Though Troy Nunes will beg to differ, Greg Paulus has WVU’s full attention this week. I, for one, thought WVU would have had Paulus’ attention for quite some time.

Surely you remember this, right?

As a reporter was leaving, the reserve Cam Thoroughman asked if Duke point guard Greg Paulus was one of the eight McDonald’s all-Americans. When told yes, Thoroughman said: “Oh my God. Are you kidding?”

It was one of those things that should have probably stayed in the locker room, if not Cam’s mind, but it also served as the arrival point for WVU’s bravado and swagger that’s since become identified with triumphs and is often missing from defeats.

It was also one of those things the Mountaineers could get away with at the time. Even if they were guilty of being a little disingenuous, you couldn’t argue with the result. They were quite offended they were given no chance because Duke was the opponent. They then basked in the reality players and not reputations win games. Additionally, it was highly unlikely the Mountaineers would ever see those Blue Devils again. Who cared what bulletin board it made?

Well, maybe the former Duke Point guard who is now Syracuse’s quarterback. And maybe not.

The Mountaineers took great pleasure in sharing the stage with the Blue Devils – see the palm-on-floor slap as proof – and greater pleasure in standing alone on it at the end.

“I do remember that very well because it ended our season and we were pretty good that year,” Paulus said. “Usually, whenever we got beat at Duke, they’d storm the floor. They definitely celebrated and made it to the next round.”

A few WVU players openly wondered how Duke had eight McDonald’s high school All-Americans and were incredulous how Paulus, who had 13 points and two assists and was 5-for-11 from the floor in 32 minutes, was among the group.

“I did not read about that and I don’t usually do that, but they beat us and that’s what happened,” was all Paulus would say.