Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which is starting to feel a little like the Radford Highlanders because it, too, is being dominated by Alex Ruoff. The suddenly divisive guard talked and walked his way into the conversation this week by first calling out his team and teammates and then playing well while his teammates, quite frankly, got the hint.

WVU was just better than Marshall from the very beginning Wednesday night and it’s been a while since I saw someone — even Ruoff — run a pregame layup line like he did inside the Civic Center. Then the Mountaineers started 8-for-13 with six assists for an 18-8 lead. Wellington Smith didn’t have it, but Cam Thoroughman came in and gave WVU all it was missing. Yeah, it was the first score, but Cam’s bounce pass to Ebanks for the dunk was a signature play. Is that the first or last time Thoroughman gets double-teamed?

Truck Bryant, who Ruoff warned about a lax attitude before the Marquette game, had a career-high 22 points and was as assertive as ever. As for Ruoff, he didn’t light it up, but he did get 15 points and five assists with no turnovers in 37 minutes and he had at least three plays when he tapped a rebound for a teammate to grab. Heady stuff. Afterward, he addressed the mouthy stuff.

“One thing I always want to do is come out and lead by example and play as hard as I can,” he said. “Some of the things I said after the Marquette game was in-house stuff and I really shouldn’t have broadcast that. A couple of guys read that and it really hit home, but that’s something that needs to stay inside from now on.”

All in all, I’d say he handled the entire situation perfectly and should regret nothing.

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, make sure you’re doing things the right way. 

 Karl said:

I’m getting a little tired of hearing all these Alex Ruoff comments. There’s a fine line between being a motivator and a divider. If he doesn’t watch it, I think he risks making his locker room a tense place. Ever worked in an office with someone like that — the guy who’s always criticizing his co-workers when his own work isn’t all that much to brag about? Ruoff is a senior who has played some big games, but he’s not a franchise player.

When I watch the Mounties play, I don’t see a lack of hustle as their problem. Far from it. They sure as hell didn’t beat Ohio State like that because they’re more talented. What I see is a team that has some fundamental holes — they don’t shoot very well and they’re too small. We’re talking about a Big East team that plays Wellington Smith, a small forward, at center. The only way you can win like that is through hustle.

We all know Mike’s just out to sell papers here, as his message board friend suggested. Mike, why don’t you tell everybody how much of a commission you make for every paper sold? lol

I can see the distaste of Ruoff’s rants, but, again, I think it worked out, whether it was planned or not. Not only that, but he was right. The great concern for WVU is it can play the way it did at Ohio State and have tangible results, then forget all about it and play the way it did at Marquette. Of course, that was an eight-minute collapse, so maybe Ruoff should have avoided the nuclear option. Ruoff, though, is the guy who will carry the torch and throw those flames. He’s their leader and I think he kind of likes the heat, too. 

Jeff said:

From what I’ve seen, it looks like Ruoff has gotten a little cocky, being that he’s the only senior. Huggins can say what he wants, when he wants, to whom he wants…he’s the coach. Ruoff needs to worry about his game and perfect it before he thinks he has the right to critique anyone else’s performance, especially in public! It’s simply uncalled for and will only lead to problems in the locker room, if it hasn’t already.

If this crap doesn’t get fixed soon, we’ll be lucky to get an NIT invite. If that happens, there’s no one to blame but the players.

Fair points, but if he doesn’t do it, who else does? He felt it was necessary — it bugged him after the Kentucky loss, it really bugged him after the Marquette loss — so he dealt with it. Some guys are wired that way. They can say stuff, deal with the reaction and then carry on. Good for him. I have no proof his teammates got mad at him, though I would assume some did. Yet those teammates respect him because he works hard — a fact Huggins wholly agreed with this week — and will throw himself under the bus, too. Yes, it might get old over time and wear his teammates out, but he did admit an error and said it shouldn’t happen that way again.

ENShawkins said:

Good to know that Ruoff realized he went off the deep end after the Marquette game. Shows some maturity. If I were Huggins, I would put a gag order on Ruoff for 24 hours after every loss.  

Here’s the thing with this team. The players are always hard on themselves after a loss. They’re going to lose again and look bad again. How will they react after this episode and does it take an incremental toll throughout an 18-game conference season? It’s worth watching.

Jeff said:

I’d love to see Joe traded to the Grizzlies. I’d get to see him play more, and he might get a few more minutes.  

Doesn’t look like it’ll happen. However, he’s starting to play earlier and more often and had 13 points, five rebounds and five assists Wednesday night. Is it a phase, an audition, an experiment or a beginning?

overtheSEC said:

Bill Stewart here with today’s injury report:
“Ol’ Cam took a whack, Number 3 conked his noggin, and Big Joe Mazzulla has a shoulder thing.”

I don’t think he said that.

Karl said:

Bill Stewart continues:

Joe Mazzulla will be ready to go, 100 percent, against Marshall Wednesday night. It’s a miracle how fast he’s recovered!  

Did I miss this press conference?

Bill Stewart said:

If they are hurt…h-u-r-t…then they will sit. If they are hurtING, they will play. Joe Mazzulla, lads and lassies, is hurt. Jonnie West is hurt. The rest of those rascals? They’re fine. Just a little dinged.  

Stop it!

Homer said:

There’s enough shine in Cam’s black eye to solar power the world.  

Dear Coach Stewart,
Please forgive the commentors on my blog.

Blessings,
Caz 

ccteam said:

WV has been blessed with two of the best coaches in college basketball these past several years. I’m bought in totally with Huggins’ defense, rebounding and toughness, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss the precision passing, backdoor cuts and wide open threes of the Beilein era. The Wake Forest game in the tourney is, and may always be my favorite WV basketball memory.

The dichotomy is great and in a twisted sort of way guys like Ruoff and Butler and Mazzulla are better suited to play the Huggins way because of Beilein’s way. That said, Huggins won’t spread the floor as much a few years and a few recruiting classes down the road, but he too smart not to use the personnel Beilein coached and recruited here. Put the two opposite one another in March and on a neutral floor and … no, I don’t want to jinx it. 

Jeff said:

Wow…that would be phenomenal game! Of course, a lot can happen between now and March, but I’d love to see this matchup! What basketball fan WOULDN’T watch this?!?!?!? 

Wait for it …

Birch said:

Jeff asked:
What basketball fan WOULDN’T watch this?!?!?!?

Dan Dakich.

Wait for it …

overtheSEC said:

I’d really, really hate to see it came down to free throws.  

Outstanding work.

JX said:

Well, Caz, what WOULD Gansey wear to this game?

Surely you aren’t suggesting he’d wear Maize and Blue….   

Quote Michael Gansey: “I am not really sure…I would be torn on who to root for. I would wear one of those jerseys or shirts like Brady Quinn’s sister wore when ND played OSU….half and half.”

overtheSEC said:

Ever the optimist, I’m going to proactively say that early enrollment is tough logistically and I hope any change of plans speaks more to a 17/18 year old not being able to meet all the requirements in such a short amount of time and not a reflection of someone reconsidering their verbal.

Exactly. It’s not a reflection of the student’s desire to get a head start or even his academic reputation. It’s frequently a matter of the high school graduation dates not matching up with the college enrollment dates. Geno Smith, for example, really wanted (wants!) to be here now. He kept getting visits from other schools — including that school, I’m told — and he and his coach kept saying, “Thanks, but no thanks.” To enroll early, you have to have all the proper high school paperwork complete and submitted in time to be processed by the college. WVU got going before Smith could do some of the things needed to enroll. Not his fault. Not WVU’s fault, either. Another thing to remember is sometimes a kid doesn’t get it in his head until late in the game that he can graduate/enroll early. It can be difficult to get all that done with a late start.

Erinn said:

I knew there was a good reason I stay away from the message boards. I really wish I hadn’t gone over there today. The one dude, “BigMacQue,” doesnt think you are an insider. If you aren’t, then I’m not sure who is. I guess he doesn’t realize that for everything you publish that he disagrees with there are novels upon novels of so much more that you don’t print. And guess what? You were right. I hope BigMacQue is still reading the DM. But BMQ doesn’t think the DM is a “definitive news source,” so he/she might have missed it. I hope someone puts a link up over there for him (hint, hint).

Anywaystupidmessageboard, don’t ever link over there again. Ever. Treat it like a Finder article or whatever you have to do, but don’t ever go over there again. Please. I can’t take it.

Please, do not feed the bears! Hey, if I take no offense to the ramblings, why then should anyone else? There are practical purposes for the message boards, but one is a platform for people to project certain ideas and images. If you read, you then have a choice to take it seriously or take it for what it is: an anonymous message free of accountability. I think we can make up our mind rather simply on this example. Also, let’s be clear to differentiate between the boards and the actual Web sites, which generate and deliver news and original content.

thacker said:

Re: Message Boards

Imagine what it must be like for a player to read such. In those places, there is always way more hat than there is cattle.

——–

To the apparent disarray, tough to compensate experience with talent alone.

Believe me, some of them read the message boards.

Josh said:

yeah well a lot of people know what happened to Hogan on the boards, but they are just keeping quiet to be respectful toward him. it’s a personal situation and I actually applaud the message boards for not continuously talking about his situation.

Sacracsm, thy name is Josh!

Karl said:

Hogan just needs to keep training hard, saying his prayers and taking his vitamins.

Enjoy the weekend!