The coaches are about to jump on stage for their press conferences soon, and I’m certain we’ll discover they’re pals and that they don’t agree on the ambulance story, but I’m just as sure they’ll entertain.

As a crash course, get to know a little more about the coaches and their competitive relationship.

“John and I go back 30, 40 years,” Huggins said Sunday night inside Nationwide Arena, where WVU had just ousted fourth-seeded Maryland, 69-59, to advance to the second week of the NCAA tournament. “We know each other really, really well and we’ve played against each other a bunch of times.”

Huggins, who clinched his seventh Sweet Sixteen appearance with two wins in three days in Columbus, Ohio over the weekend, caught himself. He felt he misused “played” and needed to say “coached,” but it was an opportunity to let his dry humor emerge for a moment.

“Coached,” he said, correcting his previous statement. “Coached against each other a bunch of times. I wish I could play against Cal — we’d have a better chance.”