Credit to the Mountaineer Maniacs, who must have done their founder proud last night. Perhaps weary from being called out by the head coach the past two years, WVU’s student section was at its very best last night for Mountaineer Madness.

Somehow, Bob Huggins was able to get Adreian Payne, only one of the best high school players in America, on campus for an official visit last night. This wasn’t a real secret, but rather a tremendous coup. Everyone had their version of Madness last night and Payne is a coveted prospect. WVU got him for the weekend. I left last night with the feeling if Payne went elsewhere, it was not fault of the Mountaineers. Or their maniacs.

Recruiting is a tricky and vastly governed practice and these on-campus visits are especially difficult to navigate. We media, for example, would not be premitted to speak to Payne because it could be interpreted as a benefit. WVU couldn’t mention his name or even acknowledge his presence. So on and so forth.

That led to a neat little dynamic last night when those hip to what was happening were wondering how this might unfold. See Payne in the lower right-hand corner videotaping the love.

At one point, a player, without ever saying a word and managing to maintain the requisite silence, asked for attention, ran over to where Payne was seated and started pointing at Payne. An assistant flew over to said player and pulled him away before anything ever happened. Phew!