The Sock 'Em, Bust 'Em Board Because that's our custom

Non-conference hoops schedule is awesome

Here it is and upon first glance there isn’t a whole lot to it:

Monday, Nov. 5, Glenville State (exhibition), Morgantown
Monday, Nov. 12, at Gonzaga ^, Spokane, Wash.
Thursday, Nov. 22, Old Spice Classic, Orlando, Fla.
Friday, Nov. 23, Old Spice Classic, Orlando, Fla.
Sunday, Nov. 25, Old Spice Classic, Orlando, Fla.
Thursday, Nov. 29, VMI, Morgantown
Wednesday, Dec. 5, vs. Marshall #, Charleston
Saturday, Dec. 8, Virginia Tech, Morgantown
Tuesday, Dec. 11, at Duquesne, Pittsburgh
Saturday, Dec. 15, vs. Michigan !, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Wednesday, Dec. 19, Oakland, Morgantown
Saturday, Dec. 22, Radford, Morgantown
Sunday, Dec. 30, Eastern Kentucky, Morgantown
Saturday, Jan. 19, at Purdue, West Lafayette, Ind.

But it’s actually a piece of work I’d like to take a moment to examine and express my appreciation for a job well done.

Glenville State’s three assistant coaches: former WVU point guard Joe Mazzulla, former WVU director of basketball operations Bill Lilly and former WVU center Rob Summers.

Gonzaga has the very rare treat of playing WVU in back-to-back games that count. And the two could actually play for a third time in five games that count in the championship game, or some consolation game, of the Old Spice Classic.

Then VMI begins the Ron Everhart Portion of the Schedule. He was an assistant there from 1986-88. He played his college ball at Virgnia Tech. He coached Duquesne the previous six seasons.

Marshall is Marshall, of course, but the wrinkle here is the Dec. 5 date. The two have played no earlier than Jan. 9 since 1998.

Michigan is coached by John Beilein and I’ll have to hide by pom-poms for that one. Oakland has a sophomore forward sitting out the 2012-13 season. You may have heard of him.

Radford has a sophomore shooter who was a four-time all-state player and set state records for career 3-pointers and steals. You may have heard of the kid’s older brother.

Then we get a look at Eastern Kentucky, which is coached by former Beilein assistant Jeff Neubauer. He has two 20-win seasons and one NCAA Tournament and one CBI appearance — and I’ve been told he should have a really good team next season.

Finally, the reason the Capital Classic is in December — Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind., and on CBS. That’s the site of one of the most hostile crowds a Bob Huggins team has encountered since he’s been back at WVU. It was also the site of a spectacular arrangement of officials.