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Thursday, December 10, 2009

WEST VIRGINIA THROTTLES DUQUESNE IN COLLEGE HOOPS

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.

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Friday, March 20, 2009

WVU SEASON COMES TO AN END IN ROUND ONE

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.

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Monday, March 09, 2009

ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAY EXPERIENCE

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)

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Monday, March 02, 2009

WEST VIRGINIA REBOUNDS TO BEAT USF

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.

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Friday, February 27, 2009

CINCINNATI LEAVES HUGGINS, WVU WITH A PARTING LOSS

February 27, 2009


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

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

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

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

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

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Monday, February 23, 2009

MOUNTAINEERS GETS PAST RUTGERS IN BIG EAST PLAY

February 23, 2009


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

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

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

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

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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

WVU FOULED-UP BY RIVAL PITT

February 10, 2009


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Saturday, February 07, 2009

RUOFF FINDS STROKE, WVU ROUTS PROVIDENCE

February 7, 2009


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

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

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

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

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

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Thursday, February 05, 2009

WEST VIRGINIA CANT SOLVE SYRACUSE ZONE

February 5, 2009



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Tuesday, February 03, 2009

WVU G MAZZULLA DONE FOR YEAR

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

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

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Thursday, January 29, 2009

MOUNTAINEERS RIP ST. JOHN'S

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.

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Friday, January 23, 2009

DA ('SEAN) BUTLER DOES IT FOR WVU

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

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Wednesday, January 21, 2009

TOUGH STRETCH COMING FOR MOUNTAINEERS

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


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


Good luck!

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Friday, January 09, 2009

ATTENTION ALL WVU FANS: VOTE JOE INTO SLAM DUNK CONTEST

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

Check out the complete NBA Sprite Slam Dunk playlist for more videos of the rookies HERE!!

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!

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Thursday, December 11, 2008

WEST VIRGINIA DOESN'T LIKE TASTE OF CURRY

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.

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