of play.

Freshmen led the way for WVU as Darryl Bryant had a team-high 21 points and Devin Ebanks scored 14 and grabbed 12 rebounds. Ruoff, the all-time leader in made three’s for WVU, finished with 9 points in his final collegiate contest before fouling out.

Junior Da’Sean Butler finished with 12 points, but was just 5-13 from the floor, missing all six of his three-point attempts and turned it over five times.

“We had a lot of chances to take the lead in the game,” said Butler following the game. “I had a bunch of opportunities to help the team go over the hump and be up by one or two, you know, but we just didn't do it and we lost.”

West Virginia finishes 23-12 in Bob Huggins’ second season at his alma mater.

WVU TAKES ON DAYTON IN ROUND ONE

2009-03-20T08:16:00.002-04:00

March 20, 2009

West Virginia enters the NCAA Tournament as a six-seed and will take on Dayton in first round action. Despite some difficulty traveling, the Mountaineers have made it to Minneapolis and will be ready to take on 26-7 Dayton Friday afternoon.

The Flyers received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament on the strength of their full season of work, which included a November win over Marquette in Chicago.

The Flyers are quite a unique team as they will play hard every second of the full forty minutes, rotating 12 players in and out of the game.

"I think the one thing that really stands out is how hard they work," WVU coach bob Huggins said of the Flyers. "They are a terrific offensive rebounding team because they work so hard at it, and... they don't run in transition, they sprint. If you watch them, they just get out and they get in lanes and sprint. And they really put a lot of pressure on your defense to make sure that you get back and find people."

"And that's, you know I think (Dayton head coach) Brian (Gregory) has done a great job of getting them all to buy in, and he's playing a lot of people. And I think they've responded very well for him."

Chris Wright and Marcus Johnson are the Flyers' leading scorers. Both players were recruiting by schools in the Big East and other top conferences, but opted to play for the Atlantic 10 program with hopes of some day being in the position they are in today, with a chance to knock off a high-major in the NCAA Tournament, but they are taking it one game at a time, no matter who the opponent is.

"You stay up watching films because it is the NCAA tournament and you have to play your best game in March, but it is just motivation to be able to play in the NCAA tournament and playing against a team like, you know, West Virginia is a good test for us, our defense," said Wright, the athletic 6'8 sophomore forward that will remind many of several WVU players.

This game is likely to be an absolute battle. Both teams are tough and really get after it on the glass. Dayton seemed to slump a bit towards the end of the season, losing in the A-10 semifinals to Duquesne, while also losing to Rhode Island, St. Louis and Xavier among their final five regular season games.

West Virginia, on the other hand, has been steadily picking up their level of play, especially with Devin Ebanks emerging as a freshman star down the stretch. Ebanks' play seems to be potentially the kind of versatile production that can carry the Mountaineers, similar to how Joe Alexander led them last season into the Sweet 16.

"In the Big East, he started blossoming and doing the things he does in practice," junior Da'Sean Butler said of Ebanks' improved play down the stretch. "It is a surprise to everybody else, but these are things we have seen him do and his abilities."

Ebanks certainly can be the x-factor. In the Big East Tournament win over Notre Dame, Ebanks grabbed 18 rebounds. The next night in an upset of Pittsburgh, Ebanks went for a career-high 20 points, only to better the mark in the loss to Syracuse the next night with 22.

With Ebanks emerging as the star he always had the potential to be, there is less pressure on Alex Ruoff and Da'Sean Butler to carry the load. They also have less attention on them from opposing defenses.

Look for the Mountaineers to be a very, very dangerous team in this tournament. Bob Huggins knows the kind of player and team he likes and he has continued to mold this squad to have the make-up he prefers. The Flyers are tough, but WVU is 'Big East-tough'.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

West Virginia 73
Dayton 62

WEST VIRGINIA LOOKS TO END ORANGE RUN IN NYC

2009-03-13T10:52:00.000-04:00

March 13, 2009

WOW!

WOW!!

That pretty much sums up Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. First, Pittsburgh fell to West Virginia, spoiling everyone's hope for a third match-up, and second in less than a week, between Pitt and Connecticut. Now, that game seems to have happened days ago because it was upstaged as the story in NYC this week by the incredible game that followed between Syracuse and Connecticut.

The Orange let a seven-point lead slip away in the final three minutes and change and then saw a potential buzzer-beating three-pointer from Eric Devendorf that would have won the game come a fraction of a second too late and were forced to go to overtime against the more-rested Huskies. Afterall, SU played a pretty emotionally charged game the night before against Seton Hall. Through FIVE, yes, count them FIVE, overtimes, the Orange seemed to battle uphill, never leading for a single second in any of the overtimes. Yet, they made their foul shots, got timely buckets from the three-point line from Andy Rautins and, kept knotting the score to force another extra session. Finally, in the sixth overtime, a Andy Rautins three and Paul Harris (finally) converted a couple shots in close and SU took an eight-point lead and this one would stand as SU upset UConn 127-117 in a six overtime CLASSIC.

Wow!

Will the Orange have ANYTHING left tonight?

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

Six Overtimes (Syracuse Post-Standard)
Special Freshman Give Huggins' Game Plan a Boost (Times West Virginian)
WVU Upsets Rival Pitt, Advances to BE Quarterfinals (Daily Mail)
WVU's 1-3-1 Zone Stymies Panthers (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

By the time 9:30 tonight rolls around, Syracuse and West Virginia both would need to put Thursday night behind them. Each team probably has accomplished what they set out to do in NYC this week, win their opener and knock off their top rival, now they both have a real shot at staying in Madison Square Garden for the duration of the 2009 Big East Tournament.

Of course, the question on everyone's mind, will Syracuse have anything left?

This is not a real deep team, usually playing a seven-man rotation with a cameo appearance here and there from an 8th player. In two nights, they have played 110 minutes of basketball, completing a 3-hour, 40-minute plus epic showdown after 1 AM on Friday morning against the Huskies. Now, they need to pick back up and go after the Mountaineers, a team they cruised past in the regular season, 74-61, at the Carrier Dome.

Bob Huggins' team got through their first two days with toughness and tenacity. Despite shooting just 36% in their opening win over Notre Dame, WVU dominated the boards and their athletic ability and speed buried the Irish early. The ultimate test of toughness came Thursday night when WWVU out-toughed the big, bad Panthers and shocked their rival 74-60.

In their first meeting, the SU zone caused the young Mountaineers a lot of trouble. Freshman Darryl 'Truck' Bryant will be in the spotlight once again as he will need to do a much better job of attacking the zone to hit the seams and spot shooter Alex Ruoff open for a wing jumper. Also, look for WVU to get the ball in the high-post area, likely with Devin Ebanks, and use their versatility to attack SU from inside. Ebanks and Da'Sean Butler are very capable scorers.

For Syracuse, they have size in Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson and they will need to use it and try to get easy baskets near the hoop. They will also need to attack the boards with some intensity because WVU will go after rebounds from every angle and position.

Both SU and WVU also need to avoid falling into a trap that might have hirt both Pitt and UConn, they need to focus on there here and now...not what happened last night. Whichever team is able to do that, I think will be the winner. In this case, since they did not have to grind through 70 minutes of basketball into the wee hours of the morning, look for the Mountaineers to have a bit more in the tank and follow the lead of the exploding Devin Ebanks and get another impressive win.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

West Virginia 74
Syracuse 68

WEST VIRGINIA OUT FOR REVENGE AGAINST HATED RIVAL

2009-03-12T13:39:00.000-04:00

March 12, 2009

Round three of the 'Backyeard Brawl', Hoops Style, is set for tonight and the location does not get any better as Madison Square Garden in New York City plays host to the intense rivalry.

Normally it is Pittsburgh bringing the local flavoer back home to NYC, but the Mountaineers have also dipped into the 'Big Apple' market with their freshmen trio of Devin Ebanks, Darryl 'Truck' Bryant and Kevin Jones. WVU opened their 2009 Big East Tournament play with a 74-62 win over Notre Dame on Wednesday night. As the tournament's #2 seed, Pitt had a double-bye for rounds one and two and they are now hitting the court at MSG for the first time this season in the quarterfinals.

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

Ruoff Bounces Back in Big Way (Times West Virginian)
Vesatile Ebanks Big on the Boards for WVU (Five Boro Sports)
Solid Defense Carries WVU To Win over Notre Dame (Charleston Gazette)
Panthers Feel at Home in MSG (Beaver County Times)
WVU's Win Sets Up Third Meeting with Pitt (Post-Gazette)
Pitt's Dixon Closing in on Mark (Tribune-Review)
Pitt finds Comfort in Big East Routine (Tribune-Review)

West Virginia overcame some cold shooting, just 36% from the field, by dominating the boards and hitting their three's in the ROund 2 win over the Fighting Irish. NYC native Devin Ebanks had 18 rebounds and 'Truck' Bryant, another NYC-bred performer had 17 points and 4 assists. While their performances were key, it was the WVU stars that shined the brightest last night on Broadway as Alex Ruoff scored 25 points and Da'Sean Butler added 20.

The WVU stars will have to bring their game again tonight if they are going to match the talent of Pittsburgh. The Panthers took both games of the season series this season, handily, winning 79-67 in Morgantown and 70-59 in Pittsburgh. Sam Young averaged 21 points in the two prior meetings.

The one area that WVU has continued to struggle with inconsistency is their shooting, but in many games, they have been able to make up for it on the boards. However, that will not be easy against Pitt, one of the top rebounding teams in the nation. Motivated by playing their rivals, the effort on the boards by WVU should be very high.

One question surrounding this game is the health of Levance Fields, the fantastic Pittsburgh point guard. Fields was a gametime decision against UConn last Saturday with a severely bruised tailbone he suffered in a win over Marquette the week before. Fields played an excellent floor game against UConn, but has not practiced since. With a #1 seed in the 2009 NCAA Tournament virtually assured, resting Fields could be a possibility if he is not yet at 100%. However, missing his last chance to play in front of his friends and family from NYC might not sit well with the tough NYC point guard.

The other factor that could lead to a quarterfinal upset is the psyche of the Panthers. They have once again become the popular 'it' team among the media and they have said all season long their focus is past the Big East Tournament. Coming off the emotional high of Senior Day and a two-game sweep of Connecticut, will the Panthers be 'up' for this one right from the start? You know WVU will be as they have been beaten by their rivals twice already this season, and Bob Huggins will not let his team strike out against the big, bad Panthers without a fight.

It should be a good one in MSG tonight. Once the lights come on, I expect Pitt to focus on the game in front of them, but they will certainly have a fight...with a potential date with UConn ahead of them for Friday night in a game EVERYONE seems to want to see, maybe that is the opening that WVU needs to get the Panthers off focus.

The oddsmakers have Pitt listed as a 4 1/2-point favorite. For a team with a pair of double-digit wins over this very team, maybe it should be higher. So, we will do the obvious...look for the upset!

NBE Blogger Prediction:

West Virginia 69
Pittsburgh 63

2009-03-11T13:19:00.002-04:00

March 11, 2009

Notre Dame got past Rutgers on the opening night of the 2009 Big East Tournament, 61-50, and sets up Wednesday night's meeting with West Virginia.

Despite a 3-17 shooting performance from Luke Harangody, the Irish were able to keep the Scarlet Knights at bay and put an end to the RU season. Tory Jackson had a team-high 12 points for ND with Staten Ilsand native Myle McAlarney adding 11.

Notre Dame improved to 18-13 overall on the season. The finished 8-10 in the Big East, good for the 10th-seed in the conference tournament. However, a season of disappointment for the Irish can only be salvaged with an unprecendented run of five wins in five nights through the Big East Tournament to earn the automatice bid for the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

On the other side of the ledger this evening is Bob Huggins' West Virginia Mountaineers. With a 10-8 Big East record and overall mark of 21-10, WVU has a ticket punched to the 'Dance' and will use this week in NYC to hopefully improve their seeding.

WVU defeated the Irish, 79-68, in Morgantown in their lone meeting this season. Alex Ruoff broke out of a shooting slump in that contest, scoring 24 points and junior Da'Sean Butler scored 19. Both players will look to shake off their poor night's in the season finale, a loss to Louisville, and lead WVU tonight.

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

New Season Starts Today (Times West Virginian)
WVU Chances Hinge Largely on Rebounding, Shooting (Times West Virginian)
Mountaineers Need Shots from Ruoff, Butler (Daily Mail)
To Bye or Not to Bye (Charleston Gazette)
Jackson Points Way for ND (South Bend Tribune)
Irish Home Free in Opener (Journal Gazette)

There is something about Notre Dame that you still beleive they can put something together here in New York. Last night, an off night from Luke Harangody allowed Rutgers to put the clamps on Kyle McAlarney on the perimeter, limiting his open looks and pulling the usually high-scoring Irish into a rock fight. Although it is not their preferred style, they lucked out that their opponent lacks firepower and ND pulled out a 61-50 win.

Tonight they will face another team that will be tougher on the boards and getting after it on defense, traits of a Bob Huggins team. And, if that was not enough, a win over WVU brings up Pittsburgh in the quarterfinals. So, one can see what the Irish are up against if they are to pull off the improbable run through the conference tournament. They will have to get down and dirty on both ends of the floor.

In their first game against the Mountaineers, the Irish grabbed an early double-digit lead, only to see WVU storm back and take a lead at the half and pretty much cruise through the second half. WVU will look to hit the boards hard once again and take care of the basketball. The Irish defense is not one that forces too many turnovers, so the effort on the boards by WVU should lead to extra chances to score, which will make the difference in tonight's game.

The current NCAA Basketball betting odds have WVU as a 5 1/2-point favorite. Their grit and toughness should put them in control as the game comes down the stretch.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

West Virginia 72
Notre Dame 66

ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAY EXPERIENCE

2009-03-09T22:48:00.012-04:00

Special Night or Not, Mountaineers Loss Is a Tough One

By Matt Whitfield

This past Saturday’s match-up between Louisville and West Virginia was the most anticipated college basketball game in Morgantown in ten years.

Besides being the hottest ticket and largest sellout crowd since 1999, ESPN College Gameday was on hand, as well as the class of 1959 basketball team that were led to the NCAA finals that season by legendary alum Jerry West.

Despite all the anticipation, Alex Rouff had a night to forget (0 points, 4 fouls & 6 turnovers) on Senior Night and Da’Sean Butler’s shot was cold all game long as the Mountaineers valiantly fought but just did not have enough to hang with the bigger and more experienced Cardinals.

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Read More on the ESPN College Gameday Experience at WVU...Click 'Read More' Below for the rest of the story and a photo diary of the day in Morgantown!!

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Mountaineer morale was high going into the locker-room at halftime. After trailing by as much as 10 points, the Mountaineers went into the locker room being down only by three, 32-29.

In the second half the rabid crowd really spurred the home team on. The Mountaineers took a one point lead with a Da’Sean Butler free throw at the 7:44 mark in the game. This really got the crowd rocking, but as was the case all game, Louisville quelled any West Virginia momentum as freshman Samardo Samuels took the ball right back down the court for an easy layup. West Virginia fought hard down the stretch and even had a slight lead with less than five minutes left, but with leading scorers Ruoff and Butler unable to supply their normal offensive output, WVU was hurt when it counted the most.

Louisville and coach Rick Pitino always seemed to have a play to counter the Mountaineers. However, WVU still had a chance. After Terrence Williams missed a pair of free throws with under 5 seconds left, Butler took the ball down the court and got a good look from 22-feet, but the ball hit the back of the rim and the Cards escaped Morgantown with a 62-59 win and the #1 seed in this week's 2009 Big East Tournament.

Despite the loss, Mountaineer faithful caught a glimpse of the future Saturday night as freshman Kevin Jones connected on nine of 11 shots from the floor to score a career-high 19 points. Jones also added 8 rebounds in 33 minutes. Classmate Devin Ebanks showed the special versatility that makes him potentially a star very soon. Ebanks scored 16 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished 6 assists (with just one turnover) in the pressure-packed game.

Da’Sean Butler was also impressed with Jones' performance, "When we got the ball to Kevin in the middle of the floor, we scored every time," Butler said. "He had a great game. If we would have just kept going to him, we probably would have won."

Unfortunately, outside of Ebanks and Jones, the rest of the Mountaineers were just 9-35 from the field, with Butler and Ruoff combining on a 4-21 night.

Terrance Williams of Louisville led all scorers on the night with 20 points, most of which came off his five three-point shots. As a team UL connected on nine of 17 from beyond the arc.

"The reality of the situation is that they had three seniors on the floor, along with a junior who is going pro at the end of this year," WVU head coach Bob Huggins said following the game. "That's four guys who won't be there next year. We have three freshmen among our top six players, and our only senior didn't score tonight."

Here is a photo diary of the long day in Morgantown...

Photos:
1) ESPN COllege Gameday Bus (row 1)
2) Jerry West Statue outside of WVU Coliseum (row 2)
3) WVU Coliseum an hour before ESPN Gameday goes on air at 11 AM (row 3)
4) Jerry west prepares to be honored with 1959 WVU squad (row 4)
5) Dick Vitale waiting to broadcast from WVU (row 5-left)
6) ESPN's Erin Andrews chats with Alex Ruoff prior to tip-ff (row 5-right)
7) Packed Coliseum moments into UL/WVU contest (row 6)

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: WEST VIRGINIA

2009-03-09T15:18:00.004-04:00

March 9, 2009

Commitment Alert: Casey Mitchell, 6'5 G/F from Chipola (FL) CC

Projected 2009-2010 Roster

Seniors: Joe Mazzula (PG), Wellington Smith (F), Da'sean Butler (WF), Dee Proby (BF/C)
Juniors: John Flowers (F), Will Thomas (G), Cam Thoroughman (F), Jonnie West (G), Casey Mitchell (G/F)
Sophomores: Darryl Bryant (PG), Kevin Jones (F), Devin Ebanks (F)
Freshmen: Dalton Pepper (G/F), Dan Jennings (BF/C), Deniz Kilicli (PF)
2010 Commits: Noah Cottrill (G),Bryon Allen (G)

With starting two-guard and leading three-point shooter Alex Ruoff graduating after the 2008-2009 season, West Virginia had a hole to fill on the perimter. It looks like head coach Bob Huggins took action in filling the need of perimeter offense as WVU Lands Sought-After JC Recruit (Charleston Gazette) Casey Mitchell of Chipola CC.

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

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The excitement around Bob Huggins and the West Virginia basketball program continued into Monday morning as the news broke that Chipola JC shooting guard Casey Mitchell made a verbal commitment to join the Mountaineers for the 2009-2010 season. Playing on the nation's #1-ranked JUCO squad, Mitchell was averaging 21 points a game and had schools such as Memphis, Kansas, Tennessee, Florida and Kentucky, among others, after his services.

Mitchell has taken a bit of a detoured route to the Division 1-A level. After being the Greater Savannah (GA) player of the year two times, Mitchell left Savannah High School in the spring of 2006 without a diploma. His bright future on the basketball court was in doubt. After plans to attend Hargrave Military Academy fell through, Mitchell spent time at Mt. Zion Christian Academy before earning his diploma at Laurinburg Institute. Still, before heading off to 1-A hoops, two years at the JUCO level was required and Mitchell has put those two years to good use at perennial power Chipola.

The relationship with Bob Huggins is also not an overnight sensation either. When Mitchell was at Savannah HS, coach Huggins was recruiting him while at Cincinnati before parting ways with the school. The former UC coach had promised he would recruit Mitchell again...promise kept.

Mitchell made news earlier this season by setting a NJCAA record by making 25 consecutive free-throws in a single game. In an overtime win over Tallahassee back in February, Mitchell eclipsed the old mark of 24 straight.

Mitchell joins an incoming class of freshmen Dalton Pepper, Dan Jennings and Deniz Kilicli. The roster currently stands at 15, on paper, for 2009-2010, so there will be some roster movement in the offseason.

Deniz Kilicli had been a hot prospect in the fall recruiting period as word had spread quickly on the Turkish import that only recently landed in the United States. Kilicli is a skilled, 6-foot-9 power forward than is attending Mountain State Academy in Beckley (WV). He will play for coach Rob Fulford with the Falcons this season. After an impressive showing late this summer at the Adidas Nations Event, schools lined up to see him workout at Mountain State this fall once word spread he had landed in West Virginia.

Kilicli joins previous 2009 verbal commitments Dan Jennings, of New York City, and Dalton Pepper, of Pennsbury (PA) in the class for WVU.

Pepper has been a top target of Huggins and assistant coach Billy Hahn, who was previously the head coach of LaSalle, so his familiarity of the area was key in landing Pepper.

Over the summer, Papper shined at the Hoop Group's Elite Camp at the College of New Jersey and showed he can fill it up from the perimeter often in high school. Villanova was also considered a strong contender for Pepper's services.

Jennings is a strong and aggressive inside performer who will through his body and weight around in the paint. Making an adjustment to playing a little bit away from the basket will help him at the college level as his 6-foot-8 frame and average athleticism might make things a little tougher. However, Jennings will certainly add toughness to the middle and is not one to fool around trying to do things he can not do.

Jennings was on the recruiting radar of several Big East teams, including Pittsburgh, Rutgers and St. John's, who sees another local get away from them.

The early recruiting prowess of WVU coach Bob Huggins is evident in the fact that 6'1 junior Noah Cottrill from Poca High School (WV) has made an early pledge to WVU. Cottrill is one of the top rated prospects in the class of 2010 and is now joined by Oak Hill Academy junior Bryon Allen.

Allen started his prep career off at famed DeMatha High school in the DC-area and played AAU ball in the powerful DC Assault program. After his freshman season at DeMatha, Allen made a change and joined the elite high school boarding school program at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia where he plays for Steve Smith.

i95ballerz.com reports than Allen chose the Mountaineers over Virginia Tech and Florida, who Allen indicated had offered, as well as Miami, Clemson, Maryland, Georgetown, and Florida State.

In the Huggins mold, Allen is a tough guard that likes to get into the lane. Not a great shooter out to the arc, the 6-foot-2 guard can stick the jumper from intermediate range. Also filling a Huggins' prerequisite, Allen can plan solid defense already and is likely only to improve in that aspect under Huggins' guidance.

Other targets in 2010 include Storm Stanley, a 6'10 center, who is from Toledo (OH) and attends St. Francis DeSales High school where he played for coach Nick Lowe. For more on Stanley, see our story from over the summer, an Introduction to Storm Stanley, where coach Lowe gives our readers the lowdown on the Mountaineer target, a AAU teammate of Cotrill. Over the summer, Stanley gave a verbal commitment to WVU, but reports are that his recruitment is open at this moment.

Also in the class of 2010, the recently completed 2009 Primetime Shootout had Bob Huggins front and center for the weekend in Trenton watching several prospects very closely. In addition to committed players like Cottrill, Kilicli and Allen, top targets included Doron Lamb, a shooting guard for Oak Hill Academy and NYC native and Mountain State Academy small forward Shaquille Thomas, a New Jersey native. Others high on the early wish list for the class fo 2010 include Dayton (OH) power forward Adreian Payne and Long Island Lutheran forward Tobias Harris.

The Mountaineers added a late addition to the class of 2008 as JUCO transfer Dee Proby, who was let out of his commitment with Oklahoma State when Travis Ford was hired, joined the WVU program. The 6-foot-10, 240 lb Proby signed a grant-in-aid and it is official and he will add some size to the WVU line-up for 2008-2009.

Proby averaged nearly 14 points and six rebounds a game as a sophomore at Angelina college. He will have two years of eligibility left at WVU. The skilled big man, who would rather face up from the perimeter than post up in the paint, is a native of Round Rock, TX and will now call Morgantown home to finish his college career.

Bob Huggins aggressively pursued options to close out the 2008 recruiting class and with Bob Huggins, adding talent is not a problem. Expect WVU to be one to watch as a favorite in the college basketball odds to compete for titles under Huggins and that recruiting prowess was on display as Huggins and staff got their man last spring as Devin Ebanks is accepted a scholarship offer. Ebanks, the nation's top uncommitted player remaining in the class of 2008, visited West Virginia and the Mountaineers definitely helped themselves. The 6'8, 185 lb Ebanks has the versatility and talent to step into Joe Alexander's vacated role and be productive. Ebanks visited Rutgers, Memphis and Texas after re-opening the process and found the Mountaineers to be the right fit for his talents.

Ebanks is a native of NYC and played the last couple seasons at St. Thomas More in Connecticut under Jere Quinn. This past seasn, Ebanks averaged 23 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists and eclipsed the 1,000 point mark in just two seasons.

Ebanks is long and lean and a versatile scorer who could fill a role similar to that of Joe Alexander if the talented WVU junior keeps his name in the NBA draft. The chance to make an immediate inpact at the college level played a big role in Ebanks decision to choose WVU over Memphis and Rutgers, his other finalists.

Ebanks joins a class with Kevin Jones, a 6'7 combo forward, as well as NYC PG Darryl 'Truck' Bryant as part of one of the conference's top classes. Roscoe Davis was originally part of the class, but it is looking like the 6'10 forward will take an additional prep year to square up his academic standing, as of know, we will list him as a tentative 2009 commitment, but there is still hope that he arrives for the fall.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: LOUISVILLE @ WEST VIRGINIA

2009-03-07T07:54:00.002-05:00

March 7 2009

By Zach Smart

No longer regarded as a team front-loaded with sharpshooters, analysts have enjoyed watching the development of the youth movement at West Virginia.

Though WVU coach Bobby Huggins typically dreads playing freshman immediately and does his best to get them acclimated to his sophisticated defense, he took a different route this year.

The triumvirate of Kevin Jones, Devin Ebanks, and Darryl "Truck" Bryant have grown by leaps and bounds in one season in Morgantown. They've helped complement the 1-2 punch of Da'Sean Butler and Alex Ruoff. Butler, who erupted for a wowing 43-point showing during a significant victory over Villanova, is averaging a team-high 17 ppg, Ruoff 16.

Ruoff, recruited by John Beilein as strictly a three-point sniper, has also undergone a great deal of player development. He barrels his way to the basket with ease now, as opposed to hanging out on the perimeter. He takes people off the dribble and bursts out a nice, step-back jumper. He's even gotten his elbows dirty and developed a nose for the ball, delivering put-backs and scoring on second chance opportunities. While this aspect of his game has panned out as of late, he's no Mike Gansey. Speaking of the 6-foot-4 freak with pogo stick hops, anyone know the white wonder of the world's whereabouts?

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Read More on today's game...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

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But this is Louisville, folks, a team with enough talent and depth and experience to pencil in as a potential final four team.

The Cardinals rolled away with a 69-63 victory last time the two teams met, albeit WVU fought valiantly. The Cardinals nearly surrendered a bulky 20-point edge but were able to group together and gut out the victory.

The Cardinals shot nearly 56 percent from the floor and got a major boost from their role players, who made up for pin-drop quiet nights from Terrence Williams and Earl Clark.

Jerry Smith scorched the nets to the tune of a season-high 20 points. He shot the rock at a 7-for-8 clip and the Mountaineers, once the team that bred shooters from the farm, had no answer.

They closed it to within four points with 2:16 remaining, but the Cardinals wouldn't falter.

Louisville has been on a tear, ripping off six consecutive victories after an embarrassing, 90-57 washout at Notre Dame. They've beaten opponents by a whopping 20.4 points during their recent win streak, showing no mercy. The streak is underscored by an 18-point victory over Georgetown and a tight, four-point victory that knocked Marquette out of the chase for conference supremacy.

Earl Clark, who will bolt for the NBA after this season, has been a big part of the team's success.

The 6-foot-9 New Jersey native who's received athletic gifts from God that GMs and agents brawl for had 27 points and 14 boards during the 95-78 win the Cardinals stamped on Seton Hall. Against Georgetown, Clark got to the charity stripe--where he was 9-for-13-- early and often.

Simply put, Clark is the reputable five-tool talent in basketball. He can shoot, distribute, handle the ball, bang, and play defense. Having Clark in uniform certainly helps Rick Pitino and Louisville's NCAA Odds.

Terrence Williams, who's sky-rocketed to stardom his senior year, has been just as efficient. He's averaging 12.6 points but like his teammate, he can provide balance in the stat sheet and his defense and strength could prove problematic.

West Virginia has had their fair share of eye-popping wins this year. A 30-point clubbing of Ohio State and the aforementioned victory over Villanova stand out for themselves.

Against a Louisville team that's starting to feel the mayhem that the month of March inevitably creates--and obviously, the Cardinals have ripped through the tail end of their conference schedule in shark-size bites--an upset seems unlikely.

Louisville Playing for Share of Big East Crown (SportingNews.com)
Alex Ruoff Ready to Enter WVU Record Books (Times West Virginian)
Can’t Turn it over vs. Cards (Charleston Gazette)
It’s All in the Cards (wvmetronews.com)
WVU Students Pumped for ESPN Gameday Visit (Charleston Gazette)
A Full Event of Memories Hits Morgantown in Finale (Wheeling Register)
Flowers Doing the Little Things (Wheeling Register)
Ready to Go (Times West Virginian)
A Lot on the Line for Cardinals (Louisville Courier-Journal)

NBE Blogger Prediction:

West Virginia 67
Louisville 65

RUOFF SETS MARK, LEADS WVU OVER DEPAUL

2009-03-05T15:51:00.000-05:00

March 5, 2009

DePaul moves one-step closer to completing their Big East 0-fer as they fall in Morgantown, 82-63, at the hands of West Virginia Wednesday night.

With the win, WVU Clinches a Bye in the first round of next week's Big East Tournament as they improve to 10-7 in the Big East and 21-9 overall on the season. With a date with Louisville for an ESPN Primetime affair Saturday night at 9 PM and the conference tournament ahead, Cultivating a Seed is WVU's New Aim (Charleston Gazette) as their sites are on the post-season.

On Wednesday, senior Alex Ruoff Leads WVU Over DePaul (Times West Virginian) in his second-to-last home game with 20 points, connecting on six of nine from beyond the arc and, in doing so, he tied Kevin Pittsnogle's school record with 253 made three's in his career.

Junior Da'Sean Butler added 16 points and 10 rebounds and freshman Devin Ebanks also added a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds as the Mountaineers owend the boards with a 48-30 advantage over the Blue Demons in the rebounding department. Ebanks and his classmates, Kevin Jones and Darryl Bryant, showed once again the very bright future that WVU has. jones added 13 poins and 9 rebounds in 25 minutes while Bryant contributed 12 points and 6 assists in the win.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: DEPAUL @ WEST VIRGINIA

2009-03-04T09:57:00.003-05:00

March 4, 2009

West Virginia heads into the final week of the regular season before the 2009 Big East Tournament as winners of four of their last five games, dropping the emotional return of Bob Huggins to Cincinnati in that span. At 9-7 in the Big East and 20-9 overall, WVU looks to be safely 'in' the NCAA Tournament and will be playing for seeding in these last two weeks of play.

On the other end of the spectrum tonight is DePaul. The Blue Demons are 16 of 16 in Big East regular season games so far, unfortunatley, 16 of 16 in losses. The low point of their season, just as you thought it could not get any lower, occurred last Saturday when they were demolished at home, 84-63, by St. John's, making 0-18 in the Big East a near certainty with road games against WVU and Georgetown to close the Big East slate.

Hey, at least everyone is invited to NYC next week. Any DePaul fans going???

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

Huggins: Sorting NCAA Field a Tall task (Times West Virginian)
DePaul’s Futility Historic in Nig East (Charleston Gazette)
Mountaineers Focused on DePaul (wvMetroNews.com)
Huggins Says DePaul a ‘Huge Game’ for Mountaineers (Register-Herald)
’Truck’ Gets in Gear (Charleston Gazette)
State of DePaul Hoops Just Pathetic (Daily Herald)
DePaul Athletic Director Sticking by Embattled Coach Wainwright (Chicago Tribune)
Huggins Cautious About DePaul Game (Martinsburg Journal)

There really is not a whole lot to go over in this game that has not already been said about DePaul. They do have a couple capable players in the Big East in sophomores Dar Tucker and Mac Koshwal. Will Walker has turned into an adequate third scorer, but from there the talent takes a major nosedize in terms of Big East talent. Plus, their continued upheaval at point guard limits their ability to get the ball to Koshwal and they are usually left with Tucker and Walker launching a high amount of shots trying to keep up with the opposition.

West Virginia has performed quite well this season. They rely on three key freshmen in Darryl Bryant, Devin Ebanks and Kevin Jones and they have seen junior Da'Sean Butler blossom as one of the conference's top scores. Senior Alex Ruoff gives them an experienced leader and a Bob Huggins staple of athletic forwards, such as Wllington Smith and John Flowers, and the resident banger Cam Thoroughman, give this team a very solid make-up. They have had to overcome the loss of projected starting point guard Joe Mazzulla to a season-ending shoulder injury and they have grown up in a hurry in the process. While the future under Huggins at WVU looks really bright, the present is not too shabby and the Mountaineers are an interesting threat heading into the postseason.

Today's college basketball lines indicate little problem for the Mountaineers tonight as they have been pegged as a 21 1/2-point favorite. I do see two factors in this game that will likely keep the game closer than the line...

1) DePaul's dead-cat bounce. After their embarrasing home loss, te players come back and play for pride. As mentioned, there are a few capable players, more than enough to beat someone in the Big East. While that opportunity has sailed, an effort is expected in tonight's game, if not for pride alone...

2) WVU has Louisville coming in for a primetime showdown at 9 PM on Saturday to close the regular season. The chance to be looking right past the Blue Demons is very possible. If not at the beginning, when WVU reaches a big lead, it likely could set in then...

NBE Blogger Prediction:

West Virginia 81
DePaul 66

BRYON ALLEN: UNHERALDED PROSPECT WITH GREAT POTENTIAL

2009-03-02T23:42:00.003-05:00

March 2, 2009

by Matt Whitfield

When Bryon Allen committed to West Virginia this past January, it left many people scrambling to find out more on this relatively unknown prospect. Overshadowed at the Oak Hill Academy basketball factory by mega-recruits such as Doron Lamb, Keith 'Tiny' Gallon and Lamont 'MoMo' Jones, many familiar with the prep scene didn’t know Allen very well. For West Virginia Head Coach Bob Huggins, this is a good thing as Huggins has had a long line of successful stories of taking the unheralded prospect and making him a star.

A self-described combo guard that goes to the basket pretty strong, rebounds and boxes out, Allen has started to turn heads. In the recently completed 2009 Primetime Shootout, the event’s marquee match-up featured Oak Hill and St. Patrick’s. Down the stretch, when things were tense and the game was on the line, Allen willed his team to victory. Up three with two minutes left, Allen took it upon himself to take the ball down court, drive it into the lane where St. Patrick’s defense had been stingy all night and Allen went for the momentum changer as he dunked on 6’8 Michael Ghilchrst, the player that had kept the Irish in the game all night long. Oak Hill got the ball back after a failed St. Patrick’s possession and Allen iced the game with a put-in sealing the Oak Hill victory. Allen was named his teams MVP with 17 points in the win.

Watching the game courtside was Allen’s future coach, Mountaineer Head Coach Bob Huggins. Allen told NBE, “[I] liked their style of play, the way they get it up and down the court,” as to why he choose to commit early to West Virginia. Allen, who stated to NBE he also had offers from Maryland, Georgetown, Clemson, and Xavier, should don the Blue and Gold in the fall of 2010. Until then, Allen said he would like to work on his ball-handling and three-point shot.

Allen who called himself a hard worker and someone that hated to lose should be a great addition to a 2010 recruiting class that is now already three deep for WVU with Mountain State Academy guard Noah Cottrill and Ohio big man Storm Stanley.

As Allen put it, “[I just] try and be the best player I can be,” and this is the type of player Huggins will continue to do wonders with.

WEST VIRGINIA REBOUNDS TO BEAT USF

2009-03-02T15:59:00.000-05:00

March 2, 2009

West Virginia seems to have all but assured themselves of an NCAA Tournament bid and they rebounded from their previous loss to Cincinnati by taking care of business on the road in a 64-50 win at South Florida on Sunday.

The win pushes WVU to 9-7 in the Big East and 20-9 overall. The Mountaineers close the regular season with DePaul on Wednesday and then a primetime showdown with Louisville on Saturday night in the Coliseum.

On Sunday, Alex Ruoff's Second Homecoming Off the Week was a Better One (Daily Mail) as the senior guard had a team-high 16 points in the win. Freshman Truck Bryant was also Efficient and Effective in the Victory (Daily Mail), scoring 13 points and not committing a turnover in 25 minutes.

CINCINNATI LEAVES HUGGINS, WVU WITH A PARTING LOSS

2009-02-27T11:10:00.000-05:00

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.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: WEST VIRGINIA @ CINCINNATI

2009-02-26T11:14:00.003-05:00

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

MOUNTAINEERS GETS PAST RUTGERS IN BIG EAST PLAY

2009-02-23T13:37:00.000-05:00

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.

WEST VIRGINIA LOOKS TO PICK UP ROAD WIN AT RU

2009-02-22T10:18:00.001-05:00

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

WEST VIRGINIA HOSTS NOTRE DAME IN BIG EAST CONTEST

2009-02-18T09:44:00.001-05:00

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

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: VILLANOVA @ WEST VIRINIA

2009-02-13T10:12:00.003-05:00

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

WVU FOULED-UP BY RIVAL PITT

2009-02-10T13:47:00.002-05:00

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.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: WEST VIRGINIA @ PITTSBURGH

2009-02-09T08:30:00.002-05:00

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

WVU 2009 FOOTBALL RECRUTING CLASS PLAYER PROFILES

2009-02-09T02:08:00.007-05:00

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.

RUOFF FINDS STROKE, WVU ROUTS PROVIDENCE

2009-02-07T23:51:00.001-05:00

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.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: MOUNTAINEERS HOST FRIARS

2009-02-07T10:06:00.001-05:00

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

WEST VIRGINIA CANT SOLVE SYRACUSE ZONE

2009-02-05T11:34:00.000-05:00

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.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: WEST VIRGINIA @ SYRACUSE

2009-02-04T09:30:00.003-05:00

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

WVU G MAZZULLA DONE FOR YEAR

2009-02-03T12:58:00.001-05:00

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.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: WEST VIRGINIA @ LOUISVILLE

2009-01-31T09:20:00.000-05:00

January 31, 2009

Louisville looks for their ninth consecutive win on Saturday afternoon when they host the Mountaineers of West Virginia. Bob Huggins’ club is 4-3 in conference play and 15-5 overall heading into the noon showdown at Freedom Hall.

After a slow start to the season, the Cards have been rolling since conference play began and are tied with Marquette atop the Big East at 7-0 in conference play. UL has to resist the urge to look ahead as they have a date with UConn looming on Monday night.

Here are some pregame stories and previews:

WVU at Home on the Road (Courier-Journal)
WVU Looking to Snap Louisville’s Streak (Register-Herald)
Louisville Shows Impressive Size, Depth (Charleston Gazette)
Cards Can Defend With Man or Zone (Daily Mail)
Freedom Riders (Charleston Gazette)
Looking for Big Win (Times West Virginian)

Louisville has been impressive since the beginning of conference play, impressing the pollsters as they have climbed to No. 7 in the latest rankings. They have also left an impression on WVU head coach Bob Huggins, and he is impressed.

“They’re good,” Huggins told media members this week during the coach’s conference call when addressing Louisville. “I think they’re the deepest team in the league…I think Rick [Pitino] does as good a job as anybody in our game of defining rolls and making sure everybody knows what they have to do. And then they just have incredible size. They stretch from one end of the floor in that 2-3 zone to the other.”

While the veteran WVU coach is saying all the right things publicly how impressed he is with Louisville, he is feeding his players motivation to try and steal a road win on Saturday. The Mountaineers certainly have an impressive stable of athletes that are also long and will get after it defensively, which is important in trying to win on the road.

This is likely a game where WVU misses a veteran guard handling the ball. Freshman Darryl ‘Truck’ Bryant is going to be under constant pressure, much like he was against Marquette. WVU will hope he took the game against the Golden Eagles as a learning experience to be applied in this one, because he will need to be smart with the ball and not get WVU out of their offense.

The other area of concern for WVU is in the middle where they do not have the size or bulk to slow down Samardo Samuels if Louisville dedicates themselves to going inside. The Mountaineers match-up elsewhere pretty well, but unless Alex Ruoff and Da’Sean Butler are both in the 20’s, the Terrence Williams, Earl Clark and Samuels front line should be able to pull this one out. The Cards are 6 1/2 –point favorites.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Louisiville 67
West Virginia 61

2010 PROSPECT PROFILE: KYLE BAUBLITZ

2009-01-31T00:22:00.001-05:00

By Matt Whitfield

While Western Pennsylvania gets the most attention for football, the state still produces some great teams and players outside that area. This would include schools like Bishop McDevitt and Liberty, and players like Marvin Harrison, Joe Klecko and Chuck Bednarik to name a few.

Pennsylvania’s next biggest high school player though could come out of fairly uncharted territory. Kyle Baublitz, is a 6’5, 255 pound junior tight end out of Central York High School.

Despite only being a junior, Baublitz, according to his coach Brad Livingston, already holds offers from WVU, Boston College, Pitt, Clemson, UCONN, Illinois, Temple, Virginia and Stanford.

A year ago, it was Wayne Tribue putting Central York on the map when he committed to Temple. A year from now Kyle can perhaps mark Central York as a known entity when he makes his college choice on national signing day.

Baublitz is a rare entity and as Coach Livingston puts it, “Kyle has size and athleticism. He has a great frame and the versatility to play a variety of positions. “

It also is no surprise either that Kyle has started since his freshman season at Central York, and currently is very strong for his age as he can bench 185 pounds 14 times, and squat 225 pounds 16 times.

In his college recruitment, “Kyle has indicated to me that he is looking for strong academic programs, a ‘feels like home’ environment and the chance to play for a great football program,” said Coach Livingston.

Baublitz in the next month will be in the process of coordinating junior day visits where he has received invitations, and later on this summer he’ll visit more schools. As Coach Livingston put it, “he is focused on making an informed decision.”

For all his accolades, Baublitz is still just a junior in high school. Central York was a 10-2 team this past year in which Baublitz was a great tight end and stout anchor on the middle of the defense. This year Central York has a good nucleus of players coming back; however, the offensive line has to be rebuilt and so Baublitz should see playing time in different areas.

As Coach Livingston sees it though, “Kyle will make us a strong football team.”

MOUNTAINEERS RIP ST. JOHN'S

2009-01-29T10:52:00.001-05:00

January 29, 2009

West Virginia bounced back from their weekend loss to Pittsburgh as the Mountaineers Take Care of St. John's (Daily Mail), 75-52 in Morgantown. Da'Sean Butler scored a game-high 21 and Alex Ruoff added 17 as the Butler-Ruoff Duo is Doing it All for WVU (Times West Virginian).

The was No Fooling Around (Charleston Gazette) in this one for WVU as they dominated from the get-go, taking a 36-20 lead by halftime. St. John's, 2-6 in the Big East, got 16 points from Paris Horne and 14 from DJ Kennedy. SJU, still playing without injured point guard Malik Boothe, managed just seven team assists against 18 turnovers in the game.

Ruoff scored 17 for WVU, but was still just 3-10 from the arc and Ruoff is Trying to Rediscover Shooting Touch (Daily Mail) and as this tough stretch continues, WVU will need him being on from the arc.

WVU has three of their next four on the road (at Louisville, at Syracuse, vs Providence at West Virginia), so they will be tested often in the near future.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: WVU WELCOMES IN ST. JOHN'S

2009-01-28T11:27:00.000-05:00

January 28, 2009

West Virginia will look to shake off the sting of their rivalry game loss to Pittsburgh from the weekend. The Mountaineers are in the midst of a brutal stretch of games and they can not afford to take a breath against the Redstorm and let up in any way.

St. John’s got a win over the weekend against Rutgers and are now 2-5 in Big East play. They have yet to win on the road in the Big East and Morgantown is not a friendly venue for a visiting team.

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

WVU Seels Ninth in a Row vs. St. John’s (Times West Virginian)
Redstorm Descends on Mounties (Bluefield Daily Telegraph)
Mountaineers Host Redstorm (Register-Herald)
Mountaineers Board Work Rebounds Under Huggins (Daily Mail)
Mountaineers Out to Regroup (Martinsburg Journal)

Even though the lost on Sunday to Pittsburgh, I am starting to like this West Virginia team more and more. They play hard on both ends of the floor for coach Huggins, they play unselfish and they will attack the boards. Their inexperience at key positions and the lack of a player ready to carry them offensively is still holding them back, but Da’Sean Butler and Alex Ruoff are definitely very capable scorers. If Devin Ebanks starts to flash more on the offensive end, this is a team that should continue to improve. They might be the team to watch and with Notre Dame and Georgetown showing signs of heading in the other direction of WVU, they could find themselves setting in among the top third of the Big East.

It is still a tough go for St. John’s and Norm Roberts. They are another team that will play hard for their coach, but they do not have enough bullets available to win consistently, especially on the road in the Big East. With injuries claiming Malik Boothe, Anthony Mason Jr and Rob Thomas, the Redstorm line-up is limited in scoring punch and ball-handlers, an area that WVU will certainly exploit.

While a 16 ½-point line seems quite high, considering that WVU is prone to some poor offensive showings and that SJU will defend, they still should earn a comfortable win right in that neighborhood of a difference.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

West Virginia 77
St. John’s 60

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: WVU HOSTS HOOPS BACKYARD BRAWL

2009-01-25T01:49:00.000-05:00

January 25, 2009

It is the Backyard basketBrawl as Pittsburgh and West Virginia square off at 4 PM in Morgantown in a Big East conference match-up. The two bitter rivals will lock horns on the hardwood twice this season, Sunday is the first of those meetings.

West Virginia earned an impressive 75-58 road victory on Thursday night against Georgetown. Just when you were expecting the Mountaineers to possibly fade away in the Big East race, they showed us all they can not be counted out.

Pittsburgh is off to a 5-1 conference start and rebounded from their first loss of the season last Saturday at Louisville by pummeling Syracuse, 78-60, Monday night.

Brawl in Morgantown (WVmetroNews.com)
Pitt’s Blair Continues to Make Steady Progress (Tribune-Review)
No Rest for WVU (Register-Herald)
Panthers on Top of their Game (Register-Herald)
Everhart Thinks Pitt, WVU Will Duke it Out (Charleston Gazette)
WVU Expects to See Pitt at its Best (Martinsburg Journal)
Pitt’s Big Man a Fan of WVU Coach (Tribune-Review)
Tall Order for WVU (Charleston Gazette)
Pitt, West Virginia Clash in Morgantown (Tribune-Review)
WVU’s Butler Starting to heat Up (Post-Gazette)

Two teams that will get after it very hard on the defensive end of the floor will meet in Morgantown on Sunday. With this game being such a big rivalry, expect the atmosphere to be extra charged, especially with the lofty ranking attached to the Panthers.

Pitt has the experience and, although they are not much bigger than the Mountaineers, they certainly play bigger. That will likely hold true as long as star sophomore center DeJuan Blair stays out of foul trouble.

Limited to just 20 minutes at Louisville last Saturday, Blair still managed 9 points and 10 rebounds. When he was on the floor, Pitt seemed in control, but when he left the game with his fourth foul, Pitt’s undefeated season unraveled and they tasted defeat.

West Virginia will likely try to force Pitt to use their hedge defensive philosophy to see if they can pick up fouls on Blair away from the basket, if they are successful, it changes the whole dynamic of the game for Pitt.

On the WVU side, the play of freshman point guard Darryl Bryant will be tested. In a game with emotions likely charged, Bryant will need to be a calming influence beyond his years in the Mountaineer backcourt. You know Pitt’s Levance Fields will likely have a near flawless floor game, Bryant will need to keep his excitement under wraps and orchestrate the attack.

The rest of the line-ups are filled with athletes. The small forward match-up also could decide the game with either Sam Young or Da’Sean Butler tipping the game in their team’s favor.

West Virginia has had trouble scoring and some three’s from Alex Ruoff will be a huge lift to their team. Something tells me he will shake off some of his recent struggles in a big spot here for the senior.

WVU is a slight 1 ½-point favorite. This should be quite a game…but, the home team should be primed for the upset…in a thriller!

NBE Blogger Prediction:

West Virginia 67
Pittsburgh 66

DA ('SEAN) BUTLER DOES IT FOR WVU

2009-01-23T09:45:00.002-05:00

January 23, 2009

West Virginia is not going to go quietly from the Big East picture.

Looking like possibly the odd team out of the race to finish in the top eight of the conference, the Mountaineers embarked on a tough stretch of games last night in DC with a match-up against 14th-ranked Georgetown at the Verizon Center.

Da'Sean Butler pured in a game-high 27 points as WVU Knocks Off the Hoyas, 75-58 (Times West Virginian) in front of 12,875 fans and a national TV audience watching on ESPN.

With the Mountaineers struggled out of the gate, Butler got their offense rolling by hitting a variety of shots. Butler hit 11 of 19 shots from the floor, including four of nine from three-point range and added a team high 8 rebounds.

The final rebounding margin showed a 39-31 edge for the undersized Mountaineers, but the dominance on the boards certainly seemed to be much more one-sided. After a slow start, trailing 9-2 early as they began the game 1-9 from the field, it was all WVU from that point on as Frustration, Errant Shots Doom Hoyas (Washington Times) against intense effort from Bob Huggins' squad.

With the Hoyas still hanging around and observers waiting for a Georgetown run to make things interesting, an Alex Ruoff Dunk Keys Mountaineer Upset (Daily Mail) run to close the game. With 5:32 left, Ruoff drove the lane as the Hoya defense parted like the Red Sea and he flushed home a one-hand jam that started a game-ending 17-7 run for the Mountaineers.

WVU, which also got 13 points from Darryl Bryant and 10 each from Ruoff and Wellington Smith, moved to 3-2 in the Big East. WVU next hosts rival Pittsburgh on Sunday.

The Hoyas, Humbled at Home (Washington Post), for the second time already in conference play, fell to 3-3 in league action.

Chris Wright led G'town with 13 points, but the sophomore point guard did not register an assist in his 31 minutes on the floor.

Notes:

-WVU forced the Hoyas to turn the ball over 19 times and held them to 39% shooting.

-Alex Ruoff struggled from the field (3-10), but was credited with 9 assists to just one turnover

-West Virginia shot 55% (29-53) after starting the game 1-9. For the game they shot 48%.

-Jonathan Flowers, who attended nearby St. Mary's-Ryken High School, added 8 rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: HOYAS HOST WVU AT VERIZON CENTER

2009-01-22T13:42:00.000-05:00

January 22, 2009

A key Big East match-up takes place tonight in the Nation’s capital when West Virginia travels to take on the Georgetown Hoyas. Game time is 7 PM at the Verizon center.

The Mountaineers evened their conference mark at 2-2 with a 62-59 win over South Florida in Morgantown last Saturday. WVU has an overall record of 13-4 and tonight begins a run of nine games with seven against ranked conference opponents in what could define their season.

Georgetown is 3-2 in the Big East and 12-4 overall on the season. All four losses have come against ranked foes (Tennessee, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame and Duke), but the Hoyas have also shown the ability to beat ranked teams with a win at Connecticut as well as a home victory over Syracuse and a non-league win over Memphis.

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

Huggins, Thompson cut from Same Cloth (Times West Virginian)
Monroe a Big Plus for Georgetown (Washington Times)
Backcourt Depth Helps Keep Hoyas Afloat (Washington Post)
No Looking Ahead for WVU (Charleston Gazette)
Tall Task Awaits Mountaineers (Register Herald)
WVU’s Flowers Beginning to Bloom (Daily Mail)
Hoya Freshman Making Big Mark in the Middle (Charleston Gazette)
Georgetown Looms Again for WVU’s Butler (Daily Mail)

West Virginia has struggled scoring point of late, averaging just 56.7 points in their last three Big East contests, losing two. There will be a lot of pressure on Da’Sean Butler and Alex Ruoff to finding scoring opportunities and be efficient with those opportunities against a stingy Hoya attack. Neither Butler nor Ruoff have a favorable match-up to indicate they will be able to exploit Georgetown for points.

The Hoyas got a big bench boost from Jason Clark and others recently, which was an area of much concern as Big East play began. Just keeping their starting five, which is among the best on the conference, fresh will go a long way in helping the Hoyas improve.

That starting five of Georgetown is full of all-league potential, but they are still working their way into the roles of the Princeton-style attack. While they definitely have more potential to run than the previous editions, their youthful decision-making can sometimes lead to inconsistency.

West Virginia will defend and hit the boards, albeit with an undersized group, which is needed on the road. However, their offensive struggles are something that they will really have a tough time overcoming against a Georgetown team that will force the opponent to be very efficient. With oddsmakers listing the Hoyas as 5 ½-point favoroites, it seems that early success of WVU is still having some believe they might be a little better than they really are.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Georgetown 68
West Virginia 61

TOUGH STRETCH COMING FOR MOUNTAINEERS

2009-01-21T09:14:00.001-05:00

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!

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SOUTH FLORIDA @ WEST VIRGINIA

2009-01-17T01:00:00.002-05:00

January 17, 2009

West Virginia will look to get their offense in order in conference play on Saturday afternoon when the South Florida Bulls come to Morgantown. WVU is 1-2 in Big East play, suffering a pair of losses last week to UConn and Marquette where they struggled mightily in putting the ball in the basket. On Wednesday, WVU had their annual Capital Classic showdown with in-state rival Marshall and scored an 87-76 victory.

The Bulls have stayed up north following Wednesday’s contest at Pittsburgh and finish a three-game Big East road swing Saturday with their meeting against the Mountaineers. USF started the three-game run off with a surprisingly easy win at DePaul, 80-58. The Bulls also looked pretty good in stretches at Pitt on Wednesday, despite travel problems within the city of Pittsburgh which delayed the start of the game 25 minutes.

Mountaineers Turn their Attention to South Florida (Daily Mail)
Striving for Consistency (Charleston Gazette)
WVU Resumes Big East Slate (Register-Herald)

Bob Huggins’ squad is long on athleticism but short on size and shooting ability. The Mountaineers have a plethora of 6’7 combo forwards that can get up and down the court and crash the boards. They have overwhelmed many lesser teams on their schedule but are still trying to find the right formula for the top teams of the Big East. The Mountaineers have had a tough time scoring against the size and comparable athleticism of Big East teams.

South Florida is a match-up the Mountaineers should find a little more to their liking. The Bulls are not overly athletic in the backcourt and will not likely be able to take advantage of a freshman point guard (Darryl Bryant) used by WVU like a Marquette squad did. The Bulls have some height in the paint, but they are not a very strong team on the boards.

All in all, this is a game that WVU should win and win handily. The Bulls are bound to be weary with their third road game in a week and having spent the last several days away from home. The line for this game has been set with WVU a 16 1/2-pt favorite by the oddsmakers, and it is one in which WVU should roll.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

West Virginia 74
South Florida 57

WVU TOO MUCH FOR IN STATE RIVAL

2009-01-16T22:22:00.000-05:00

By Matt Whitfield

After being held scoreless against Marquette, Daryl ‘Tuck’ Bryant led the Mountaineers Wednesday with a season high 22 points en route to an 87-76 victory. This game was all Mountaineers as they coasted to an 11 point halftime advantage and never looked back.
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In the loss Shaquille Johnson would lead the way for Marshall with 15 points. This was the third straight Mountaineer victory over Marshall, in their annual Capital Classic meeting.

CLASS OF 2010 PROSPECT PROFILE: BRIAN LAITI

2009-01-15T18:46:00.001-05:00

When people talk about Northern Virginia’s premier public high school football programs, Robinson High School is undoubtedly a team mentioned. The Robinson Rams have appeared in the Class AAA Division 6 State Championship four times, and have won state titles twice, with both titles coming in the past twelve years. According to Robinson head coach Mark Bendorf, the Rams produce about five or six college players a year, including some recent players like Chip Vaughn (former Safety at Wake Forest, and projected 2009 NFL Draft Pick), Mike Imoh (former Virginia Tech RB), and Chase Anastasio (former Notre Dame WR). Rams players participate in year round power lifting, and play in a stadium that often packs in 7,500 fans so it’s no surprise that some their players take their game to the next level. It also shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that the next biggest blue chip on the Robinson Rams comes from a family of former Robinson football players.

Brian Laiti is a 6’4 200 pound Junior Linebacker who already boasts scholarship offers from ACC programs, including Maryland, Boston College, Virginia Tech, and Virginia; and Big East powerhouse West Virginia. Brian is the fourth member of the Laiti family to play football at Robinson, and according to coach Bendorf, “he’s got probably the most size and talent,” out of all his brothers. Brian led the Rams in tackles his sophomore and junior year and is “very instinctive and very quick in the box,” according to Bendorf. Right now Laiti runs about a 4.7 in the 40 yard dash, maxes out somewhere between 280-300 pounds on the bench press, and squats around 400 pounds, according to coach Bendorf.

For now though Laiti is just focused upon his preparations for his senior year as according Bendorf, “he’ll have to play a bigger role,” next season as the team is looking to rebound from a down year by Bendorf’s standards. In terms of his college recruitment Laiti is still, “very wide open right now and he’ll start to examine his options this summer,” according to coach Bendorf. Quickness, agility, ability to diagnose plays, and vision are what Bendorf sees as Laiti’s strengths and in about an year in a half from now Laiti will bring those attributes to one lucky school.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: WEST VIRGINIA @ MARQUETTE

2009-01-10T09:52:00.001-05:00

January 10, 2009

Marquette looks to extend their best-even Big East start to 4-0 when they welcome former Conference USA rival Bob Huggins, who will bring his current team, West Virginia, to the Bradley center for a Big East showdown at noon on Saturday.

The Bradley Center is home to one of the best home court crowds in the league, hopefully the early start time (11 AM locally) does not negatively impact that home court edge the Golden Eagles usually enjoy. Marquette escaped Rutgers with an 81-76 win earlier this week. Buzz Williams’ crew say a 21-point lead sliced to two in the final minute, but hung on for the victory, improving their conference record to 3-0.

West Virginia dropped to 1-1 with a Tuesday night home loss to Connecticut. The Mountaineers shot the ball poorly (30%) and were dominated on the boards by the bigger Huskies. They will not have to worry about the size of the Golden Eagles, but an aggressive perimeter defense might cause the shooting woes to linger.

Here are some game previews and stories from the web this morning:

Golden Eagles Preview: Marquette vs. West Virginia (Appleton Post Crescent)
Freshman Trio Powering Mountaineers (Times West Virginian)
Marquette Takes on west Virginia (Cracked Sidewalks)
Game 17: West Virginia (Journal Sentinel)
Mountaineers Look to Snap Marquette’s Win Streak (Register-Herald)
MU’s Middle Men Getting it Done on Defense (Journal Sentinel)
Marquette Coach Says WVU Will Compete (Daily Mail)

The three amigos, Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Mathews, with a lot of help from junior Lazar Hayward, are off to a 3-0 start in the Big East and will look to continue that run this afternoon. As usual, the Golden Eagles will hope that their guard play dictates the flow of the game to mask their interior and rebounding deficiencies that bigger Big East teams will look to exploit.

West Virginia has not been shooting the ball very well, and that was key in their recent loss to UConn. Look for Marquette to be all over Alex Ruoff on the perimeter and for James to harass freshman Darryl Bryant when on the ball.

The Mountaineers are likely to respond with a variety of zone defenses to keep the Marquette guards out of the lane and shooting from the perimeter. In their last home game, the MU perimeter shooters were on fire, going 15-25 from beyond the arc. Marquette has great confidence right now and the college basketball odds have MU as a 3 ½ point home favorite as guards rule in college basketball.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Marquette 72
West Virginia 63

MARQUETTE PREVIEW

2009-01-10T01:16:00.004-05:00

By Matt Whitfield

Before this season began Bob Huggins knew playing in the Big East wouldn’t be easy. Even for the casual fan this becomes so ever evident Saturday when the Mountaineers visit Milwaukee to take on their second ranked opponent in less than five days. While Marquette isn’t a physically dominating, rebounding team, they are a team that certainly can score.

Dominic James quarterbacks a team that has three of the Big East top scorers in Lazar Hayward, Jerel McNeal, and Wesley Matthews; as each averages over 16 points a game for the Golden Eagles. West Virginia will counter that Saturday with an offense lead at the point by Darryl ‘Tuck’ Bryant, De’Sean Butler at forward, and Alex Ruoff at guard. Ruoff and Butler also are two of the better scorers in the Big East as each averages around 16 points a game.

If West Virginia is to leave frigid Milwaukee victorious Saturday they will need their rugged top ranked defense to hold the Golden Eagles down. Marquette is a team that can shoot the lights out as they shoot 54.7 from the field, and have two of their leading scorers in McNeal and Matthews who average over forty-five percent from the three point line. West Virginia, if it plays like it has all season though, can counter this as they are league leaders in 3 point defense, turnover margin, and opponent scoring. Expect a close game tomorrow as despite the odds or cards stacked against him, Huggins always seems to do a better job than seemingly with what he has on the table.

ATTENTION ALL WVU FANS: VOTE JOE INTO SLAM DUNK CONTEST

2009-01-09T11:26:00.003-05:00

January 9, 2009

That is right West Virginia fans, 'VOTE JOE' in 2009!

With time running out, these young players are doing whatever it takes to get fan votes in the new videos below.

Rudy Fernandez Shares a Bilingual Dunk Ballad

Russell Westbrook Shares His Get-Out-And-Vote Song

Joe Alexander Tells You Why He's the Flying Buck

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Voting ends 1/14/2009!

The highest vote getter will take on the 2008 Sprite Slam Dunk champion Dwight Howard, along with high-flying Rudy Gay and Nate Robinson as the 4th dunker in the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest at NBA All-Star 2009 in Phoenix!

You could win a grand prize trip to 2009 NBA All-Star in Phoenix!

UCONN OUTLASTS WVU 61-55

2009-01-09T02:09:00.003-05:00

By Matt Whitfield

Coming into Tuesday’s night’s game West Virginia knew that if they could outrebound the Huskies they had a great chance of walking out of the Coliseum winners. That didn’t happen, and though the game was close down the stretch when Mountaineer fans and players look back at the loss they’ll point to one statistic, rebounds. West Virginia only accounted for 33 rebounds all game, only five more than Haseem Thabeet and Stanley Robinson had combined. West Virginia also got out rebounded as a team by a margin of 52 to 33.

West Virginia did have it’s bright moments in the game though, and there were twelve lead changes. But in the end it came down to rebounding. Da’Sean Butler and Alex Ruoff again lead the way with 13 a piece.

On Saturday West Virginia travels to Milwaukee to take on Marquette. The Golden Eagles lead by Dominic James are on of the hottest teams in the Big East as they have won six straight; including wins over Cincinnati, North Carolina State, and ranked Villanova.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: WEST VIRGINIA

2009-01-07T13:25:00.003-05:00

January 7, 2009

Commitment Alert: Bryon Allen, 6'2 G from Oak Hill (VA) Academy

Projected 2009-2010 Roster

Seniors: Joe Mazzula (PG), Wellington Smith (F), Desean Butler (WF), Dee Proby (BF/C)
Juniors: John Flowers (F), Will Thomas (G), Cam Thoroughman (F), Jonnie West (G)
Sophomores: Darryl Bryant (PG), Kevin Jones (F), Devin Ebanks (F)
Freshmen: Dalton Pepper (G/F), Dan Jennings (BF/C), Deniz Kilicli (PF)
2010 Commits: Noah Cottrill (G), Storm Stanley (C), Bryon Allen (G)

Bob Huggins continues to impress along the recruiting trail since his return to his alma mater as he hadds his third verbal commitment for the class of 2010 as he dips into the powerful Oak Hill Academy program to land junior guard Bryon Allen. Based on Comfort, Allen Picks WVU (i95ballerz.com) as his future college destination.

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

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The early recruiting prowess of WVU coach Bob Huggins is evident in the fact that 6'1 junior Noah Cottrill from Poca High School (WV) has made an early pledge to WVU. Cottrill is one of the top rated prospects in the class of 2010 and is now joined by his Ohio Basketball Club teamate Storm Stanley and Oak Hill junior Bryon Allen.

Allen started his prep career off at famed DeMatha High school in the DC-area and played AAU ball in the powerful DC Assault program. After his freshman season at DeMatha, Allen made a change and joined the elite high school boarding school program at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia where he plays for Steve Smith.

i95ballerz.com reports than Allen chose the Mountaineers over Virginia Tech and Florida, who Allen indicated had offered, as well as Miami, Clemson, Maryland, Georgetown, and Florida State.

In the Huggins mold, Allen is a tough guard that likes to get into the lane. Not a great shooter out to the arc, the 6-foot-2 guard can stick the jumper from intermediate range. Also filling a Huggins' prerequisite, Allen can plan solid defense already and is likely only to improve in that aspect under Huggins' guidance.

Stanley is a 6'10 center who is from Toledo (OH) and attends St. Francis DeSales High school where he played for coach Nick Lowe. For more on Stanley, see our recent story for an Introduction to Storm Stanley where coach Lowe gives our readers the lowdown on the Mountaineer's newest verbal commitment.

Deniz Kilicli had been a hot prospect in the fall recruiting period as word had spread quickly on the Turkish import that only recently landed in the United States. Kilicli is a skilled, 6-foot-9 power forward than is attending Mountain State Academy in Beckley (WV). He will play for coach Rob Fulford with the Falcons this season. After an impressive showing late this summer at the Adidas Nations Event, schools lined up to see him workout at Mountain State this fall once word spread he had landed in West Virginia.

Kilicli joins previous 2009 verbal commitments Dan Jennings, of New York City, and Dalton Pepper, of Pennsbury (PA) in the class for WVU.

Pepper has been a top target of Huggins and assistant coach Billy Hahn, who was previously the head coach of LaSalle, so his familiarity of the area was key in landing Pepper.

Over the summer, Papper shined at the Hoop Group's Elite Camp at the College of New Jersey and showed he can fill it up from the perimeter often in high school. Villanova was also considered a strong contender for Pepper's services.

Jennings is a strong and aggressive inside performer who will through his body and weight around in the paint. Making an adjustment to playing a little bit away from the basket will help him at the college level as his 6-foot-8 frame and average athleticism might make things a little tougher. However, Jennings will certainly add toughness to the middle and is not one to fool around trying to do things he can not do.

Jennings was on the recruiting radar of several Big East teams, including Pittsburgh, Rutgers and St. John's, who sees another local get away from them.

The one thing that stands out when looking over the Mountaineer roster, on paper, for 2009-2010 is the number of players: 14. So, something on the rister has to give as the NCAA scholarship limit is only 13. Obviously, entering the second season under Bob Huggins, there is still a transition of personell recruited for the system of former coach John Beilein, which is like night and day from the style of play that coach Huggins prefers. It will be interesting to see who fits and who does not over the course of the 2008-2009 Big East season to make room for the players Huggins has personally recruited since accepting the job at his alma mater.

The Mountaineers added a late addition to the class of 2008 as JUCO transfer Dee Proby, who was let out of his commitment with Oklahoma State when Travis Ford was hired, joined the WVU program. The 6-foot-10, 240 lb Proby signed a grant-in-aid and it is official and he will add some size to the WVU line-up for 2008-2009.

Proby averaged nearly 14 points and six rebounds a game as a sophomore at Angelina college. He will have two years of eligibility left at WVU. The skilled big man, who would rather face up from the perimeter than post up in the paint, is a native of Round Rock, TX and will now call Morgantown home to finish his college career.

Bob Huggins aggressively pursued options to close out the 2008 recruiting class and with Bob Huggins, adding talent is not a problem. Expect WVU to be one to watch as a favorite in the college basketball odds to compete for titles under Huggins and that recruiting prowess was on display as Huggins and staff got their man last spring as Devin Ebanks is accepted a scholarship offer. Ebanks, the nation's top uncommitted player remaining in the class of 2008, visited West Virginia and the Mountaineers definitely helped themselves. The 6'8, 185 lb Ebanks has the versatility and talent to step into Joe Alexander's vacated role and be productive. Ebanks visited Rutgers, Memphis and Texas after re-opening the process and found the Mountaineers to be the right fit for his talents.

Ebanks is a native of NYC and played the last couple seasons at St. Thomas More in Connecticut under Jere Quinn. This past seasn, Ebanks averaged 23 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists and eclipsed the 1,000 point mark in just two seasons.

Ebanks is long and lean and a versatile scorer who could fill a role similar to that of Joe Alexander if the talented WVU junior keeps his name in the NBA draft. The chance to make an immediate inpact at the college level played a big role in Ebanks decision to choose WVU over Memphis and Rutgers, his other finalists.

Ebanks joins a class with Kevin Jones, a 6'7 combo forward, as well as NYC PG Darryl 'Truck' Bryant as part of one of the conference's top classes. Roscoe Davis was originally part of the class, but it is looking like the 6'10 forward will take an additional prep year to square up his academic standing, as of know, we will list him as a tentative 2009 commitment, but there is still hope that he arrives for the fall.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CONNECTICUT @ WEST VIRGINIA

2009-01-06T13:27:00.004-05:00

January 6, 2009

by Matt Whitfield

West Virginia faces its toughest challenge of the season tonight when they host the #5 ranked Connecticut Huskies, led by big men Stanley Robinson, and Hasheem Thabet. If West Virginia is to the win tonight the Mountaineers must be the aggressors under the boards and play the way they did in the last two victories as Connecticut is not a team known for giving away easy rebounds.

Coming into tonight game the Mountaineers have history on their side. The last time the two teams meet in Morgantown Wellington Smith and Da’Sean Butler were freshman, and the Mountaineers knocked off Connecticut 81-71. Furthermore, the last time the two teams played the Mountaineers knocked off the Huskies in last years Big East Tournament by a score of 79-72. This is not the same Huskies team as previous years though. Players like Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien, who were unproven stars several years ago are now season veterans and have undoubtedly matured and improved their game. West Virginia while it has players like Da’Sean Butler and Alex Ruoff who have stepped up their game, and freshman in Devin Ebanks, and Darryl ‘Tuck’ Bryant who could be superstars in the making is undoubtedly without their go-to guy superstar of the previous two years as Joe Alexander is now a member of the Milwaukee Bucks.

History on their side or not the Mountaineers must rebound well tonight. The team collectively ranks amongst Big East leaders in offensive boards; however no one player for the Mountaineers ranks in the top 15 statically of that category. The Huskies however aren’t too shabby either as they rank 6th in the Big East in rebounds per game, and have two players in Thabeet and Jeff Adrien who average about 10 rebounds a game. Defense is often the best offense though, and that should key one team to victory tonight.

Starters for the game tonight should look like this Da’Sean Butler, Devin Ebanks, Wellington Smith, Alex Ruoff, and Darryl Bryant going against Connecticut’s Jeff Adrien, Stanley Robinson, Hasheem Thabeet, Jerome Dyson, and AJ Price. Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM tonight as the Coliseum should be loud and rocking tonight and the latest the latest NCAA basketball odds have WVU as a three and a half point favorite.

For the links to pregame stories and previews on the web, as well as the prediction from the NBE Blogger on tonight's game, you can also check out the Connecticut Team Blog Site for more on tonight's game.

MOUNTAINEERS CONTINUE IMPRESSIVE PLAY, CRUSH SETON HALL 92-66

2009-01-05T15:52:00.000-05:00

By Matt Whitfield

West Virginia continued in hot streak Saturday winning its fifth straight against Seton Hall before 8, 127 at the Prudential Center. West Virginia is now nationally ranked in the coaches and AP poll, being ranked 22nd and 25th in each respectively.

Like West Virginia’s last four games Saturday’s game was a relative breeze as Da’Sean Butler and Alex Ruoff finished with 18 points a piece and the Mountaineers bench would outscored the Pirates bench by a margin of 33 to 10. If that wasn’t enough Bob Huggins’s team wasn’t missing free throws as they made twenty of twenty-five attempts from the line. The Pirates Jeremy Hazell, the Big East second leading scorer, did have 29 points on the day in the losing effort.

The Mountaineers are now 11-2, and 1-0 in Big East play. They will face 5th ranked Connecticut and Hasheem Thabeet at the Coliseum Tuesday night.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: WEST VIRGINIA @ SETON HALL

2009-01-03T06:42:00.001-05:00

January 3, 2009

West Virginia opens their Big East schedule with a trip to Newark (NJ) and a meeting with the Seton Hall Pirates. SHU opened Big East play on Tuesday and with head coach Bobby Gonzalez serving a one-game suspension, they were left defenseless against Syracuse in a 100-76 loss.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found on the web:

Butler Returns to Garden State (ZagsBlog.com)
Mountaineers Start Big East Play (wvmetronews.com)
WVU-SHU Preview (msnsportsnet.com)
West Virginia Begins Big East at SHU (Martinsburg Journal)
Butler, Others Excited to Be Home (Charleston Gazette)

Seton Hall was not only missing their head coach against the Orange, but their most productive big man as well as John Garcia was out with an injured left knee. The 6’8, 260 pound Garcia would bring a huge lift back to the Pirates in battling the athletic front line of the Mountaineers that love to gobble up second chance opportunities.

SHU has lost three of their last four, including a loss at James Madison and at home to IUPUI in addition to the SU debacle. Garcia has missed all four of the games. With Garcia out of the line-up, SHU is strictly a perimeter team with Jeremy Hazell, Robert Mitchell and co. teeing it up from distance often. Against SU, that was not working, but they kept trying, going two for 27 in three-point attempts. They will need many more of those shots to fall and Garcia’s presence to bring some balance to their attack.

West Virginia is coming off an impressive road win at Ohio State last weekend, 76-48, as they knocked the Buckeyes from the ranks of the unbeaten. Alex Ruoff and Da’Sean Butler have taken turns being ‘the man’ offensively as WVU looks to replace the scoring of Joe Alexander from last year’s Sweet 16 club. Freshman Darryl Bryant has been a pleasant surprise playing point guard for the injures Joe Mazzulla and Devin Ebanks continues to bring a new element to the club each time out. Add in several 6’7+ forwards like Wellington Smith, Kevin Jones, John Flowers and Dee Proby, and you see why the Mountaineers are a tough match-up, especially for a thin team like SHU.

The current NCAA basketball odds list WVU as an 8 1/2-point road favorite. While SHU will play hard from start to finish, Bob Huggins’ team will have just too many pieces in the end to lose this game.

Prediction:

West Virginia 80
Seton Hall 71

WVU GETS IT’S FIRST BIG WIN OF THE SEASON

2009-01-02T00:31:00.004-05:00

By Matt Whitfield

This past Saturday four West Virginia players scored in double digits and defensively the Mountaineers held Ohio State to 26 points in the paint, as they rolled to a 76-48 victory over then #15 ranked Ohio State.

Despite being thoroughly out-sized in this game West Virginia would take the lead early in the first half and never relinquish it. Every West Virginia starter would have at least 9 points as the much smaller Mountaineers would out score and outrebound Ohio State en route to their first victory over a ranked opponent this season.

After the game coach Huggins said, "It's a quality win…. It means we have two days off and then get ready to play in the Big East." Huggins and the Mountaineers begin Big East season play this Saturday when they visit New Jersey to take on Seton Hall at the Prudential Center. Gametime is set for 4:00 PM.

WEST VIRGINIA GETS ONE LAST WIN FOR WHITE

2008-12-28T21:44:00.005-05:00

By Matt Whitfield

Pat White started off his college career as a winner now he’s gone out the same way. White threw for 3 TD’s and 332 yards Saturday en route to the Mountaineers 31-30 victory over North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. White had one of his best passing days ever as a Mountaineer and his team needed every bit of it as the Mountaineers railed to defeat the Tar Heels before 73,712 at Bank of America Stadium.

In what was a hard fought game the Mountaineers and Tar Heels would battle neck in neck throughout the game. There were five lead changes, but no lead was ever more than a TD or lasted more than a quarter. Both teams came out and played like they were still top ranked teams not wanting to end the season on a bad note. Hakeem Nicks would have a career performance for the Tar Heels reeling in 8 passes for 217 yards and 3 of his teams TD’s. Unfortunately for Nicks, White who had been West Virginia’s vocal and team leader ever since he dawned the blue and gold didn’t plan on going out a loser. Besides amassing an remarkable 387 yards of total offense himself White made sure the Mountaineers went out winners as he would hit Alric Arnett for a 20 yard TD pass with 7:14 left, giving the Mountaineers a 31-30 lead, and a eventual victory.

After the game, only fittingly Pat White would be named the Meineke Car Care Bowl MVP, his 3rd straight bowl game MVP award. Overjoyed West Virginia head coach Bill Stewart would say of White, "I'm sitting by the greatest winner in college football today," He's the greatest to ever wear the old gold and blue. It's a fitting tribute that this man's the MVP." Despite starting the season 1-2 the Mountaineers showed they still had it, maybe just not as good as they had it under Rodriguez and Co. West Virginia finishes the season with a 9-4 record and fourth consecutive bowl victory.

Not having White next season without will undoubtedly bring in some change. Question is how will the Mountaineers fare without the only college QB ever to win in four consecutive bowl games?

Meineke Car Care Bowl Preview

2008-12-26T09:32:00.002-05:00

by Matt Whitfield

West Virginia and North Carolina have both seen their share of highs and lows this season. North Carolina showed unlimited potential when they crushed Rutgers on the road 44-12, demolished Boston College 45-24, and squashed Georgia Tech 28-7. The Tar Heels have also shown why they haven’t been to a bowl game in four year when they lost two of their last three, including a 41-10 blowout by North Carolina State. West Virginia, a team that early on was a top 10 ranked team, opened up the season 1-2 with losses to Colorado and East Carolina. They then stormed back winning five in a row and many considered them the team to beat again in the Big East. That was all speculation however as they lost two of their last four and showed they weren’t exactly what they were last year with Rodriguez and Co. Saturday one team will need to come up with a New Year’s resolution and a solution to their declining fortunes as the two teams both look to end their seasons on a positive note as the NCAA Bowl Games schedule kicks into high gear.

Wet Virginia faces North Carolina for the second time in team history Saturday. In the prior meeting the two teams faced off in the 1997 Gator Bowl in which then North Carolina then coached by Mack Brown defeated the Mountaineers 20-13. The 1997 Mountaineers team was known for their defense and ten years later the team is quite different. The 2008 Mountaineers are a team known for its high powered offense.

To win Saturday running the ball seventeen more times than passing won’t be the way. 6’3 300 lb Marvin Austin and 6-4 330 lb Cam Thomas anchor the large and stout Tar Heel defense. While the Mountaineers only have the 109th best passing offense they probably will be forced to use it much more often Saturday. To counter this option the Tar Heels have playmaking safety Eric Goddard. Goddard has accounted for seven interceptions and five pass breakups this season. West Virginia most likely will give frequent looks to slotbacks Noel Devine and Jock Sanders down the field. The two despite their size have game breaking ability. Dorrell Jollah and Tyler Urban should also see their share of passes thrown their way Saturday. If West Virginia is to keep this game close and come out with the win, they’ll need OL Ryan Stancheck and Greg Isdander to use their speed to make up for their size in giving Pat White enough time to create plays. White undoubtedly will be forced to throw more than he has in the past and an off day could lead to a disastrous outcome for the Mountaineers.

While West Virginia is known for it’s offense North Carolina’s at times can be a mystery. This season the QB duties have been primarily split by Cameron Sexton and TJ Yates. Neither has been overly impressive with Sexton seeing more minutes than Yates. Yates will most likely be the starter Saturday, however if he plays the way he did in the loss to North Carolina State Saturday look for Sexton to come in. West Virginia is rumored to possibly be without members of their secondary Saturday and if that is the case that could open up the field for the Tar Heel WR’s. If North Carolina is to win their first bowl game in seven years they will need their defense to control the tempo and their offense, especially their QB (or QB’s) to not play like slouches in front of the home crowd Saturday.

The current NCAA Football Odds list WVU as a 1 and a half point favorite.

MOUNTAINEERS FINALLY GET BY SOUTH FLORIDA, WILL FACE NORTH CAROLINA IN MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL

2008-12-13T01:45:00.009-05:00

By Matt Whitfield

Pat White and the Mountaineers probably didn’t have as good a season as they’d wanted, opening up with a 1-2 record and ending with a non-BCS Bowl birth. While the season was not what many Mountaineers players and fans expected they now at least have a win over South Florida, a team that has had dominated the Mountaineers defensively and had their number the past two years.

White’s last game dubbed the ‘White Out’ was truly that with fans decked out in white and even small amounts of snow on the ground. Although, the game was not as climatical as the events surrounding it, the Mountaineers held off a late South Florida rally making White and his fellow Mountaineers victorious before 48,000 plus at a snowy Mountaineer Field.

The game itself was rather anticlimactical with only two TD’s being scored, and only three points being put up in the 2nd Half. Only fitting, Pat White would lead the way for the Mountaineers on the day passing for 141 yards and a TD, and rushing for 40 yards. On Defense, Ellis Lankster and Sidney Glover would both intercept passes from Matt Grothe en route to the win.

Pat White and the senior Mountaineer class plays one more time when they take on ACC foe North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, December 27, in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Tar Heels will be playing their first bowl game since 2004 when they lost to Boston College in the Continental Tire Bowl. This years Tar Heels squad is much better than the 2004 team; and even was ranked in the Top 25 for a part of this season with wins over Boston College, Miami, and Georgia Tech. Despite the ACC being a weak conference this year, with the victories they have North Carolina should not be taken lightly.

WEST VIRGINIA DOESN'T LIKE TASTE OF CURRY

2008-12-11T16:54:00.003-05:00

By Ray Floriani

NEW YORK CITY – A final look back at the Jimmy V Classic.

Score:

Davidson 68
West Virginia 65

West Virginia battled competitively on a night when they did not play their best game. In the end the major difference was Davidson’s Stephen Curry. The Davidson star, or should we superstar, is a rare talent. He had an off shooting night of 9 for 27 from the field. In the stretch with the game on the balance Curry stepped up. In front of over 14,000 with five minutes left the Davidson junior hit four major shots. And they weren’t exactly wide open looks. He simply put his signature on the contest and willed his team to victory when they needed it most. Curry finished with a game high 27 points and 10 assists.

Mountaineers defended Curry as well as possible. Coach Bob Huggins kept rotating fresh bodies on Curry. Virtually all of the West Virginia defenders were the taller, long type. Hoping to disrupt the Wildcat marksman. It worked.

“They (West Virginia) were taller and longer defensively than what I am used to,” Curry said. “Every time we screened they switched and another tall defender was there waiting.”

Simply, he was forced to earn every shot. In the end he did what great players do.

West Virginia was without the services of injured senior guard Alex Ruoff. His loss didn’t figure as huge defensively as offensively. All night the Mountaineers seemed to struggle in finding a rhythm. A key factor that allowed them to battle back from an eleven point early second half deficit was rebounding. West Virginia owned the glass with a 58-32 margin and had a 29-12 on the offensive boards. Many of those extra chances were converted. Da ‘Sean Butler led the Mountaineers with 24 points while adding 14 boards. Huggins also received good performances from a pair of freshmen. Devin Ebanks had a game high 17 rebounds (7 offensive) and 13 points while Darryl Bryant came off the bench and scored 13.

The Tempo Free breakdown

..............................Score..........Possessions............Efficiency
Davidson........................68...............69.....................99
West Virginia...................65...............68.....................96

• Chalk it up to Stephen Curry.

MOUNTAINEERS COMEBACK SQUASHED BY DAVIDSON

2008-12-10T13:10:00.006-05:00

By Matt Whitfield

Stephen Curry’s three point shot was cold all night - that is till his team really needed it the most. Curry was one of twelve from the three point line till he nailed a three pointer with 4:57 left in the game to tie it at 56. Curry would then add another ten points to help the Wildcats of Davidson narrowly escape with the win.

“It doesn’t happen a lot,” Curry said, when asked about his poor shooting night. “I got a little down on myself early in the second half because I had a fresh start and continued to go bad. “

Despite his 27 points Curry’s shot was off most of the night. But, the Mountaineers who were without guards Joe Mazzula, and Alex Ruoff, didn’t fare much better making only a third of their team’s total shots from the floor.

The Mountaineers showed flashes of promise falling behind more than 10 points early in the 2nd Half, only to trim the deficit, then take a narrow lead at the 6:49 mark.

Heralded Freshman Devin Ebanks played a fair game starting before his home crowd, scoring 13 points and leading the way for the Mountaineers with 17 Rebounds.
Darryl ‘Truck’ Bryant, another Freshman, also showed his potential coming of the bench and scoring 13 points in helping the Mountaineers trim the early 2nd Half deficit.

Da’Sean Butler, who was expected to take a more pivotal role on offense, did just that without Mazzulla and Ruoff. He would finish with 24 points and 14 rebounds.

In the end Curry regained his touch though, and the Mountaineers couldn’t make up for Davidon’s experience with their youth. “Take anybody's two starting guards out and play that team and see what happens to them," said Bob Huggins. "It's not fair but we gotta grow up faster."

WVU-DAVIDSON PREVIEW

2008-12-08T17:41:00.010-05:00

West Virginia (6-1) faces 21st ranked Davidson (6-1) Tuesday night in the Jimmy V classic. The matchup of two of last years more premier NCAA tournament teams pits Bob Huggins hard nosed players versus last years Cinderella turned Prom King; led by swift smooth shooting Stephen Curry.

This season West Virginia has come up to somewhat of a sluggish start averaging 73 points a game, in which they have played over half their seven games against small conference schools. Meanwhile Davidson has continued to play like their one of the nation’s elite holding a 6-1 record thus far, and defeating big-time ACC program NC State this past Saturday behind Curry’s 44 points.

If West Virginia is to defeat Davidson team tomorrow night they’ll need to play Huggins basketball. That is tough physical defense against Davidson and lean smooth shooting Stephen Curry. Curry who is leading Davidson averaging 31.3 points this season, averages more than twice that of any other player on his team. The key to beating Curry, rather should I say Davidson, is not stopping all of Curry's shots rather making him take bad ones. If the Mountaineers pressure Curry enough they have a good chance at winning. In the eight games Davidson lost this season and last Curry only shot over fifty percent once from the floor. Curry however has hands like daggers when he’s behind the 3 point line. Lebron James’s favorite college player led the league in three pointers made and three point percentage last year.

Tuesday nights game will pit two different styles of play for a good cause. Look for a game that is tough and physical yet close before a packed Madison Square Garden. Tipoff is at 7 P.M. in what will be the first game of the Jimmy V Classic double header.

WVU-USF PREVIEW: NOT FOR ALL THE MARBLES

2008-12-05T12:39:00.003-05:00

December 5, 2008

When the Big East schedule came out, December 6th at 8 PM was when the schedule makers were hoping the Big East title would be decided. Morgantown was set to be the scene of the big match-up when South Florida came to town. However, along the way, neither team was able to hold up their end of the bargain.

Both teams enter the season-ending contest with identical 7-4 overall records, so there are still some NCAA Bowl Game implications on the line. Especially for the Bulls, whose 2-4 conference record is a big disappointment for the team that started off 5-0 and was once ranked in the top 10 in the country. A loss, and a 7-5 record is definitely bowl-eligible, but at 2-5 in the Big East, they distance themselves even more from the other teams that are bowl eligible.

West Virginia will look to finish their Big East schedule at 5-2, good for at least some form of a share of second place in the conference. as one of th ebest traveling schools in college football, the Mountaineers will likely receive the plum bowl invitation outside of conference winner Cincinnati with a win.

The game is also the last home appearance for record-setting quarterback Pat White, the catalyst of the WVU success the last few seasons. Look for the Mountaineers to make every effort to send their quarterback out on top for his home finale.

NCAA Football Odds have WVU as a 7 and a half poitn favorite. Nightime in Morgantown is a tough atmosphere for an opponent, look for WVU and their crowd to be revved up and ready to roll in this one.

Prediction:
West Virginia 34
South Florida 21

WVU LOOKS FOR A WIN FOR WHITE (IN WHITE OUT)

2008-12-04T17:14:00.004-05:00

By Matt Whitfield

Pat White and the Mountaineers take to the field Saturday in what will be the last home game for him and the senior Mountaineer class. Looking back on his career White said, "It’s more sweet than bitter. I’ve enjoyed everything about West Virginia. It’s gone a lot faster than what I thought. The days haven’t been shorter but time has flown by." Pat White will be looking to go out a winner, but South Florida has had West Virginia's number the past two years, averaging 22.5 points and 420 yards of offense a game against the Mountaineers in the last two games.

The South Florida Bulls have let the Mountaineers wear white to accommodate their celebration of Pat White's career. In the past two meetings, South Florida hasn't just beaten the Mountaineers, but their defense has stifled them. The Bulls held the then high-scoring Mountaineers to just 13 and 19 points in their previous two meetings. They also forced the Mountaineers to an average of 4 turnovers in each of these two previous meetings. This being said, the vaunted Bulls' defense doesn't seem to be so vaunted anymore. Gone are shutdown CB's Mike Jenkins and Trae Williams; and so is their defense, which has allowed an average of 27.5 points in the past four games. If the Bulls are to win Saturday, they will needs their defense to control the tempo of the game, as they have done in the previous two meetings. Bulls NFL prospects George Selvie and Tyson McKenzie will need to lead the way on defense and hit hard early and often if the Bulls are to pull of the upset Saturday.

West Virginia will be playing with a lot of of pride in what will be the second-most anticipated game of the season. Seniors including Pat White, Pat McAfee, and Morty Ivy will be playing their last home game at Mountaineer Field. This isn't just another Big East opponent but one that has beaten them the previous two times. The Mountaineers have a tough opponent, as the Bulls lead the Big East in rush defense and rank second in total defense. However, factor in that most of South Florida's players are from Florida, and will be playing in possibly the coldest game in Bulls history, and the fact that the Mountaineer fans will be decked in white, and will be as rabid and as loud ever, and it's fair to say the Mountaineers have an advantage. For the Mountaineers to win though, they will need the three-headed monster of Pat White, Noel Devine, and Jock Sanders to play their role and watch for the frequent blitzes of South Florida. If the three can avoid getting caught behind the line of scrimmage too often, and the Mountaineer defense can play as it has the second half of this season, the Mountaineers have a very good shot of making Pat White happy and winning his final home game.

BASKETBALL PREVIEW

2008-12-03T00:46:00.006-05:00

By Matt Whitfield

When looking at this years West Virginia basketball team I think of my favorite NFL team the New York Jets. West Virginia like the Jets has a talented, but not the most talented group of players. In the offseason the Jets lost former 1st round draft pick John Vilma and starting QB Chad Pennington. However the loss of Pennington led to the signing of old, but new QB Brett Favre. Even before Favre’s signing the Jets picked up a slew of All Pro lineman to better their production to hopefully offset the loss of Vilma.

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West Virginia, like the Jets, lost it’s leader Joe Alexander to the NBA Draft, as well as strong-handed PG Darris Nichols. Just before the draft was held however they picked up another potential NBA Lottery pick in 6-8 Devin Ebanks. Ebanks would be added to a recruiting class that included four star recruit in Kevin Jones, and 2 three star recruits to form a solid freshman class. Once the season started the Jets started off playing mediocre football as Favre and the new players were gelling together, but once things started to mesh the Jets caught fire in the 2nd half winning five straight. West Virginia, which is a team with a mix of underclassmen and upperclassmen, should also have its growing pains as it looks to find its new leader and identity. However with the players on that team and a coach like Bob Huggins mediocrity will only last so long.

This season Bob Huggins said he feels his team is ahead of were they were last year. Problem is “when you’ve got four teams in the top 10 and you play two of those twice in our league it’s a much harder schedule then what it was a year ago,” said Huggins. This years schedule includes more teams that play a different variety of basketball and thus Huggins chimed, “We’re putting more things in. We’re going to have to have more things and we’re going to have to be prepared for more things. We’re going to see zone early. People are going to press us early. There will be a lot of things to put in.” This is perhaps why many people picked West Virginia to finish 8th in the Big East. However if history continues West Virginia will finish higher in the Big East, as each of its past four seasons they have finished at least two places higher than their preseason ranking.

Joe Alexander became the first Mountaineers in years to be drafted and his successor may be the next. Bob Huggins received West Virginia’s biggest basketball commit in years when they snagged 6-8 phenom foward Devin Ebanks. Ebanks a McDonalds All- American had committed to Indiana last spring; however, after the Kelvin Sampson scandal he was released from his commitment and then joined Huggin’s team. Like Alexander, Ebanks isn’t expected to be a star right away however, if the ball handling wing hits the gym hard and packs on the extra pounds we could see the next coming of Rudy Gay. Returning from last season joining Ebanks at forward on the court is Junior Da’Sean Butler. Butler was an integral part of last year's tournament team that knocked off Duke and Arizona. Butler at times was the catalylst of the West Virginia offense and showed a knack for rebounding. Look for Butler to seize control even further this year. Also seeing time as a starter and possibly as a 6th man is forward Wellington Smith. Smith’s hard offseason workouts have yielded him twenty more pounds of muscle, which is a good thing as he’ll be asked battle with the big boys of the Big East. Smith, who averaged 5.2 points a game last season will be asked to increase his offensive output while decreasing his foul trouble, which held him to an average of 20 minutes a game last year.

Alex Ruoff leads the way for the Mountaineers at guard. Ruoff who shot 41% behind from the 3 point line this season will most likely improve on his 13.8 points per game average. Ruoff who is the lone senior on this years team will be asked to show his fiery leadership again this year in hopes his team can make a tournament run for the third time in his career. Joe Mazzulla will also take the floor as a starter. Mazzulla, who many consider to be the perfect player for Bob Huggins should be the most improved Mountaineer. Mazzulla showed a lot of promise last year averaging a near triple double in the teams NCAA tournament win over Duke, and had a summer “as good as you can have,” according to Huggins. Muzzula who is tough on and off the court will be handed the task of taking Darris Nichols place as a starter.

On the bench the Mountaineers have a few players that should average a fair amount of playing time. Kevin Jones and Darryl ‘Tuck’ Bryant two recruits from New York should get their fair share of experience as freshman. Tuck, a guard, is the all-time leading scorer at St. Raymond’s in the Bronx and is expected to see playing time behind Mazzulla. While Jones, a forward, is thought by some to be a better option than Ebanks. The two competed over the summer in the Pittsburgh Basketball club Pro-Am summer league, in which Jones won the leagues Rookie of the Year award. Fan favorite Jonnie West, son of West Virginia alum Jerry West, will see all the fans support as the guard looks to try and continue his fathers legacy. Big men Cam Thoroughman and Dee Proby will also see some action, especially in games against bigger opponents.

West Virginia has shown thus far this year's team is not nearly the same as the one last year that went to the Sweet 16. Do they have the potential, yes, but potential might not cut it in a conference that is supposed to be the strongest possibly ever, lessening the college basketball odds of success for a team with several new parts. Right now eight teams from the Big East are in the Top 25, and many experts have projected over half the conference getting into this years tournament. This doesn’t spell good news, but the fact the Bob Huggins has always made a lot out of a little should give Mountaineer fans hope.

Conference Play Projection 9-9

Confrence Ranking Projection: 7th

Bracketology projection: First Round NCAA Tourney loss

MOUNTAINERS FAIL TO SLOW MCCOY IN LOSS

2008-11-30T01:54:00.007-05:00

By Matt whitfield

"We felt confident throughout, stopping the run, but LeSean McCoy is a very talented back. We stopped him a couple times but he just kept coming and managed to break a couple. Every time you have a missed assignment, he makes you pay," said LB Pat Lazear.

That’s what it came down to this past Friday in the 101st edition of the Backyard Brawl. LeSean McCoy the Sophmore star Pitt RB rushed for 183 yards and 2 TD’s in the come from behind win against the Mountaineers.

Despite, the massive amount of yards accumulated by Mccoy, the game lived up to it’s nickname. In a game full of interceptions and great defensive play there were three lead changes with WVU falling behind, then storming back, but then only to relinquish the lead late in the 4th quarter. Pat White and Pat McAfee lead the day for the Mountaineers being responsible for the teams 15 points, in the 19-15 loss. McAfee kicked 3 field goals and Pat White ran for a TD and amassed 236 total yards in the loss. White had a chance to give the Mountaineers the go ahead TD late in the 4th quarter with the ball at the Pitt 18, on a 4th and 1, however White’s incomplete pass ended the Mountaineers hopes for victory.

The Mountaineers host South Florida this Saturday in a game that is being dubbed the White Out. With the win Saturday the Mountaineers will likely be slotted a trip to the Meineke Car Bowl in Charlotte. South Florida has had West Virginia’s number in the past two games however. It should be interesting to see how the Mountaineers respond after the loss in what will be Pat White’s final home game as a Mountaineer.

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGIAN

2008-11-27T20:50:00.004-05:00

By Matt Whitfield

Ask anyone what they think of when they think of late November, most will tell you Thanksgiving. Ask any current or former WVU or PITT student and there first response might not be Thanksgiving, but the Backyard Brawl. This Friday the Mountaineers take on the Panthers in what will be the 101st meeting of the Backyard Brawl. The brawl is the 14th oldest series in college football, in which the Panthers hold the all time series lead 60-37-3. This years game is extra significant for the Mountaineers as there looking to avenge a 13-9 defeat in last years game; a defeat which kept them out of the national title game.

Between last year and now, coming into the brawl, there has been a vast change of outlook. Last year Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt was thought to be fighting for his job as many people had written off the Panthers and already penciled the Mountaineers in the National Championship game. West Virginia unexpectedly lost last years game, and then later much of their coaching staff as Rich Rodriguez and co departed to Ann Arbor. This year many Mountaineer fans will tell you there teams having a let down year, after holding a 7-3 record, and a 3-1 conference record. West Virginia was picked to finish 1st in the Big East, and was picked by many to be in what would be there 4th consecutive BCS Bowl game. That seems unlikely now. Pitt however is right on par with the preseason Polls and is seeing a resurgence in their football program thanks to standout RB Lesean Mccoy.

West Virginia and Pitt run vastly different offenses. The Mountaineers rely heavily on athletes to make plays on the field and in the air while the Panthers rely primarily on their NFL Lottery bound RB Lesean Mccoy. This year Mccoy has almost as many TD’s (18) as the rest of the team. If Pittsburgh is to win tomorrow they’ll need a big game from Mccoy. In fewer than two seasons Mccoy already has twelve 100 yard rushing games, and a 148 yard game in last years Backyard Brawl. West Virginia however ranks 18th in turnover margin, and has vastly improved on the defensive front from the beginning of this season to now. West Virginia is also just allowing 320.4 yards a game, and many Mountaineers vividly remember what Mccoy did last year so expect to see a bullseye on him.

West Virginia is led by a three headed monster of Pat White, Noel Devine, and Jock Sanders. Any of three is capable of scoring in an instant with sub 4.4 speed. However, last year the Panthers held the three to no TD’s and 106 yards of offense combined. If West Virginia is to win they better hope last year was an aberration. This year the three have accounted for 36 TD’s and 3,796 yards of offense. If the Mountainers are to win Friday the trio also need to stay relatively free of the clutches of senior LB Scott Mckillop. The semifinalist of the Bednarik/Lott award leads the nation in solo stops (7.2), is 10th in total tackles (10.6), and is 16th in TFLs (1.45). In last years brawl Mckillop also lead the Panthers with 9 TFL.

Kickoff Friday is slated for Noon at Heinz Field. The Mountaineers have won four out of the last six Backyard Brawls, however there were coached by Rich Rodriguez in each of the six previous games. If current West Virginia coach Bill Stewart loses this game look for the rabid Mountaineer fans to again call for his firing.

THE GREAT WHITE

2008-11-25T11:00:00.005-05:00

By Matt Whitfield

“Dude is unbelievable. I mean, he can do it all. He's fast, he's stronger than he looks and he can throw it. Yeah, I love watching him -- as long as he's not doing it to us.” “He's probably the fastest guy on the field at any time. And he's the quarterback." "We'll need the whole FBI for Pat White."

With quotes like this coming from opposing coaches and players it seems Pat White’s talent isn’t just respected and admired by the Mountaineers and their fans but by perhaps anyone who ever stepped foot on the football field.

Football is a brutal game where respect is earned and talent is lauded. As a freshman Pat White burst onto the scene leading West Virginia to a come from behind win versus Louisville. This past Saturday White played Louisville for the last time and this time the victorious Mountaineers didn’t need a 4th Quarter comeback. In the win White did however shatter two milestones and spark a college football debate about who’s the best QB in the Big East EVER.

This past Saturday Pat White didn’t just run for 200 yards and three TD’s and pass for 122 yards and 2 TD's. He did something more. White broke former Iowa Hawkeye Brad Smith’s NCAA all-time QB rushing record of 4,289 yards. White eclipsed the mark in the 4th quarter and now has 4,292 career yards.

White also took another record away from a famous Syracuse alum. Donovan McNabb held the record for TD’s in the Big East with 96. With five TD’s Saturday White didn’t just tie the record he made it his own now holding the record with 98 TD’s.

White has three more games to pay including a likely bowl game. Breaking more records is always a possibility for White. But according to Coach Bill Stewart this much is certain, “If we don’t admire what number five has done I just don’t know how people can go through life. It’s a tremendous honor for him, for his offensive line and for his coaching staff."

White and the Mountaineers seem to be returning to the team of old. They return to the field this Friday to take on Pittsburgh in the 101st edition of the Backyard Brawl. Look for tensions to be high and play to be fierce as West Virginia looks to avenge it's crushing defeat to the Panthers last year.

IT'S MAKE OR BREAK TIME

2008-11-21T12:30:00.005-05:00

By Matt Whitfied

“We’re far from being out of it. As long as we only worry about ourselves and take care of us, then we’ll be perfectly fine,” said Dorrell Jalloh.

If Jalloh and the rest of the Mountaineers think and play that way they could be headed back to another BCS Bowl game once the NCAA Bowl Games roll around this holiday season. However, despite what the Mountaineers say, the stakes are high this weekend as the Mountaineers visit Louisville to partake in what some might call a make or break game.

West Virginia has won five of its last six, meanwhile Louisville has lost three straight. West Virginia (6-3) is trying to define its season, while Louisville (5-5) is just trying to finish with a winning record. West Virginia is bowl eligible and could see a repeat of last season, while many Louisville players will likely be sitting at home, possibly hung-over during the holidays.

Despite their records, recent history tells us to expect a close game Saturday as the margin of victory has been no more than 10 points by either side since the two teams began squaring off yearly in 2005. Current NCAA Football Odds list WVU as a 7.5-point favorite in this one.

The Cardinals are led by Senior QB Hunter Cantwell who is considered an NFL prospect. Cantwell leads the team in TD’s with 14, however he has also thrown for 12 INT’s. Cantwell has a fairly balanced rushing and receiving corps with Victor Anderson and Brock Bolen leading the way through the defenders, and Doug Beaumeunt and Josh Chichester leading the way in the air. The four have combined for 2,197 yards and half the team’s touchdowns; other than those by Cantwell. If Louisville is to win Saturday they’ll need Cantwell to not be INT prone and West Virginia’s 15th ranked pass efficiency defense and 20th ranked total defense to play down.

West Virginia is led by it’s Senior QB Pat White. He leads the league with a 140.7 passer rating, and has thrown for a conference high 15 TD’s. When rushing White ranks sixth in the Big East in averaging 73.2 yards per game. When White doesn’t run the ball, he most often gets it to one of two Sophomore sloatbacks Noel Devine or Jock Sanders. The two have accounted for 1,591 yards of total yards and 11 TD’s this season. If Louisville is to win, they’ll need their 39th ranked total defense to be clicking on all cylinders Saturday. West Virginia is vulnerable to good defense, however, it also has shown that with the weapons they have they can erupt instantaneously.

The last time West Virginia was in Louisville they lost a gut wrenching shotout to the Cardinals. Steve Slaton and Brian Brohm are gone but pride is on the line for both teams. West Virginia wants to show people they can be as good as the preseason polls said while Louisville just wants to finish with a winning record. Expect a high scoring game as the last three times the two have played they have combined to average 68 points a game.

DOWN, BUT BCS HOPES AREN’T COMPLETLY OUT

2008-11-15T00:40:00.004-05:00

By Matt Whitfield

Cincinnati is vying for its first Big East Championship and BCS bowl birth. This is not a misstatement. At the beginning of the season Cincinnati was thought just to be another mediocre team picked 5th in Big East preseason polls. After a victory tonight over Louisville, the Bearcats are two wins away from winning the Championship and proving the doubters wrong. Mountaineer fans all is not lost however you still have some hope.

Last Saturday the Mountaineers valiant come back try fell short. The Mountaineers scored 13 points, including a 52 yard field goal with less than two minutes left in regulation to force OT. In OT the Mountaineers would get the ball first and settle for a 27 yard field goal from Pat Mcafee. The Bearcats would then get the ball and Tony Pike would hit Kazeem Alli for a two yard TD pass and the game winning touchdown.

The loss puts the Mountaineers in 2nd place in the Big East Standings, tied with Pittsburgh for 3-1 in conference play. Cincinnati who is now 4-1 controls their own destiny. If Cincinnati defeats Pittsburgh next week the Mountaineers would have to win out, and have Cincinnati lose to Syracuse to become the Big East Champion. A Cincinnati loss and a Mountaineer victory over Louisville would mean the Mountaineers control their destiny and thus set the stage for another pivotal Back Yard Brawl.

BOB HUGGINS ADDING PEPPER TO THE MIX

2008-11-14T09:06:00.002-05:00

by Matt Whitfield

'You’ve got to be crazy this kids not in high school!'

That’s what you think when you first take a look at Dalton Pepper. For only a high school senior Pepper is a physical specimen. Pepper is only 18 years old but already is 6-5 and a chiseled 215 pounds.

Pepper is a Rivals three star Small Forward out of Pennsbury, Pa. He gave a solid verbal to West Virginia this past July and just recently signed his letter of intent this week. When asked why he choose the Mountaineers over four other programs Pepper said “I enjoyed the visit when I went down there; I liked the players [and] the coaching staff and it wasn’t too far from home.”

Next fall Pepper will get to know and work with one of the greats of college basketball as he will be coached by Bob Huggins who is known for being tough and physical-just like Pepper.

Bob Huggins isn’t your traditional coach, from throwing chairs to wearing gold suits, Huggins is one of the characters of college basketball. With Huggins you mess up in practice and you pay. In the gymnasium where the Mountaineers practice is a treadmill stationed so that if you mess up you have to sprint for at least 45 seconds at 15 mph! Huggins isn’t a coach for the faint of heart but he is the ideal coach for Pepper. “I liked how he makes all of his players better, makes them work hard, and has good teams all around,” said Pepper.

Pepper has the chance to play for a very good West Virginia team in a year that has college basketball odds in their favor to make some noise in the Big East and nationally. Da’Sean Butler, Joe Mazzulla, and Wellington Smith players that played an integral role in taking West Virginia to the Sweet 16 last year will be in their final year in 2010. In addition Devin Ebanks, should he not declare for the NBA Draft, will be in his sophomore season. This is something Pepper has thought about however he knows there is a good chance Ebanks could declare after this season.

Coming from the suburbs of Philadelphia there will be an adjustment, but Pepper feels that Morgantown, although small, is full of nice people. If Pepper is as talented and tough as he is now in a year, folks in Morgantown will love him like he is one of their own, just like Huggins.

THE MIRAMAR AIR EXPRESS IS HEADED TO MORGANTOWN

2008-11-12T22:20:00.009-05:00

By Matt Whitfield

A month after losing highly touted four star QB recruit Taj Boyd, West Virginia has come up with another highly touted four star QB. Eugene Smith, rated the 5th best Quarterback in the class of 2009 by Rivals, has committed to West Virginia. Smith, of Miramar, Florida spent this past weekend in West Virginia and attended the Cincinnati game. Smith told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that, "Being up there and watching those guys play, I really felt in my heart this was the place I needed to be. The coaches are very classy guys and I could see they were passionate about the program."

Attending the game with Smith was his teammate and three star WR recruit Stedmann Bailey. Bailey, the other half of the Miramar Air Express was also impressed with the Mountaineers coaching staff and offered a verbal commitment to the Mountaineers Monday.

West Virginia now has 2 four star recruits, and 13 three star recruits. The pickup of Smith would fill a huge void at the QB position. The Mountaineers will see Pat White graduate this season, see White’s more than capable backup Jarret Brown graduate next, and will be left with a QB battle in 2010. Freshman Bradley Starks a four star recruit is currently listed third on the depth chart according to Rivals. White’s brother and freshman three star recruit Coley will also be vying for playing time. One of these three will be the starter in 2010. Just which one is anyone’s guess. The only thing that is certain is that in college football, job competition is a good thing.

BIG EAST TOP TWO-GUARDS 2008-2009: 9) ALEX RUOFF

2008-11-11T16:22:00.004-05:00

November 11, 2008

Maybe the best pure shooter of all the two-guards we have profiled resides in West Virginia as senior Alex Ruoff is on target to become the Mountaineer's all-time leader in made three-point baskets this season. The 6-foot-6 senior out of Spring Hill (FL) has a shot as pure as anyone's in the college game.

As a junior, Ruoff averaged nearly 14 points a game in his first season playing for Bob Huggins. Ruoff connected 98 times from beyond the arc in 239 attempts, good for 41% accuracy. These numbers were up pretty significantly from the previous season under John Beilein where Ruoff averaged 10 points a game and was 69-205(34%) from the arc.

With Joe Alexander leaving WVU for the NBA, Ruoff will be asked to do a little more scoring in a variety of ways. He will try to use his size against smaller defenders and take them into the paint to become more than just the designated spot-up shooter that his reputation has become.

With a new point guard (Joe Mazzulla) taking over, Ruoff is now the leader of the backcourt and some of his duties may also increase in the area of ballhandling as well. Ruoff is more than capable contributing in these areas, it is just going to be a little new for him.

The three-point shot will remain his biggest strength and having a player that can connect from long distance at the rate that Ruoff can will definitely help the college basketball odds of the Mountaineers staying in the mix for the NCAA Tournament this season.

BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: GAME #9 WEST VIRGINIA

2008-11-07T10:07:00.003-05:00

November 7, 2008

Don't look now, but West Virginia has taken their normal position atop the Big East standings with a 3-0 conference record as we head down the home stretch. After a rough start to the Bill Stewart era, the Mountaineers have won five in a row, but what is more important, they have begin to rev up their offense of late, scoring a 34-17 win over Auburn back on October 23rd and following that up with a 35-13 win at UConn last week.

The key? Pat White returning to health and being in sync with coach Stewart's offense. White threw for 175 yards and three touchdowns against Auburn and he ran for 109 and scored twice on the ground against UConn. With White back as a dual threat, it opens the lanes for Noel Devine, and he shredded Auburn for over 200 yards in that win that seemed to re-energize WVU.

Quitely, Cincinnati remains in the Big East title race and their 24-10 win over South Florida last week re-inforced that notion. With four quarterbacks shuffling in and out of the line-up because of injuries, it looks like Tony Pike has grabbed ahold of the position and his effecient outing against USF (20-28-282-2-1) is a great building block. Facing the Mountaineers in Morgantown on a Saturday night will be a whole new set of challenges, though, for the senior QB that was not even listed in the three-deep depth chart not long ago.

The latest Latest NCAA College Football Odds list the Mountaineers as 7-point favorites. With a team that seems to be coming together, especially offensively, at home in a tough place to play, I think they take care of that number and make another statement that the Big East title needs to be taken from WVU first.

Prediction:

West Virginia 33
Cincinnati 19

2ND HALF DEFENSE PROPELS MOUNTAINEERS TO 5TH STRAIGHT WIN

2008-11-03T10:08:00.006-05:00

By Matt Whitfield

Coming into this season West Virginia had traditionally been known for one thing - it’s offense. That may be starting to shift though as in the past two games West Virginia has held it’s past opponents scoreless in the 2nd half; yes a then #25 ranked Connecticut team with the nations 2nd leading rusher and a well respected Auburn team scoreless without any points in the 2nd half.

Heralded RB Donald Brown looked like he was going to have another stellar day going into halftime with 77 yards. In the 2nd half he only rushed for 5 yards.

West Virginia allowed the Huskies to obtain a 10-0 lead early on, then its defense kicked in forcing five turnovers and leading to four scores en route to a 35-13 victory in East Hartford.

Pat White accounted for 230 yards off offense and ran for 2 TD’s. Jock Sanders also accounted for 3 TD’s and 66 yards of offense in this come from behind win.

West Virginia looks to continue in five game unbeaten streak when they return home to take on Cincinnati this Saturday at 8 P.M. Cincinnati is coming off an upset victory over then #23 ranked South Florida and looking for revenge after losing a close 28-23 game to Mountaineers last year.

WILL THIS DONALD BE TRUMP OR TRUMPED?

2008-10-31T21:18:00.000-04:00

by Matt Whitfield

“He is just tough and relentless.” Those were the words out of West Virginia DB Sidney Glover’s mouth as he described Donald Brown. Brown is the nation’s 2nd leading rusher with 1,324 yards; he also has averaged 165.5 yards a carry this season. The Huskies will be hungry tomorrow and if Connecticut should win Brown will be one of the reasons why.

West Virginia defeated Connecticut 66-21 last year. This past week Connecticut head Coach Randy Edsall has been reminding his players greatly of last years game. The dynamics of this year’s game are totally different however. West Virginia is without Rich Rodriguez and much of it’s coaching staff they had at this time last season. They also lost 22 lettermen from last years team. If that’s not enough Connecticut is ranked 25 in the BCS rankings while West Virginia is not, and this year’s game is being played in Storrs, Connecticut.

If West Virginia should win tomorrow they will need to stop Donald Brown. Brown is known for having great field vision and having a superb stiff arm. Brown, who has only played in 8 games this season already holds the Connecticut single season rushing mark.

West Virginia’s defense however ranks 11th nationally in points allowed per game and is just coming off a win where they held Auburn scoreless in the 2nd half. Look for the Mountaineers to swarm Brown when he has the ball tomorrow.

If Connecticut should win tomorrow they must be able to effectively use Donald Brown as a RB and a decoy. Connecticut will also rely on QB Cody Endres or Zach Frazier to get the ball downfield, without throwing an interception, to one of its seven Wide Receiver’s, with more than receiving 100 yards this year. Connecticut QB’s however have accounted for 9 interceptions this season while West Virginia QB’s have only thrown for 4.

Kickoff at Rentschler Field is slated for tomorrow at noon. West Virginia is 4-0 all time against the Huskies, and a win tomorrow would put them in sole position of first place in the Big East. Connecticut was ranked as high as 13th last year, before several losses including a crushing 66-21 loss to West Virginia that keep them from playing in a post New Years Bowl game. Expect tomorrow’s game to be intense and to be won in the trenches.

'NOW THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!'

2008-10-28T10:28:00.002-04:00

by Matt Whitfield

“We all had to click and gel together,” said wide receiver Dorrell Jalloh. West Virginia certainly did as they came back from a 17-3 deficit to score 31 unanswered points to upend Auburn 34-17, before 60,765 thousand at a sold out Milan Puskar Stadium.

Noel Devine had arguably his best night ever as a Mountaineer rushing for 207 yards and one TD in the come from behind win. Pat White playing against a tough Auburn defense threw for 174 yards and 3 Touchdowns. Wide receiver Alric Arnett also had one TD, and Dorrell Jalloh added a pair to help secure the win.

In the loss Auburn QB Kodi Burns threw for 111 yards and 1 td and accounted for 82 rushing yards. Brad Lester also added a touchdown off a 16 yard pass from Burns. Walter McFadden and Joshua Bynes each had one interception.

Tommy Tuberville was very complementary of the Mountaineers after the game. “We played with a lot of emotion in the first half, we just didn’t have an answer in the second half,” said Tuberville. “They are the best team we’ve played.” WVU head coach Bill Stewart was equally impressed with his team saying “our execution in the second half was almost flawless.”

The Mountaineers return to Big East action this Saturday when they go on the road to face a Connecticut team looking to avenge its 66-21 lopsided loss a year ago. The Mountaineers defense has a task at hand in slowing Donald Brown, the nations 2nd leading rusher. Gametime is set for noon at Rentschler Field.

WVU vs. AUBURN: NOT JUST ANOTHER THURSDAY IN MORGANTOWN

2008-10-22T12:32:00.004-04:00

Pat White takes on home state team on national TV

By Matt Whitfield

Pat White is Alabama’s two-time reining amateur athlete of the year; yet he plays football at West Virginia University. In Alabama, football is a way of life, most of the time you grow up rooting for Alabama or Auburn, and if ever you get the chance to play for either school you generally go there. Pat White is a rare exception to the rule, and this Thursday the home state school that offered him a scholarship will have the chance to beat him in what will be his final Thursday night game in Morgantown.

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If Pat White is excited, he doesn’t always let you know it. When asked about the Auburn game this Thursday, White responded by saying, “I am excited that I have another great opportunity to step on the football field and play football.” But to say this is just another game to White is an understatement. The game, which was originally scheduled to be played in Auburn, would have been a homecoming game for the Daphne native. Disappointed, White saw this year’s game get switched to Morgantown but added, “I have a lot of family coming to the game, so they’ll see it.” Pat White may act as if he’s just playing in another game but in reality there’s a lot more riding on the line.

With the win Thursday the Mountaineers would be thrust back in the national spotlight with a 5-2 record and more importantly morale would be high going into big games against South Florida and Pittsburgh. A victory for White would be another way of proving a point to the various in-state and SEC programs that only thought of him as a wide receiver.

If West Virginia is to defeat Auburn they will need Pat White, who was knocked out of the Rutgers game and missed the Syracuse game, to be on his A game. West Virginia fans should expect White to pass a lot more often against a stout Auburn defense that’s has been allowing only 13 points a game and has just given up three rushing touchdowns this season . Jock Sanders, and Alric Arnett, the team’s two leading wide receivers should see plenty of balls thrown their way.

If Auburn is to win they’ll need seldom used QB Kodi Burns to play like he’s started all season long. Burns has a balanced wide receiving group with 5 wide receivers, each with over 100 yards on the season, as well as a solid RB in Ben Tate. Burns, however has never thrown for more than a 119 yards in a game and has only thrown for 2 TD’s in his career at Auburn. Expect West Virginia to really limit Auburn in their offensive game plan as their rush defense is 42nd best in the nation and their pass efficiency defense ranks 27th .

It’s not too hard to tell that this Thursday nights West Virginia Auburn game will be a battle of the defenses. On paper Auburn looks like they have a slight advantage; but factor in the frigid temperatures, the rabid Mountaineer fans, and the fact that Pat White is playing in front of his home state team and friends and family and you’ve got what you call a ball game, and the college football odds seem to agree, as the Mountaineers are current a 3 1/2 point favorite on their home field.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: WEST VIRGINIA

2008-10-14T13:44:00.003-04:00

October 14, 2008

Commitment Alert: Deniz Kilicli, 6'9 PF from Mountain State (WV) Academy

Projected 2009-2010 Roster

Seniors: Joe Mazzula (PG), Wellington Smith (F), Desean Butler (WF), Dee Proby (BF/C)
Juniors: John Flowers (F), Will Thomas (G), Cam Thoroughman (F), Jonnie West (G)
Sophomores: Darryl Bryant (PG), Kevin Jones (F), Devin Ebanks (F)
2010 Commitment: Roscoe Davis (F), Dalton Pepper (G/F), Dan Jennings (BF/C), Deniz Kilicli (PF)
2010 Commits: Noah Cottrill (G), Storm Stanley (C)

West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins used an 'Early Midnight Madness' this past weekend to get big man recruit Deniz Kilicli on campus and the efforts paid off as Kilicli Commits to WVU (ZagsBlog.net) shortly following his visit.

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Deniz Kilicli has been a hot prospect over the last month as word has spread quickly on the Turkish import than only recently landed in the United States. Kilicli is a skilled, 6-foot-9 power forward than is attending Mountain State Academy in Beckley (WV). He will play for coach Rob Fulford with the Falcons this season. After an impressive showing late this summer at the Adidas Nations Event, schools lined up to see him workout at Mountain State this fall once word spread he had landed in West Virginia.

Kilicli joins previous 2009 verbal commitments Dan Jennings, of New York City, and Dalton Pepper, of Pennsbury (PA) as well as class of 2008 non-qualifying forward Roscoe Davis, who is doing a second prep season, this time at Charis Prep, in the class for WVU.

Pepper has been a top target of Huggins and assistant coach Billy Hahn, who was previously the head coach of LaSalle, so his familiarity of the area was key in landing Pepper.

Pepper recently shined at the Hoop Group's Elite Camp at the College of New Jersey and showed he can fill it up from the perimeter often in high school. Villanova was also considered a strong contender for Pepper's services.

Jennings is a strong and aggressive inside performer who will through his body and weight around in the paint. Making an adjustment to playing a little bit away from the basket will help him at the college level as his 6-foot-8 frame and average athleticism might make things a little tougher. However, Jennings will certainly add toughness to the middle and is not one to fool around trying to do things he can not do.

Jennings was on the recruiting radar of several Big East teams, including Pittsburgh, Rutgers and St. John's, who sees another local get away from them.

Davis is a versatile 6-foot-10 frontcourt player that can run the floor and make athletic plays at both ends of the court. He has a very good skill set for a big man, meaning he can handle and pass on the perimeter, although at 6'10, playing inside is not his strength as he needs to get stronger to battle in the paint within the Big East.

The one thing that stands out when looking over the Mountaineer roster, on paper, for 2009-2010 is the number of players: 15. So, something on the rister has to give as the NCAA scholarship limit is only 13. Obviously, entering the second season under Bob Huggins, there is still a transition of personell recruited for the system of former coach John Beilein, which is like night and day from the style of play that coach Huggins prefers. It will be interesting to see who fits and who does not over the course of the 2008-2009 season to make room for the players Huggins has personally recruited since accepting the job at his alma mater.

The early recruiting prowess of WVU coach Bob Huggins is evident in the fact that 6'1 junior Noah Cottrill from Poca High School (WV) has made an early pledge to WVU. Cottrill is one of the top rated prospects in the class of 2010 and is now joined by his Ohio Basketball Club teamate Storm Stanley.

Stanley is a 6'10 center who is from Toledo (OH) and attends St. Francis DeSales High school where he played for coach Nick Lowe. For more on Stanley, see our recent story for an Introduction to Storm Stanley where coach Lowe gives our readers the lowdown on the Mountaineer's newest verbal commitment.

The Mountaineers added a late addition to the class of 2008 as JUCO transfer Dee Proby, who was let out of his commitment with Oklahoma State when Travis Ford was hired, joined the WVU program. The 6-foot-10, 240 lb Proby signed a grant-in-aid and it is official and he will add some size to the WVU line-up for 2008-2009.

Proby averaged nearly 14 points and six rebounds a game as a sophomore at Angelina college. He will have two years of eligibility left at WVU. The skilled big man, who would rather face up from the perimeter than post up in the paint, is a native of Round Rock, TX and will now call Morgantown home to finish his college career.

Bob Huggins aggressively pursued options to close out the 2008 recruiting class and with Bob Huggins, adding talent is not a problem. Expect WVU to be one to watch as a favorite in the college basketball odds to compete for titles under Huggins and that recruiting prowess was on display as Huggins and staff got their man last spring as Devin Ebanks is accepted a scholarship offer. Ebanks, the nation's top uncommitted player remaining in the class of 2008, visited West Virginia and the Mountaineers definitely helped themselves. The 6'8, 185 lb Ebanks has the versatility and talent to step into Joe Alexander's vacated role and be productive. Ebanks visited Rutgers, Memphis and Texas after re-opening the process and found the Mountaineers to be the right fit for his talents.

Ebanks is a native of NYC and played the last couple seasons at St. Thomas More in Connecticut under Jere Quinn. This past seasn, Ebanks averaged 23 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists and eclipsed the 1,000 point mark in just two seasons.

Ebanks is long and lean and a versatile scorer who could fill a role similar to that of Joe Alexander if the talented WVU junior keeps his name in the NBA draft. The chance to make an immediate inpact at the college level played a big role in Ebanks decision to choose WVU over Memphis and Rutgers, his other finalists.

Ebanks joins a class with Kevin Jones, a 6'7 combo forward, as well as NYC PG Darryl 'Truck' Bryant as part of one of the conference's top classes. Roscoe Davis was originally part of the class, but it is looking like the 6'10 forward will take an additional prep year to square up his academic standing, as of know, we will list him as a tentative 2009 commitment, but there is still hope that he arrives for the fall.

2008-2009 BIG EAST PREVIEW: 9) WEST VIRGINIA

2008-10-11T13:59:00.004-04:00

October 12, 2008

The toughest position to place a team in the Big East preview is ninth place. Every team from here on out is a legit top 25 caliber team with realistic NCAA aspirations. An argument can be certainly made for any team placed here to be several spots higher, but when it came down do it, with every team here on out returning top players, bringing in high quality recruits, the difference for me comes down to new starters at point guard and a loss of their go-to top scorer from the previous year.

West Virginia is just one of two teams in the top nine that graduated their starting point guard from last season as three-year starter Darris Nichols has moved through the program. Also, Joe Alexander developed into their go-to offensive threat under Bob Huggins and he has moved on to the NBA after his break-out season. Now, coach Huggins, in his second season at his alma mater, must break in a new point guard and find a new source of consistent offense, there are quality options at his disposal to get the job done, we will watch closely this season to see how those options develop to new roles.

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Comings:

Bob Huggins certainly made his presence felt on the recruiting trail by out-recruiting other Big East schools to secure early signings from Daryl ‘Truck’ Bryant and Kevin Jones from traditional Big East recruiting grounds. He waited until the spring to land his biggest coup when former Indiana commitment Devin Ebanks chose to commit to the Mountaineers after being allowed out of his signed letter of intent when Kelvin Sampson and IU parted ways. Ebanks is a versatile scoring threat with immense potential that can combine size and athletic ability to make an early impact and increase WVU's College Basketball Odds of making the Big Dance in March. Also, JUCO Dee Proby adds much needed size to the roster and offers a skilled big man to the mix.

Goings:

As noted earlier, Joe Alexander parlayed a breakout junior season into a winning lottery ticket as he jumped into the NBA Draft. Alexander led WVU in scoring and rebounding and was second in blocked shots last season. Steady Darris Nichols, a three year starter at point guard, also graduates as does Jamie Smalligan, who played a key role in their 8-man rotation. Athletic big man Jacob Green left the program in December of last season.

Net Impact:

A trio of Ebanks, Jones and Bryant are a much more impressive recruiting class than the fanfare that Alexander, Nichols and Smalligan brought John Beilein when he brought those players to West Virginia. In the long-term, they should have a bigger impact on the program as well, but for next season, replacing the winning mentality and experience of those veterans, especially with Alexander and Nichols will be tough. Over the last 11 games of last season Alexander averaged 23 points and nearly 8 rebounds a game. He produced four double-doubles. Nichols had a 3:1 assist to turnover ratio, which coaches crave from their primary ball handler. No matter how you slice it, it is going to be a little bit of an adjustment for WVU to replace Alexander and Nichols.

2008-2009 Backcourt Outlook:

The man in the spotlight in the Mountaineer backcourt becomes junior Joe Mazzulla. The 6-foot-2 native of Rhode Island has been a favorite of Bob Huggins since the day he came home to WVU to be the coach of his alma mater. Mazzulla displays the toughness that coach Huggins loves in his players. Last season, Mazzulla averaged about six points, three rebounds and just over two assists a game. Modest numbers for sure (and his assist to turnover ratio was just 1.3:1) and Mazzulla is not regarded as a true point guard, maybe more of a super sub at the guard slot. However, Mazzulla showed his importance to his team with a 13-point, 11-rebound and 8-assist performance against Duke in a 2nd round NCAA Tournament upset of the Blue Devils. Was this just the perfect storm for Mazzulla or a sign of things to come. Not quite sure, afterall, in the previous seven games leading up to that career performance, Mazzulla had a total of 15 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists! Mazzulla also went over a month on two occasions last season without hitting a three-pointer. So, the jury is still out as to what kind of full-time point guard the Mountaineers have.

WVU’s likely point guard of the future looks to be the freshman, Daryl ‘Truck’ Bryant who comes out of St. Raymond’s in the Bronx (NY). Bryant is another tough guard, hence his nickname, and is similar to Mazzulla in that he is not a full-time point guard as of yet. He is getting better at running the show and will have some time to learn the ropes.

Senior Alex Ruoff returns for his final season. The three-point marksman averaged nearly 14 points a game last season and hit 41% from the arc on 239 attempts (98-239). Ruoff has shown the ability to get his shot off nearly on anyone at anytime in the Big East and has the confidence to hit shots when needed.

The Mountaineer guard corps is not the deepest in the league. Seldom-used Jonnie West, son of WVU legend Jerry West, and sophomore Will Thomas complete their guard line-up. West, as expected, is a tremendous shooter, but needs to show other skills. Thomas was a late addition to WVU in the spring of 2007 for last year’s roster and only saw 35 minutes of action in the season, he has physical tools that could be very useful in Huggins’ system with experience.

2008-2009 Frontcourt Outlook:

The deepest part of the Mountaineer line-up is at the forward position. The Mountaineers are stacked deep with versatile forwards who can play on the perimeter as small forwards and match-up against most hybrid ‘fours’ of the Big East. However, they are not very tall or strong to battle inside against the beef that other teams roll out regularly in the Big East, and that is an area of concern for coach Huggins.

While many outsiders believe Devin Ebanks will be the key player in replacing Joe Alexander’s production, it might actually be junior Da’Sean Butler who replaces the more important role that Alexander provided. The 6-foot-7 small forward from Newark (NJ) did average 13 points and 6 rebounds a game last year. How consistent was Butler, he averaged 13 a game without scoring more than 19 in any one single game. Butler is not one to force any of his offense, but WVU may look to encourage him to be a little more aggressive for his own offense later in games as he could emerge as their go-to-performer in the clutch.

Ebanks will most likely step into Alexander’s position and the thin 6-foot-8 forward has the ability to play inside and out, handle the ball and score in a variety of ways creating offense for himself. Alexander really took off last season after learning the physical way to play in the big East to get himself in position to score. With Ebanks, there will be a learning curve at how physical the Big East is and gaining position to score your points takes hard work and a willingness to be physical. It will be quite an adjustment for Ebanks. His points and rebounds will come naturally, but his efficiency will be something to look for as he tries to step into Alexander’s shoes.

Fellow freshman Kevin Jones of Mount Vernon (NY) is also in the mix at the forward positions. Jones is a very solid all-around talent that will always put in an honest effort on the court and in practice. Jones is not an elite athlete, but has very good skills for a forward and a high basketball IQ that will make him a solid contributor early and a top player before he is done at WVU.

Also returning this season are a pair of long and athletic forwards in Wellington Smith and John Flowers. Smith, a 6-foot-7 forward out of New Jersey, played about 20 minutes a game last year and led WVU in blocks. The physical tools of Smith has you believing he could really take off under Huggins, but he just has not put it together yet. Flowers, another 6-foot-7 forward with solid athleticism and a willingness to play inside and out, was productive in his minutes last season and is another with a ceiling that if he begins to approach, will be a nice surprise for WVU fans this season.

Another 6-foot-7 forward on the roster is Cam Thoroughman. Known as a power forward with a nice shooting touch coming into WVU, injuries and need of a bruiser has seen Thoroughman play a different role under Huggins. He is more likely to go into the game and bounce a few people around for a few minutes than spot up for a few jumpers on the baseline. Rounding out the frontcourt is JUCO transfer Dee Proby. Proby comes to WVU from Angelina CC in Texas where the 6-foot-9, 250 pound forward showed a perimeter game. The Mountaineers may need his big body (as the biggest Mountaineer on the roster) to try and battle inside in the Big East, which would be an interesting development for Proby.

2008-2009 Team Outlook:

Bob Huggins has his second season as head coach of West Virginia ready to tip-off and there are high expectations for his club. A promising recruiting class to combine with five key returnees is enough to put the Mountaineers into discussions of a top 25 team for this season and a possible NCAA Tournament club, and you never want to ignore a Huggins coached team when you plan your March Madness Betting of teams to make the tourney. There is no doubt that WVU has a deep pool of quality athletes at their disposal, but finding replacements for the leadership and intangibles provided by Darris Nichols and Joe Alexander will key the success of their season.

The biggest question will come at point guard for the Mountaineers where Joe Mazzulla is poised to take control of the team, but his effectiveness as a full-time point guard is still a question mark for this club. Their lack of size and physical strength in the post will also be an area to keep an eye on this season once the Big East conference schedule rolls around. There is no doubt this is a very good team that could, and would not surprise us, if they match last year's success, but a couple questions need to be answered first if that is to happen.

2008-2009 Big East Prediction: 9-9

BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: GAME #6 WVU

2008-10-09T11:15:00.002-04:00

October 9, 2008

Despite the rocky 1-2 start under first year head coach Bill Stewart, the West Virginia Mountaineers have begin to right the ship a bit with a win over in-state rival Marshall and began the Big East portion of their schedule by beating Rutgers, 24-17, last week. At 1-0 in the Big East, WVU still has their conference title hopes alive as they try to get better each week.

On the other side of the field this week is the Syracuse Orange. The 1-4 (0-1 Big East) Orange are coming off a bye week as the Greg Robinson era continues mercifully for the dwindling fan base. On the weekend that the much anticipated move 'The Express' opens, it only serves as a reminder of what was once a proud program that is now among the dregs of major college football. SU opened Big East play looking improved, leading Pittsburgh for nearly 75% of the game, however, in the end, it was yet another loss for the Orange as they fell in the Dome, 34-24 as Pitt scored the game's last 21 points.

NCAA Football Odds currently have the Mountaineers listed as 23 1/2 point favorites to route the Orange. Look for the Mountaineer defense, which has been coming around, to put the clamps on the SU attack. On offense, spreading the field with their superior speed will open up more lanes for Pat White and Noel Devine to run down hill all game against the abysmal SU rush defense. Syracuse surrenders over 207 yards rushing and 36 points a game, among the worst in all of college football, while on offense, they have among the worst passing attacks in the nation. While the West Virginia rushing attack might not quite be what it was under RichRod previously, it is still among the top 15 in the nation and look for them to have the ball all day against the Orange and come up with an easy win, showing just a little more comfort under their new staff.

Prediction:

West Virginia 41
Syracuse 14

LACK OF FIREWORKS MEANS NO BURNT COUCHES AT WVU

2008-10-09T09:37:00.004-04:00

by Zach Smart

Just call me the “couch torch man.”

This Halloween, I’m bound to replace Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger (who may have the second longest fingers on this planet, second only to Syracuse freshman forward Mookie Jones), and Pacman Jones as the scariest beings to hit the wild Morgantown landscape.

The couch torching that takes place this Halloween will mostly be out of exasperation for the Mountaineers shortcomings on the gridiron.

There are no ghosts, goblins, or any other evil spirits haunting the West Virginia football team. No lingering effects of Rich Rodriguez’ loss. Nothing that Bill Stewart has really done to cause the Mountaineers’ stock to dip the way it has this season.

Nothing but a few pairs of size 13+ cleats, none of which are too easy to fill. Steve Slaton is running into new territory, establishing himself as a significant cog in the Houston Texans offense.

Noel Devine’s yards-per-carry have dipped from 8.6 to 5.7, and while his receiving numbers have dipped, significantly, there’s more to it to that in the backfield. Devine is less explosive. The holes aren’t wider than the Sargasso Sea, as they seemed to be at times last year.

The pyro-maniacs who lit up the “Devine Hype TNT” early this season did not take it account the lack of running room that he may have. An absence of some significant players and an offensive line that’s playing smaller has led to this. Those diehards and college football gurus alike projected that Devine would burst up the middle, sweep to the outside, and rip through the runways. They said that the pint-sized back would stake his claim as the NCAA’s fastest man.

Not so fast.

The loss of Slaton (A 2007 Heisman candidate), coupled with the loss of Owen Schmitt, has given Devine less running room while lowering the efficiency level of the spread offense. Schmitt, who’s now on the Seattle Seahawks, was a unique threat because of the fullback’s ability to execute key blocks and run the football. Thus, the NFL draft and 2008 graduation claimed many VIPs and thoroughly cleansed some essential components of the roster. Darius Reynaud, whose dynamic mix of brute strength and speed helped him emerge as Pat White’s favorite targets, has also been sorely missed.

It puts more of the onus to lead and produce offense on White, who thrown for 590 yards and hit his receivers at a 75-for-103 clip this season.

While Bill Stewart’s skeptics have certainly surfaced this fall (the cut-throat Mountaineer fans didn’t really give Rodriguez a memorable sendoff either), you can’t point the blame on the coach. There games where it seems the ‘Neers just flat-out haven’t been working hard enough.

Take, for instance, the East Carolina upset. WVU, blessed with an early no.8 ranking and college football odds looking good for WVU in the Big East after walloping Villanova, the 'Eers got clubbed 24-3. They looked lackadaisical on defense, allowing Patrick Pickney to throw the ball down their throats (22-for-28, 236 yards). Pickney has been lights out this year, but against Colorado, the pattern of matador defense continued.

At the scenic, Boulder, CO, the ‘Neers gave a career day to true freshman Rodney Stewart. Stewart, who hadn’t eclipsed 38 yards in the first two weeks, erupted for 166 yards on the ground.

As a Mafia man would say, “not (bleeping) cool, bro.”

The Mountaineers need to resuscitate itself and revive the season. While wins over Marshall and Rutgers (oh, how the mighty have fallen) injected some confidence, they need to run the table over these next few games.

An Oct.23 under-the-lights date with no.20 Auburn looks like a real litmus test for them.

If anything, it should be a chance to rehydrate the mindset they shouldered for much of last year.

Right now, the chances of the WVU faithful burning couches (out of joy) is about as likely as Ron Jeremy being warped in a dry spell during the mid-eighties.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/video/ncaaf_video/2008/10/07/tour.guy.wvu.SportsIllustrated/index.html

This is not good.

BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: GAME #4 WEST VIRGINIA

2008-09-26T12:42:00.003-04:00

September 26, 2008

The honeymoon in West Virginia did not last very long at all for head coach Bill Stewart. After an opening week win over Villanova, the Mountaineers have fallen to East Carolina and Colorado, both as the favorite according to the College Football Lines.

This week WVU returns home and once again is favored, this time by by 15 and a half points against bitter in-state rival Marshall. The average margin of victory in the last two games of this series is 45-16 in favor of WVU. That is an awful lot of points to hope for from the Mountaineers, who managed just 17 in the last two games combines. What is more concerning is that while quarterback Pat White has completed 21 passes in the last two games, they have gone for a TOTAL of 115 yards. To have a total of 115 yards passing in two games is astounding?

The WVU team is going to struggle scoring points against just average defenses. They are a one-trick pony with Pat White or Noel Devine running the ball. Marshall comes into the contest with a 3-1 record, 2-0 in C-USA, but their lone match-up against a BCS conference squad was a 51-14 laugher at Wisconsin. Marshall has given up big chunks of yards this year, but most of that has come through the air...will WVU get healthy in their air atatck this week?

Look for West Virginia to right the ship, somewhat, but it will be mostly keyed by their defense as they pummel Marshall at the line of scrimmage.

Prediction:

West Virginia 27
Marshall 10

BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: GAME #3 WEST VIRGINIA

2008-09-18T09:11:00.004-04:00

September 18, 2008

The love affair with ESPN and the Big East on Thursday night continues as West Virginia travels to meet Colorado for the primetime Thursday night match-up. The Mountaineers are coming off a disappointing loss on the road against East Carolina, 24-3, back on September 6th and will look to get back on the right track this week.

Colorado is 2-0 on the young season with a win over in-state rival Colorado State, 38-17, in their opener. The Buffaloes needed to rally back from a 21-7 halftime defecit in their second contest to edge Eastern Washington 31-24 at home in their second game.

After giving a little back to the sportsbook last night being on the wrong side of the Louisville-Kansas State match-up, we will go back to basics tonight. Colorado is at home under the lights for a primetime match-up. Winning this game is a high priority for the program that hit rock bottom with a 2-10 record in 2006, rebounded to earn a bowl bid with a 6-6 record last season, which included a home win over Oklahoma, and now looks to take another step forward in 2008.

Sophomore Cody Hawkins returns as the starting QB, but leads a largely inexperienced group on offense with just three seniors. The Buffaloes will need to spread the field and use their speed to their advantage.

Through two games we are not quite sure what to make off West Virginia. In their loss to East Carolina, QB Pat White threw for just 72 yards (11-18), but had success on the ground with 97 yards on 20 carries. Stud runnng back Noel devine added 94 more on the ground in just 12 carries, but WVU managed just 12 first downs in the contest. This followed an opener in which White went to the air 33 times (for 5 TD's, but still just 208 yards on 25 completions), so the identity of Bill Stewart's new squad is a little mixed right now. Not an easy job finding an identity in Boulder.

The listing for the NCAA College Football Lines has the Mountaineers as three-point road favorites. Until they settle on who they are...we are going to go with the home team in this contest.

Prediction:

Colorado 30
West Virginia 24

OUT THE DOOR TO WEST VIRGINIA

2008-09-08T22:34:00.003-04:00

by Zach Smart

“One cup of coffee, then I'll go.”-Bob Marley

This is likely my last post before I undergo an abrupt location change. I’m embarking for Morgantown, W.V. tomorrow. No, seriously.....why not? My tolerance for northeast snobbery and northeast-bred, condescending individuals has waned, significantly, over the past few months. A rash and hasty decision it may be, but we all have to explore uncharted territory and discover a sanctuary away from home as well as the old stomping grounds at some point. Don’t we?

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I can probably think of 21 reasons to get the hell out of dodge and trek down to Morgantown tomorrow morning. Imagine that. 50 things to hope for before packing the necessities, clothing and furniture and UHAULing it down to some slapdash little apartment nestled in between two rival bars. It's actually a pretty simple decision, considering that (1) Bobby Huggins has fished out a revitalized recruiting class, one leaking with talent, that could eventually (2) bring the WVU fan base back to the Mike Gansey/Kevin Pittsnogle glory days, when the Mountaineers simply shot teams out of the gym. (3) Though Rich Rodriguez and John Beilein may have morphed the school into the Michigan pipeline and though the football and basketball teams may have lost a bit of their luster (see Alexander, Joe, who authored the March 2008 NCAA Tournament best-seller "Ten Game Tear") the new blood is certainly convincing. (4) The evolution of the spindly 6-foot-8 Kevin Jones, a versatile ringer from a potent, traditional New York basketball breeding ground (Mount Vernon H.S.) could open eyes. (5) Devin Ebanks is a high-rising hellraiser who will also put fans in the seats. Long + glossy-smooth + ultra athletic= major upside.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv7gF22z7UI)

(6) Maybe, if the 'Eers buy into coach Huggins' (7) sophisticated hoop methods, we can expect a (8) media circus that doesn’t mention his DWI history in every article or column (9) and watch Huggins maneuver the big blue and yellow bus deep into the NCAA Tournament Pool. (10) If Alex Ruoff continues to scorch the nets, Joe Mazzula avoids encounters with the cops (while proving his sophomore season wasn't a one-game wonder) and the New York neophytes pan out, West Virginia could vault into a new area code this winter.

(11) Hopefully, the fans keep filing in decked out in home team paraphernalia, (12) posters like the one that Alexander recently designed (when he waited for UConn's Stanley Robinson in transition and quickly planted his face with a rim-ringing slam) keep printing, and (13) the house that Jerry West built continues to rock.

(14) Perhaps Mr. West can watch his son, Johnnie jack up the crowd's pulse (possibly blowing the roof off the gym) by popping off the pine and draining some threes when the South Floridas and Johnnies come to town. (15) With the University and the Morgantown community joining forces to create one of the wildest pack of diehards in collegiate athletics, the post-game festivities make even Joakim Noah and Bill Murray's after party regimen look soft. (16) All I ask is that you move my couch out of site when these festivities take place. Word around the campfire is the loyal WVU fans' affinity for setting couches ablaze in joyous celebration runs parallel to Eliot Spitzer's prostitute penchant. (17) That gives the fans more motivation and stimulates fanfare.

(18) The backyard brawl, one of the best and now evenly-matched rivalries in college hoops will be off the charts this year and (19) West Virginia will light up Las Vegas, where Mazzula and Cam Thoroughman will need to be held in check. It’s a good thing D’or “Nightlife” Fischer is no longer on the squad. Him and Vegas could never be a healthy combination.

(20) The Big East’s 18-game format permits teams to play each opponent once and three teams twice. Thus, the Mountaineers will play home-and-home games with Louisville, Pitt, and South Florida.

(21) Don’t let the non-conference schedule deceive you, the ‘Eers won’t be consuming any cupcakes this season. They’ve got games against Ohio State, Davidson, and Longwood, which features one of the most underrated players in college hoops in versatile 6-7 forward Kirk Williams. This makes for entertaining regular season life.

I’m out the door.

BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: WEEK #2 WEST VIRGINIA

2008-09-04T22:36:00.002-04:00

September 4, 2008

This might be the most interesting game on the schedule for the second weekend amongst Big East teams as West Virginia heads to East Carolina to take on the upstart Pirates.

ECU got the nation's attention last week with their upset of nationally ranked Virginia Tech by giving the Hokies a little taste of their own medicine with a blocked punt returned for a touchdown that provided the winning points in the 27-22 upset.

This match-up is an annual rivalry that has not been that competitive in recent seasons. West Virginia has won the last six encounters by an average score of 39-12, including 48-7 last season. However, looking over the Sportsbook listings for the 2008 edition of the WVU/ECU rivalry, most oddsmakers believe the Pirates are ready to give WVU more of a game with the line coming in around 8 points in favor of the Mountaineers.

ECU limited Va Tech to just 243 yards of total offense and 12 first downs last week. While it is really tough to judge the WVU offense in week #1 against 1-AA Villanova, there is definitely a philosophical change from the Rich Rod era to the play calling of coach Stewart. QB Pat White took to the air 33 times, completing 25 passes, as the Mountaineers only ran the ball 22 times. In their opening win over Western Michigan the previously season, the run:pass ration was the complete opposite with 67% of the plays staying on the ground.

It will be very interesting to see if the Mountaineers can be successful in a new offensive scheme. Pat White is too good to keep under wraps and in the pocket, if the game gets tough, which it probably will, look for him to make the big play when needed with his legs to help WVU to the win.

Prediction:

West Virginia 31
East Carolina 24

DEVIN EBANKS: IMPACT BIG EAST FROSH

2008-08-21T16:21:00.004-04:00

August 21, 2008

Check out the College Basketball Odds to win the 2009 national championship. West Virginia is currently listed at 16:1! Seems to be rather generous seeing they lost Darris Nichols to graduation and Joe Alexander to the NBA Draft, but, as the NBE Basketball Report notes, Devin Ebanks will be an impact freshman for the Mountaineers in 2008-2009.

Bob Huggins demonstrated his recruiting power this spring by grabbing elite recruit Devin Ebanks after he re-opened his recruitment after Indiana allowed him out of his letter of intent in the wake of the Kevin Sampson recruiting scandal. West Virginia swooped into the race for Ebanks over schools like Texas, Rutgers and Memphis and coach Huggins looks to have his replacement for Joe Alexander who has moved on to the NBA after his junior season.

While Ebanks and his 185-lb frame is not physically ready to replace everything that Alexander brought to the table, the 6-foot-8 forward has potential through the roof. He has an offensive game that can go inside and out, although he might be relying a little more on the outside early on at WVU as he looks to add strength to his wiry frame.

Ebanks walks into a perfect situation at WVU as the Mountaineers will look to replace the production of Alexander in 2008-2009. The chance to play that role no doubt had an impact on Ebanks' decision on which school he would attend. West Virginia is pretty thin in the front court and Ebanks could have a very big freshman season, at least statistically, but he will also have to adjust to the physical play in the Big East, which is something that could cause him some difficulties. This is a player that has the potential to be similar to Rudy Gay in the future, but there will be some lessons along the way.

Here is a look at more of the 2008-2009 Big East Impact Freshmen.

NICK KINDLER COMMITS TO WEST VIRGINIA FOOTBALL PROGRAM

2008-08-01T23:53:00.002-04:00

August 1, 2008

Trinity High of Camp Hill (PA) sends another player to the Division 1-A football ranks as 6'6, 280 lb offensive lineman Nick Kindler commits to West Virginia. The Pennsylvania Lineman Becomes the 14th Commitment for WVU (Daily Mail) and new coach Bill Stewart.

Kindler, who projects as an offensive tackle, chose WVU over offers from schools such as Connecticut, Rutgers, Maryland and Virginia, and picked WVU after narrowing his final list to include Illinois and Boston College.

Elsewhere in WVU football...

West Virginia Associate Head Coach Doc Holliday is Back Where He Belongs (Daily Mail) on the WVU sidelines. The highly coveted assistant landed a spot on the WVU staff after interviewing for the head coach opening after Rich Rodriguez bolted for Michigan. While Bill Stewart was given the head coaching vacancy, and the $800K that went with it, Holliday accepted the job as the #1 assistant and his $400K annual salary is a big reason why the WVU staff is the highest paid in the conference. Holliday is from Hurricane High in WV and a former player that has made his mark as one of the nation's top assistants on the recruiting scene with his work at NC State and Florida before coming back home on Stewart's staff.

CATCHING UP WITH DALTON PEPPER

2008-07-24T00:39:00.001-04:00

July 24, 2008

Recent West Virginia commit hones game to prepare for Big East

In was an exciting weekend for West Virginia fans as in the matter of hours, Bob Huggins and his staff secured a pair of verbal commitments from New York City big man Dan Jennings and guard Dalton Pepper from Pennsbury (PA). The NBE Basketball Report got the opportunity to chat with Pepper on his commitment to the Mountaineers.

Pepper, a 6-foot-6, 210 pound shooting guard, decided on WVU after also considering Villanova, Temple, Wake Forest, Seton Hall and Miami during the recruiting process. The Mountaineers appealed to Pepper on several levels, which he indicated when asked of the factors contributing to his decision.

“Great coaching staff, nice players, and a very nice campus,” Pepper said. “I thought it was the perfect fit for me.”

Growing up on the east coast, Pepper certainly had a good feel for the teams recruiting him in the Big East, ACC and Atlantic 10. The chance to play in the Big East was definitely a factor in his college decision.

“I'd say it’s the best league in college basketball, and there are big time players in the Big East,” Pepper said.

Pepper will now finish off his summer season with the Jersey Shore Warriors with a trip to Orlando for the end of summer festivities surrounding the AAU Showcase and Nationals. This past season at Pennsbury High School he broke his father Jack’s single season scoring record and finished with 746 points while leading Frank Sciola’s squad to the state semifinals where they fell to Chester’s nationally ranked squad. On the season, Pepper averaged 22 points and nearly 10 rebounds a game and he went over the 1,500 career point plateau, moving past his father into second place on the school’s all-time list, just 20 points shy of the record. With another season to look forward to, he will set the new standard at Pennsbury Senior High School. He is looking forward to an even deeper run in the state playoffs.

“We bring back everyone but two people, we should be even better then last year which made the state final four and lost to Chester,” Pepper said

Even with all his personal success in his career and a college decision behind him, do not expect Pepper to rest any time soon. He wants to improve his ball-handling and foot speed prior to joining Bob Huggins’ team and become even a better shooter from the perimeter to hopefully fill the shoes that will be vacated by Alex Ruoff after graduation.

“My shooting, (I’ve) been working on it everyday real hard, and i want to improve my ball handling skills as well,” Pepper remarked to the NBE Basketball Report when asked what areas he is working on the most this summer.

West Virginia fans will definitely be very happy when a dash of Pepper is added to the mix in Morgantown.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: WEST VIRGINIA

2008-07-19T00:23:00.005-04:00

July 19, 2008

Commitment Alerts: Dalton Pepper, 6'5 G/F from Pennsbury (PA) HS and Dan Jennings, 6'8 C from Oak Hill Academy, via NYC

Projected 2008-2009 Roster

Seniors: Alex Ruoff (WF)
Juniors: Joe Mazzula (PG), Wellington Smith (F), Desean Butler (WF), Dee Proby (BF/C)
Sophomores: John Flowers (F), Will Thomas (G), Cam Thoroughman (F), Jonnie West (G)
Freshmen: Darryl Bryant (PG), Kevin Jones (F), Devin Ebanks (F)
2009 Commitment: Roscoe Davis (F), Dalton Pepper (G/F), Dan Jennings (BF/C)
2010 Commit: Noah Cottrill (G), Storm Stanley (C)

West Virginia Looking to Add Some Pepper (NY Daily News), as in Dalton Pepper. Dick 'Hoops' Weiss reports that the native of suburban Philadelphia has given the Mountaineers a verbal commitment.

It looks like a daily double for the Mountaineers as Dan Jennings is Headed to the Big East (RealScout) and will reportedly join Pepper in Morgantown.

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

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On paper, Bob Huggins looks to have closed out his 2009 recruiting class with a pair of verbal commitments from Dalton Pepper of Pennsbury High School in suburban Philadelphia and NYC native Dan Jennings, who played last season at Oak Hill Academy.

Pepper has been a top target of Huggins and assistant coach Billy Hahn, who was previously the head coach of LaSalle, so his familiarity of the area was key in landing Pepper.

Pepper recently shined at the Hoop Group's Elite Camp at the College of New Jersey and showed he can fill it up from the perimeter often in high school. Villanova was also considered a strong contender for Pepper's services.

Jennings is a strong and aggressive inside performer who will through his body and weight around in the paint. Making an adjustment to playing a little bit away from the basket will help him at the college level as his 6-foot-8 frame and average athleticism might make things a little tougher. However, Jennings will certainly add toughness to the middle and is not one to fool around trying to do things he can not do.

Jennings was on the recruiting radar of several Big East teams, including Pittsburgh, Rutgers and St. John's, who sees another local get away from them.

The verbal commitments do put the WVU projected roster for 2009 one over the NCAA 13 scholarship limit, so that is an item to keep an eye on. We will look to verify these commitments from the normal sources and websites later this morning.

As has been speculated for a couple weeks, the Mountaineers add a late addition to the class of 2008 as JUCO transfer Dee Proby, who was let out of his commitment with Oklahoma State when Travis Ford was hired, has joined the WVU program. The 6-foot-10, 240 lb Proby signed a grant-in-aid and it is official and he will add some size to the WVU line-up for 2008-2009.

Proby averaged nearly 14 points and six rebounds a game as a sophomore at Angelina college. He will have two years of eligibility left at WVU. The skilled big man, who would rather face up from the perimeter than post up in the paint, is a native of Round Rock, TX and will now call Morgantown home to finish his college career.

Bob Huggins aggressively pursued options to close out the 2008 recruiting class. The Mountaineer fans and staff got their wish as Devin Ebanks is willing to accept a scholarship offer. Ebanks, the nation's top uncommitted player remaining in the class of 2008, recently visited West Virginia and the Mountaineers definitely helped themselves. The 6'8, 185 lb Ebanks has the versatility and talent to step into Joe Alexander's vacated role and be productive. Ebanks visited Rutgers, Memphis and Texas after re-opening the process and found the Mountaineers to be the right fit for his talents.

Ebanks is a native of NYC and played the last couple seasons at St. Thomas More in Connecticut under Jere Quinn. This past seasn, Ebanks averaged 23 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists and eclipsed the 1,000 point mark in just two seasons.

Ebanks is long and lean and a versatile scorer who could fill a role similar to that of Joe Alexander if the talented WVU junior keeps his name in the NBA draft. The chance to make an immediate inpact at the college level played a big role in Ebanks decision to choose WVU over Memphis and Rutgers, his other finalists.

Ebanks joins a class with Kevin Jones, a 6'7 combo forward, as well as NYC PG Darryl 'Truck' Bryant as part of one of the conference's top classes. Roscoe Davis was originally part of the class, but it is looking like the 6'10 forward will take an additional prep year to square up his academic standing, as of know, we will list him as a tentative 2009 commitment, but there is still hope that he arrives for the fall.

The early recruiting prowess of WVU coach Bob Huggins is evident in the fact that 6'1 (rising) junior Noah Cottrill from Poca High School (WV) has made an early pledge to WVU. Cottrill is one of the top rated prospects in the class of 2010 and is now joined by his Ohio Basketball Club teamate Storm Stanley.

Stanley is a 6'10 center who is from Toledo (OH) and attends St. Francis DeSales High school where he played for coach Nick Lowe. For more on Stanley, see our recent story for an Introduction to Storm Stanley where coach Lowe gives our readers the lowdown on the Mountaineer's newest verbal commitment.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: WEST VIRGINIA

2008-07-10T22:14:00.003-04:00

July 10, 2008

Commitment Alert: Demetrius 'Dee' Proby, 6'10 BF/C Angelina College (TX)

Projected 2008-2009 Roster

Seniors: Alex Ruoff (WF)
Juniors: Joe Mazzula (PG), Wellington Smith (F), Desean Butler (WF), Dee Proby (BF/C)
Sophomores: John Flowers (F), Will Thomas (G), Cam Thoroughman (F), Jonnie West (G)
Freshmen: Darryl Bryant (PG), Kevin Jones (F), Devin Ebanks (F)
2009 Commitment: Roscoe Davis (F)
2010 Commit: Noah Cottrill (G), Storm Stanley (C)

West Virginia coach Bob Huggins Completes 2008 Recruiting Class (msnsportsnet) with the signing of JUCO recruit Dee Proby to a grant-in-aid. Also this week, WVU added a second commitment from the class of 2010 with Storm Stanley, we recently caught up with Stanley's high school coach to learn more on the future Mountaineer as well.

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

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As has been speculated for a couple weeks, the Mountaineers add a late addition to the class of 2008 as JUCO transfer Dee Proby, who was let out of his commitment with Oklahoma State when Travis Ford was hired, has joined the WVU program. The 6-foot-10, 240 lb Proby signed a grant-in-aid and it is official and he will add some size to the WVU line-up for 2008-2009.

Proby averaged nearly 14 points and six rebounds a game as a sophomore at Angelina college. He will have two years of eligibility left at WVU. The skilled big man, who would rather face up from the perimeter than post up in the paint, is a native of Round Rock, TX and will now call Morgantown home to finish his college career.

The early recruiting prowess of WVU coach Bob Huggins is evident in the fact that 6'1 (rising) junior Noah Cottrill from Poca High School (WV) has made an early pledge to WVU. Cottrill is one of the top rated prospects in the class of 2010 and is now joined by his Ohio Basketball Club teamate Storm Stanley.

Stanley is a 6'10 center who is from Toledo (OH) and attends St. Francis DeSales High school where he played for coach Nick Lowe. For more on Stanley, see our recent story for an Introduction to Storm Stanley where coach Lowe gives our readers the lowdown on the Mountaineer's newest verbal commitment.

Bob Huggins aggressively pursued options to close out the 2008 recruiting class. The Mountaineer fans and staff got their wish as Devin Ebanks is willing to accept a scholarship offer. Ebanks, the nation's top uncommitted player remaining in the class of 2008, recently visited West Virginia and the Mountaineers definitely helped themselves. The 6'8, 185 lb Ebanks has the versatility and talent to step into Joe Alexander's vacated role and be productive. Ebanks visited Rutgers, Memphis and Texas after re-opening the process and found the Mountaineers to be the right fit for his talents.

Ebanks is a native of NYC and played the last couple seasons at St. Thomas More in Connecticut under Jere Quinn. This past seasn, Ebanks averaged 23 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists and eclipsed the 1,000 point mark in just two seasons.

Ebanks is long and lean and a versatile scorer who could fill a role similar to that of Joe Alexander if the talented WVU junior keeps his name in the NBA draft. The chance to make an immediate inpact at the college level played a big role in Ebanks decision to choose WVU over Memphis and Rutgers, his other finalists.

Ebanks joins a class with Kevin Jones, a 6'7 combo forward, as well as NYC PG Darryl 'Truck' Bryant as part of one of the conference's top classes. Roscoe Davis was originally part of the class, but it is looking like the 6'10 forward will take an additional prep year to square up his academic standing, as of know, we will list him as a tentative 2009 commitment, but there is still hope that he arrives for the fall.

Coach Bob Huggins is still moving ahead with his efforts in the class of 2009 and it looked like he was off to an intriguing start when Keith DeWitt made a verbal commitment to WVU on April 30th. However, a week later DeWitt withdrew his verbal, and although still considering the Mountaineers, will look at all his options first. With one scholarship currently open for 2009 on paper, players such as Dalton Pepper, 6'5 guard from Pennsbury (PA), who recently made a visit to WVU and could be deciding between the Mountaineers and Villanova by the end of the summer. Durand Scott, 6'4 guard from Rice (HS), 6'6 forward Kevin Parrom of St. Raymond's (NYC), 6'8 power forward Dan Jennings of Oak Hill Academy and 6'10 big man Aaric Murray of Glen Mills (PA) are also being heavily pursued this spring by the staff.

We will continue to pay close attention to the West Virginia recruiting prospects as Bob Huggins looks to make his stamp on his alma mater.

INTRODUCTION TO STORM STANLEY

2008-07-10T21:53:00.003-04:00

Stanley goes from unknown to West Virginia basketball commitment overnight

July 10, 2008

Storm Stanley probably did not envision being a commitment to West Virginia earlier this spring. Once the April evaluation period was complete, Stanley was still not a name on many radars, but there was definitely something that Bob Huggins saw in the (rising) junior that he liked.

Stanley recently completed his sophomore season at St. Francis de Sales High School in Toledo (OH), helping coach Nick Lowe's squad to a 14-7 record last season. Since the high school season has ended, Stanley has been playing on the AAU circuit with the Ohio Basketball Club's U-16 squad where he is a teammate of another West Virginia 2010 verbal commitment, Noah Cottril of Poca (WV).

"He is a tireless worker," coach Lowe told the NBE Basketball Report via e-mail. "He works on some part of the game everyday. If he is not in the gym working you can find him in the weight room."

With most young big men, their defense is usually ahead of their offense and Stanley is no different. "He changes games on the defensive end with his ability to block shots and probably the biggest strength of his for his size is his ability to rebound out of his area," Lowe said.

Over the next two years at St. Francis de Sales, look for the offensive skills of Stanley to evolve, a process that has already begun. "His footwork and mobility are what are improving the most right now," Lowe indicated.

Stanley also has a reported 4.3 GPA on a 4.0 scale. He recently just turned 16, so he is still young for his age and with his development still in it's infancy, schools were just starting to become aware of him. West Virginia and coach Bob Huggins definitely got out in front of the curve on this one and now they can watch him develop over the next couple years before coming to the Big East. With his smarts and work ethic, expect this early gamble to pay off for the Mountaineers!

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: WEST VIRGINIA

2008-07-08T16:16:00.005-04:00

July 8, 2008

Commitment Alert: Storm Stanley, 6'10 (C) from Toledo (OH) class of 2010.

Projected 2008-2009 Roster

Seniors: Alex Ruoff (WF)
Juniors: Joe Mazzula (PG), Wellington Smith (F), Desean Butler (WF)
Sophomores: John Flowers (F), Will Thomas (G), Cam Thoroughman (F), Jonnie West (G)
Freshmen: Darryl Bryant (PG), Roscoe Davis (BF), Kevin Jones (F), Devin Ebanks (F)
2009 Commitment: Roscoe Davis (F)
2010 Commit: Noah Cottrill (G), Storm Stanley (C)

Bob Huggins might still be working to shore up the 2008 recruiting class and is knee deep into recruiting for the 2009 class, but in his spare time the 2010 class is already beginning to be assembled. WVU Receives 2010 Commitment (Charleston Gazette), already their second, as Storm Stanley joined his AAU teammate Noah Cottrill as WVU pledges for 2010.

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Read More Ebanks and WVU's recruiting...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

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The early recruiting prowess of WVU coach Bob Huggins is evident in the fact that 6'1 (rising) junior Noah Cottrill from Poca High School (WV) has made an early pledge to WVU. Cottrill is one of the top rated prospects in the class of 2010 and is now joined by his Ohio Basketball Club teamate Storm Stanley.

Stanley is a 6'10 center who is from Toledo (OH) and attends St. Francis DeSales High school where he played for coach Nick Lowe.

Bob Huggins aggressively pursued options to close out the 2008 recruiting class. The Mountaineer fans and staff got their wish as Devin Ebanks is willing to accept a scholarship offer. Ebanks, the nation's top uncommitted player remaining in the class of 2008, recently visited West Virginia and the Mountaineers definitely helped themselves. The 6'8, 185 lb Ebanks has the versatility and talent to step into Joe Alexander's vacated role and be productive. Ebanks visited Rutgers, Memphis and Texas after re-opening the process and found the Mountaineers to be the right fit for his talents.

Ebanks is a native of NYC and played the last couple seasons at St. Thomas More in Connecticut under Jere Quinn. This past seasn, Ebanks averaged 23 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists and eclipsed the 1,000 point mark in just two seasons.

Ebanks is long and lean and a versatile scorer who could fill a role similar to that of Joe Alexander if the talented WVU junior keeps his name in the NBA draft. The chance to make an immediate inpact at the college level played a big role in Ebanks decision to choose WVU over Memphis and Rutgers, his other finalists.

Ebanks joins a class with Kevin Jones, a 6'7 combo forward, as well as NYC PG Darryl 'Truck' Bryant as part of one of the conference's top classes. Roscoe Davis was originally part of the class, but it is looking like the 6'10 forward will take an additional prep year to square up his acadcemic statnding, as of know, we will list him as a tentative 2009 commitment.

There is one more possibility for the class of 2008 as JUCO transfer Dee Proby, who was let out of his commitment with Oklahoma State when Travis Ford was hired, was reportedly close to joining the WVU program. The 6'9, 250 lb Proby would add some size to the WVU line-up next season, although he is more comfortable on the perimeter. The status of Proby and Davis does put things on hold a little bit for the 2009 class.

Coach Bob Huggins is still moving ahead with his efforts in the class of 2009 and it looked like he was off to an intriguing start when Keith DeWitt made a verbal commitment to WVU on April 30th. However, a week later DeWitt withdrew his verbal, and although still considering the Mountaineers, will look at all his options first. With one scholarship currently open for 2009 on paper, players such as Dalton Pepper, 6'5 guard from Pennsbury (PA), who recently made a visit to WVU and could be deciding between the Mountaineers and Villanova by the end of the summer. Durand Scott, 6'4 guard from Rice (HS), 6'6 forward Kevin Parrom of St. Raymond's (NYC), 6'8 power forward Dan Jennings of Oak Hill Academy and 6'10 big man Aaric Murray of Glen Mills (PA) are also being heavily pursued this spring by the staff.

We will continue to pay close attention to the West Virginia recruiting prospects as Bob Huggins looks to make his stamp on his alma mater.

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Check out the College Basketball Odds to win the 2009 national championship. West Virginia is currently listed at 16:1!
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WVU FOOTBALL LOOKS AT PAIR OF FL PROSPECTS

2008-06-23T11:35:00.002-04:00

June 23, 2008

According to The State, South Carolina's Home Page, the West Virginia Mountaineer football program continues their storng push in Florida and are among the favorites for a pair of highly recruited prospects from the Sunshine state.

Linebacker Jon Bostic (6-2, 225) of Wellington, Fla., might take an unofficial visit to South Carolina this summer, according to the State. The Gamecoacks were the first of the 27 schools to offer Bostic, some of the others include Clemson, Southern Cal, Michigan, LSU, Miami, Florida, Auburn, Florida State and West Virginia. He visited Miami and will visit Florida and LSU.

Defensive back Kayvon Webster (5-11, 180) of Miami camped at South Florida over the weekend. He also camped at LSU and Mississippi and will go to Alabama in July. USC also has offered, and he is in regular contact with recruiter Robert Gillespie. Auburn, West Virginia, Florida, Tennessee and Miami are some of his other offers.

WEST VIRGINIA LOOKS TO NYC IN 2009

2008-06-20T23:27:00.002-04:00

“Right now, I’m considering Marquette, UConn, West Virginia, Memphis, [and] Arizona. Schools like that,” said Omari Lawrence told Alex Schwartz at the Rumble in the Bronx recently. “…nobody stands out to me right now. I’m just wide open still.”

“I don’t have [any] dream school right now,” Lawrence continued on the subject of a school leader. “I’m just waiting for the perfect fit for me.”

While Omari Lawrence and Kevin Parrom Lead the NY Panthers (NBE Basketball Report) on the AAU circuit, they both have their suitors at the college level.

Lawrence is not the only one from New York City seeing interest from Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers. While Durand Scott is Set to Prove Doubters Wrong (NBE Basketball Report), there are certainly college coaches that believe in him.

Right now, Scott’s recruitment is wide-open with a multitude of schools courting the confident youngster. He told Jeff Borzello at the Rumble in the Broinx that Pittsburgh, Louisville, Connecticut and West Virginia and other schools are looking at him from the Big East, while Virginia, Miami and Xavier are also interested in him. He said he is not leaning in any particular direction just yet.

TARAN BUIE: 2010 PG HEARS FROM WEST VIRGINIA

2008-06-20T23:05:00.000-04:00

Buie, a 6-foot guard out of Bishop Maginn High School in Albany (NY) and standout for the City Rocks AAU program, is a name that has not generated a lot of attention nationally in the media to date. However, judging by the coaches that have reached out to him the first chance they were allowed to, college coaches are VERY aware of his talents.

“This week I’ve talked to Boston College, Notre Dame, Clemson, Rutgers, Cincinnati, Penn State, Miami, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Florida, Xavier, West Virginia, Marquette, and Maryland,” Taran Buie relayed to the NBE Basketball Report, doing the best he could to recall all of the coaches that have placed calls to him this week.

“He is a great kid,” City Rocks Vice President Carmen Maciariello stated. “Respectful and hardworking. His personality is a big attribute. He makes a difference on the floor not only in the scoring column but in the hustle categories as well. Deflections, loose balls, charges, rotations etc.,” Maciariello, a former standout at Siena college, said in describing Taran’s impact on the floor.

Maciariello continued to note how well-rounded Buie is off the court, too. “He is a no-brainer for the high majors because he gets it done in the classroom as well!” It was a sentiment echoed by Bishop Maginn coach Rich Hurley as well, “Taran carries a B+ average in the classroom and his involved in many school activities aside from basketball.”

2008-2009 WEST VIRGINIA SNAPSHOT

2008-06-17T15:35:00.004-04:00

June 17, 2008

Head Coach: Bob Huggins
2007-2008 Record: 26-11 (11-7 Big East) NCAA Sweet 16

Returning Players:
Alex Ruoff, Senior (Guard)
Da'Sean Butler, Junior (Guard)
Joe Mazzulla, Junior (Guard)
Wellington Smith, Junior (Forward)
Jonnie West, Sophomore (Guard)
Cam Thoroughman, Sophomore (Forward)
John Flowers, Sophomore (Forward)
Will Thomas, Sophomore (Guard)

Incoming Players:
Devin Ebanks, Forward
Darryl Bryant, Guard
Kevin Jones, Forward

Graduated Players:
Darris Nichols, Senior (Point Guard)
Jamie Smalligan, Senior (Center)

Early NBA Declaration:
Joe Alexander, Junior (Forward)

Open Items/Issues:
West Virginia has been in the news a lot this spring. Bob Huggins was able to secure a commitment from Devin Ebanks, one of the top recruits in the nation in the 2008 class. Ebanks had backed out of a prior commitment to Indiana when Kelvin Sampson was terminated for repeated NCAA recruiting violations.

Ebanks probably saw the writing on the wall with Joe Alexander and the NBA. The 6'8 WVU junior forward is now projected to be a lottery pick in the 2008 draft and decided to leave the Mountaineer program with one year of eligibility and cash in his lottery ticket.

West Virginia also is awaiting the final outcome of recruit Roscoe Davis to find out if he will be part of the 2008 class or the 2009 class. Reports of late seem to indicate he will return to Hargrave Military Academy for another year of prep school. However, with the NBA draft beckoning Alexander and Gus Gilchrist recently opting for South Florida, Davis could try more summer classes in hopes of qualifying for 2008, the Mountaineers have two scholarships open and Bob Huggins has been determined to add additional size to the line-up. Davis might not be a post player, but his 6'10 frame would help a team greatly that has nobody taller than 6'8.

Summary:
Joe Alexander leaving for the NBA and the graduation of Darris Nichols will definitely knock the Mountaineers back a peg or two this season. Nichols will be replaced by Joe Mazzulla, a player that Bob Huggins absolutely adores and the point guard position should be adequately addressed. Depth, though, in the back court is really thin. Shooting ace Alex Ruoff returns to the off-guard position and they will likely need seldom-used sophomores Will Thomas and Jonnie West to step up greatly this season. Incoming recruit Darryl 'Truck' Bryant brings the standard NYC toughness, ala his nickname, but he will have a learning curve ahead of him as he attempts to learn the point position full-time.

Alexander's loss is a tough one to overcome. His versatility allowed him to play much bigger on the boards and the strides he made last season with his toughness under Huggins was tremendous. Working to put himself in position to score in the Big East was what allowed his game to soar down the stretch. While Devin Ebanks has a lot of similar traits and at 6'8, he has the makings of an inside-out threat, it will be a little while before he plays defense, hits the boards and works to get in quality position to score like Alexander learned to do. The natural talent of Ebanks is tremendous and his potential is much higher, but it will take some time for him to hit that stride.

Actually, WVU has several players in the mold of Alexander and do not be surprised to see John Flowers pick up a lot of the slack with his inside-out abilities and a year under Huggins will help his game a lot. Wellington Smith also has those inside-out skills and is a player coach Huggins expects a lot from. It will be a key year for him to step up or be passed by with the newcomers. Another high-profile incoming recruit, Kevin Jones, will also play a key role on the boards and on defense at the forward position. Look for Jones to be a tremendous college forward who will be solid early on. Cam Thoroughman will add some toughness and is willing to do the dirty work off the bench.

At small forward, Da'Sean Butler returns and is one of the more well-rounded players in the Big East. If he would be a little more selfish with his own offense, he could be one of the league's top breakout performers this season.

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All in all this is a very good West Virginia team. Breaking in a new full-time point guard with limited depth is a concern, especially since neither Mazzulla nor Bryant have been full-time true point guards in the past. The lack of size is a little bothersome, but Bob Huggins has been able to get by in the past with smaller teams that rely on toughness and athleticism. Little by little, this West Virginia program is morphing into a similar make-up of his past teams at previous schools. With a tremendous home court advantage and a mix of veterans and exciting athletic youngsters, look for West Virginia to be in the NCAA Tournament mix, albeit, a notch below the top contenders of the Big East at this point.

WEST VIRGINIA, BOB HUGGINS OFFER 2010 WING

2008-06-17T09:16:00.002-04:00

June 17, 2008

Probably the marquee name attending this past weekend's West Virginia elte camps was class of 2010 small forward Tobias Harris out of Long Island (NY). Harris passed up the opportunity to play in the Rumble in the Bronx in New York City to get a chance to see the WVU campus.

Both sides were equally impressed with what they saw as Bob Huggins offered Harris a scholarship by the end of the camp and Harris, according to his father Torrel, has the Mountaineers high on his list.

With June 15th being the first day college coaches could call prospects from the class of 2010, it was an eventful weekend for Tobias Harris as the Big East Came Calling and WVU Offers (NBE Basketball Report). Coaches from schools such as Louisville, Syracuse, UConn, Rutgers, St. John's, Notre Dame, Providence as well as WVU made calls to Tobias.

With his time at West Virginia, the Mountaineers definitely improved their standing with the Harris'. "Coach Huggins has great coaching staff (and) his offense fits Tobias' style," Torrel told the NBE Basketball Report in an e-mail this morning.

As well as WVU, Tobias also stopped at Virginia for their elite camp. Both schools did well in showing Tobias what they had to offer, according to his father, "Tobias stated to me both schools rank very high on his list," Torrel said.

Do not forget, check out the NBE Basketball Report for all the latest on the Big East Basketball Conference.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: WEST VIRGINIA

2008-05-18T22:19:00.002-04:00

May 18, 2008

Commitment Alert: Devin Ebanks, 6'8 (F) from St. Thomas More (CT) Prep.

Projected 2008-2009 Roster

Seniors: Joe Alexander (SF), Alex Ruoff (WF)
Juniors: Joe Mazzula (PG), Wellington Smith (F), Desean Butler (WF)
Sophomores: John Flowers (F), Will Thomas (G), Cam Thoroughman (F), Jonnie West (G)
Freshmen: Darryl Bryant (PG), Roscoe Davis (BF), Kevin Jones (F), Devin Ebanks (F)
2009 Commitment: None
2010 Commit: Noah Cottrill (G)

John Calipari has not lost much the last couple seasons, either on the court or on the rectuiting trail. So when Devin Ebanks was allowed out of his signed letter of intent to Indiana in the wake of Kelvin Sampson's dismissal as head coach, Memphis immediately went to the top of the list in the Ebanks chase. However, in the end, Ebanks Commits to West Virginia Instead of Memphis (Memphis Commercial Appeal) and Bob Huggins has the big piece to the puzzle that he has been looking for since becoming the WVU head coach.

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Read More Ebanks and WVU's recruiting...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

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Bob Huggins aggressively pursued options to close out the 2008 recruiting class. With one scholarship being held for Joe Alexander if he removes his name from the NBA Draft, the Mountaineers still have a scholarship open and the fans and staff got their wish as Devin Ebanks is willing to accept that offer. Ebanks, the nation's top uncommitted player remaining in the class of 2008, recently visited West Virginia and the Mountaineers definitely helped themselves. The 6'8, 185 lb Ebanks has the versatility and talent to step into Alexander's role and be productive. Ebanks visited Rutgers, Memphis and Texas after re-opening the process and found the Mountaineers to be the right fit for his talents.

Ebanks is a native of NYC and played the last couple seasons at St. Thomas More in Connecticut under Jere Quinn. This past seasn, Ebanks averaged 23 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists and eclipsed the 1,000 point mark in just two seasons.

Ebanks is long and lean and a versatile scorer who could fill a role similar to that of Joe Alexander if the talented WVU junior keeps his name in the NBA draft. The chance to make an immediate inpact at the college level played a big role in Ebanks decision to choose WVU over Memphis and Rutgers, his other finalists.

Ebanks joins a class with Kevin Jones, a 6'7 combo forward, as well as 6'10 athletic big forward Roscoe Davis and NYC PG Darryl 'Truck' Bryant as part of one of the conference's top classes.

Coach Bob Huggins can now fully put his efforts in the class of 2009 and looked like he was off to an intriguing start when Keith DeWitt made a verbal commitment to WVU on April 30th. However, last week, DeWitt withdrew his verbal, and although still considering the Mountaineers, will look at all his options first. With two scholarships open for 2009 on paper, concentrating on targets such as Brian Oliver, 6'6 wing out of Oak Hill, Dalton Pepper, 6'5 guard from Pennsbury (PA), Durand Scott, 6'4 guard from Rice (HS), 6'6 forward Kevin Parrom of St. Raymond's (NYC), 6'8 power forward Dan Jennings of Oak Hill Academy and 6'10 big man Aaric Murray of Glen Mills (PA) could be the next move for Huggins and his staff.

The early recruiting is also evident in the fact that 6'1 Sophomore Noah Cottrell from Poca High School (WV) has made an early pledge to WVU. Cottrell is one of the top rated prospects in the class of 2010.

We will continue to pay close attention to the West Virginia recruiting prospects as Bob Huggins looks to make his stamp on his alma mater.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: WEST VIRGINIA

2008-05-14T16:34:00.002-04:00

On April 30th, Keith Dewitt committed to Bob Huggins and West Virginia, now, two weeks later, DeWitt Pulls 2009 Commitment from West Virginia (Charleston Daily Mail), believing he rushed into the decision without visiting WVU or looking into how he would fit into the line-up.

Projected 2008-2009 Roster

Seniors: Joe Alexander (SF), Alex Ruoff (WF)
Juniors: Joe Mazzula (PG), Wellington Smith (F), Desean Butler (WF)
Sophomores: John Flowers (F), Will Thomas (G), Cam Thoroughman (F), Jonnie West (G)
Freshmen: Darryl Bryant (PG), Roscoe Davis (BF), Kevin Jones (F)
2009 Commitment: None
2010 Commit: Noah Cottrill (G)

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

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With scholarship offers from schools like Nebraska, Missouri, Cincinnati and LaSalle, it was a recent offer from Bob Huggins that floored Charis Prep forward Keith DeWitt, "Coach [Bob] Huggins came here," Dewitt told the Charleston Gazette. "He saw I was able to shoot the 3s, handle the ball and do things that most 6-10 players can't. He put the offer on the table."

And that was all it took and DeWitt accepted that offer last night and is the first memeber of the Mountaineer 2009 recruiting class. However, just two weeks later, DeWitt has decided to open the process back up, although he still is very interested in the Mountaineers.

Prior to Charis Prep, DeWitt attended Andrew High in High Point (NC) and will be a post-graduate 2009 recruit. DeWitt is a very raw prospect who is still learning the game as he has not had much experience in organized basketball and past ups and downs in his life has put him behind academically. However, being 6'10 with loads of potential and athleticism, DeWitt could be a very high reward recruit for coach Huggins at West Virginia and is very reminiscent to some of his previous studs at Cincinnati. He is definitely wise to take his time considering by the time DeWitt reaches college, he will be a 22-year old freshman. Reports of legal, personal and family problems kept him out of school and organized basketball the past three years prior to Charis Prep.

Bob Huggins is still aggressively pursuing options to close out the 2008 recruiting class. With one scholarship being held for Joe Alexander if he removes his name from the NBA Draft, the Mountaineers still have a scholarship open and the fans and staff hope Devin Ebanks is willing to accept that offer. Ebanks, the nation's top uncommitted player remaining in the class of 2008, recently visited West Virginia and the Mountaineers definitely helped themselves. The 6'8, 185 lb Ebanks has the versatility and talent to step into Alexander's role and be productive. Ebanks has visited Rutgers, Memphis and texas as well and many believe he is choosing between the Tigers, Scarlet Knights and Mountaineers. Conflicting reports have had Memphis and/or Rutgers not included in the final two, but WVU is consistently mentioned as a finalist. WVU is definitely an appealing option to Ebanks and his advisors because of the possibility of playing Alexander's role. Ebanks is expected to make the decision public by week's end.

If Ebanks opts elsewhere, a player like Teeng Akol, 6'10 big man from IMG could be a possibility as WVU has shown recent interest. Huggins has said recently he fully intends to use the last open scholarship, however, with only one (on paper) remaining in 2009 and with DeWitt on board, maybe concentrating in targets such as Brian Oliver, 6'6 wing out of Oak Hill, Dalton Pepper, 6'5 guard from Pennsbury (PA), Durand Scott, 6'4 guard from Rice (HS) and 6'10 big man Aaric Murray of Glen Mills (PA) would be a more prudent option.

The early recruiting is also evident in the fact that 6'1 Sophomore Noah Cottrell from Poca High School (WV) has made an early pledge to WVU. Cottrell is one of the top rated prospects in the class of 2010.

We will continue to pay close attention to the West Virginia recruiting prospects as Bob Huggins looks to make his stamp on his alma mater.

HUGGINS FINE, WEST LOOKS TO IMPROVE

2008-05-09T13:50:00.000-04:00

West Virginia fans, players and friends of coach Bob Huggins were relieved last evening to learn that Huggins is Fine After Fall at Charlotte Airport (Charleston Daily Mail) that required a precautionary trip to the Carolinas Medical Center in downtown Charlotte. After a few hours being observed by medical personnel, Huggins was released and made it to the Charlotte chapter of the West Virginia University Alumni Association event held at Carmel Country Club for dinner. Coach Huggins was expected to participate in the golf event earlier that day, which he flew into Charlotte for.

Extensive travel since the season came to a close has taken a toll on the 54-year old coach, but yesterday’s incident seems to be an accident and not health related.

There is not denying that Jonnie West has a lot to live up to on the basketball court. Afterall, his father Jerry West is the greatest player ever to come out of West Virginia University and his likeness is used as the NBA’s logo. For Jonnie, a soon to be redshirt sophomore on Bob Huggins’ WVU squad, his goals are not to re-write the WVU record books, but more of a simple nature. For the immediate future, West’s Goals at WVU are to Bulk Up and Play More (Daily Mail) and take it from there.

WVU COACH BOB HUGGINS HOSPITALIZED

2008-05-08T16:39:00.002-04:00

According to the Charleston Daily Mail, West Virginia Men's basketball coach Bob Huggins is in a Charlotte Hospital following a fall at the Charlotte (NC) airport earlier today.

Huggins was in town for an alumni event scheduled for Carmel Country Club, but upon exiting the plane the 54 year old coach tripped over a cone and hit his head on his fall. Huggins felt dizzy and was taken to the Carolinas Medical Center in downtown Charlotte as a precautionary measure.

Updates will be found at the NBE Basketball Report when they are available.

BOB HUGGINS SIGNS CONTRACT, PLAYER PREPARE FOR FUTURE

2008-05-07T12:20:00.001-04:00

May 7, 2008

West Virginia finally has the signature of Bob Huggins on a contract, and, it is a doozy! Huggins Could Make $1.5 Million Annually (Martinsburg Journal) and, in all, $20.5 million in guaranteed money for the life of the contract which carries the 54 year old to age 65.

The contract is also loaded with incentives, including some based on academic achievement of his players, includes a $4 million buyout and penalties for intentional NCAA violations or incidents of personal conduct.

Huggins New Contract Revealed (Daily Mail) additional perks such as a membership at Lakeview Resort, two courtesy cars, 20 tickets to every home men's basketball game, 10 tickets to every postseason men's basketball game and six tickets to every home football game.

Alex Ruoff and Joe Mazzulla will run the show next season. As one would expect, Ruoff’s main job is to shoot three’s and Mazzulla’s is to handle the ball, but this offseason each will be working on honing the skill possessed by the other. For next season, Ruoff and Mazzulla Hope to Change WVU Backcourt Concepts (Daily Mail) as each becomes a more well-rounded threat.

Any time coaching turnover happens a program goes through changes in personnel. The new coach is not always a fit for the returning players and as a new coach brings in his guys, there can be a divide. Bob Huggins has done a remarkable job keeping West Virginia together despite a coaching style and system nearly the polar opposite of his predecessor, John Beilein. However, since the end of the season, many wondered if Wellington Smith would be one that opts to leave for a situation that would more closely resemble the one he initially signed up for. However, even with the pain of the season-ending loss to Xavier, All’s Well with Wellington and WVU (Charleston Gazette). Smith, to me, seems like a player, much like Joe Alexander, that has the physical tools and potential to star in Huggins’ system and if he can adapt to the coaching style of coach Huggins he could be a much different player. He needs a little of that fire and, if a coach is going to put it into him, it probably would be Huggins.

WEST VIRGINIA CHASES PA BIG MAN

2008-05-06T15:25:00.002-04:00

Bob Huggins has embarked on many reclamation projects in the past with recruits coming through the ranks with troubled past. Recently, he added a 2009 commitment from Keith DeWitt and another target he is looking at in the 2009 class is Glen Mills 6'10 center Aaric Murray.

Aaric Murray is Using Basketball to Turn His Life Around and has attracted considerable attention from West Virginia, Villanova, Pittsburgh and Rutgers.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: WEST VIRGINIA

2008-05-01T14:50:00.003-04:00

May 1, 2008

Verbal Commitment Alert: Keith DeWitt, 6'10 of Charis Prep (NC)

Projected 2008-2009 Roster

Seniors: Joe Alexander (SF), Alex Ruoff (WF)
Juniors: Joe Mazzula (PG), Wellington Smith (F), Desean Butler (WF)
Sophomores: John Flowers (F), Will Thomas (G), Cam Thoroughman (F), Jonnie West (G)
Freshmen: Darryl Bryant (PG), Roscoe Davis (BF), Kevin Jones (F)
2009 Commitment: Keith Dewitt (F)
2010 Commit: Noah Cottrill (G)

While Bob Huggins is still working diligently on filling his last open scholarship for the 2008 class, he has struck on the recruiting trail for 2009 as Keith DeWitt, a 6'10 Prep Standout Commits to WVU (Charleston Gazette)

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

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With scholarship offers from schools like Nebraska, Missouri, Cincinnati and LaSalle, it was a recent offer from Bob Huggins that floored Charis Prep forward Keith DeWitt, "Coach [Bob] Huggins came here," Dewitt told the Charleston Gazette. "He saw I was able to shoot the 3s, handle the ball and do things that most 6-10 players can't. He put the offer on the table."

And that was all it took and DeWitt accepted that offer last night and is the first memeber of the Mountaineer 2009 recruiting class. Prior to Charis Prep, DeWitt attended Andrew High in High Point (NC) and will be a post-graduate 2009 recruit. DeWitt is a very raw prospect who is still learning the game as he has not had much experience in organized basketball and past ups and downs in his life has put him behind academically. However, being 6'10 with loads of potential and athleticism, DeWitt could be a very high reward recruit for coach Huggins at West Virginia and is very reminiscent to some of his previous studs at Cincinnati.

Although already with a 2009 commit in hand, Bob Huggins is still aggressively pursuing options to close out the 2008 recruiting class. With one scholarship being held for Joe Alexander if he removes his name from the NBA Draft, the Mountaineers still have a scholarship open and the fans and staff hope Devin Ebanks is willing to accept that offer. Ebanks, the nation's top uncommitted player remaining in the class of 2008, recently visited West Virginia and the Mountaineers definitely helped themselves. The 6'8, 185 lb Ebanks has the versatility and talent to step into Alexander's role and be productive. Ebanks will visit Rutgers, this weekend, and Memphis next weekend before making a decision. WVU is definitely an appealing option to Ebanks and his advisors because of the possibility of playing Alexander's role.

If Ebanks opts elsewhere, a player like Teeng Akol, 6'10 big man from IMG could be a possibility as WVU has shown recent interest. Huggins has said recently he fully intends to use the last open scholarship, however, with only one (on paper) remaining in 2009 and with DeWitt on board, maybe concentrating in targets such as Brian Oliver, 6'6 wing out of Oak Hill, Dalton Pepper, 6'5 guard from Pennsbury (PA), Durand Scott, 6'4 guard from Rice (HS) and 6'10 big man Aaric Murray of Glen Mills (PA) would be a more prudent option.

The early recruiting is also evident in the fact that 6'1 Sophomore Noah Cottrell from Poca High School (WV) has made an early pledge to WVU. Cottrell is one of the top rated prospects in the class of 2010.

We will continue to pay close attention to the West Virginia recruiting prospects as Bob Huggins looks to make his stamp on his alma mater.