Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which is going to win. True, it’s one me/us to make that stick, but predictions are OK. Confidence is encouraged. Personality is a plus. This is why we like Daxter Miles.

Surely you know his story and that which he said on the eve of the Sweet Sixteen loss to Kentucky. I’ll not rehash my opinion here, but the way he was treated left a bad taste in my mouth, and my reaction was wrought with worry. If you poll the people who cover WVU hoops, Miles wins the vote for Most Quotable. He’s funny and willing, but he’s also good for good answers. He avoids cliches and thinks about his responses before giving you a reply that makes you think.

Would that experience change him? Tranquilize him? Silence him? Well, Miles is talking, thank goodness. He just spent a month home in Baltimore, the first time he’d been back since the loss to Kentucky, and he’s moved past what happened, but he’s not so far gone that he’ll never be the same.

Miles hadn’t been to Baltimore since the season ended in Cleveland. His friends and his family from Charm City could put him at ease in person after the game or over the phone in the time that followed, but being in their presence was different. It was better.

“Nobody brought any negativity to me,” he said. “They know what I’m capable of as a basketball player, and they know how I am, so it was basically love all around. It was great to surround myself with a lot of positive people.

“I’d never had a break that long in college, so it was fun to be around my people outside the team and outside Morgantown and to be around my family and to enjoy my friends and play basketball freely instead of having to obsess about every little thing.”

Life there was as he remembered it. His friends were fun. His family was welcoming. Those were the people he loved to be around, and it was refreshing to know they hadn’t changed. It was a reminder he needed to remain the same, too.

Miles wants to have fun playing basketball and to get the most out of his opportunity with the Mountaineers. He won’t shrink into a shell. He isn’t hiding from interviews. He worries only about being better the next time he’s in a WVU uniform.

“I’m going to be the same person I always have been,” he said. “Of course I’m going to make changes to my game to better myself and help my teammates, but as far as everything else, I’m still Dax. The only people I have to answer to are God and my coaches and teammates. If it’s not those guys, I really don’t care. I’m here to play for them.”

I know it’s not even Flag Day yet, and football will secure our attention before and for longer than basketball, but the basketball season just got better.

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, have some pride.

Clarence Oveur said:

Re: Tyrek Cole, he supposedly tweeted on June 1 “Leave This Weekend 4 College”.

Interested to see how this plays out…

Well, another session starts at the end of the month, so he could be in town and hanging around because he wants to. Cole and Xavier Pegues were both in the student directory, but neither enrolled this week. That isn’t a prerequisite for any sort of ugly outcome, though. Let’s circle their names and see where this goes.

ffejbboc said:

Mike, have heard rumblings that Lindsay might have a medical condition that might possibly end his football career. Anything?

Also, was Ka’Raun White a January enrollee along with the two QBs? Don’t remember him from Spring game.

Not a lot to say about Lindsay, but he’s not here. He’s not part of the North-South Football Classic, either, and that’s next weekend. White graduated in May and enrolled right after that, so you have no memories for a reason.

SheikYbuti said:

No matter how you slice it, we’re going to have to iron out a solid plan to avoid getting the shaft, which means we need to tee up our best efforts and wedge our way into the prime recruiting circles if we have any hope of putting the wood to the traditional powers and hooking our share of blue-chip prospects, or even those at the fringe.

You used every club in the bag for that one.

MontanaEer said:

That was rough, Sheik.

That, too.

SheikYbuti said:

One sentence. Five lines. Ten puns. I’d say that’s about par for the course.

My expectations for the golf team, even long-term, are fairly modest. I’d say they’re about the same as swimming and diving, rowing, gymnastics, and track/cross country. In other words, the team will have its moments and perhaps garner some individual plaudits, but it will struggle to acquire national relevance (although the gymnastics and cross country teams do generally compete at the fringes of the national rankings). That’s fine. The main thing is that the athletes represent WVU well and advance their career goals (which typically won’t be on the PGA circuit).

I had to read the second paragraph a few times because I didn’t see the jokes and I was sure I was missing something. Then I realized it was just sincere and rational and I was so disappointed that I had to withdraw.

Dann White said:

Sloppy? I disagree! Karl has shown an amazing nose for the play since he was a true freshman. While its true that run support is his strongest suit, he arrived in Morgantown already displaying the best instincts for defense of all on the squad.
I am eager to see how he performs with a strong supporting cast, my guess is a 1st or second round draft pick. One big question: Can he return punts??????
Dann

Eh, Joseph has his less-than-tidy moments, and that’s part of the package. He leaves his feet. He throws himself at plays. He attacks from angles and through creases. When he does that sort of stuff — and it’s not always that he does — it costs him precision. You’ll take the fantastic plays with the frustration.

Drew said:

Dann, Karl has hurt some of his own teammates by being somewhat reckless. It’s a valid criticism. He’s also not great in pass coverage. With his (lack of) size and his strength against the run/weakness in coverage I don’t see any way he gets drafted that high. I hope he gets drafted, but my guess would be 3rd round at best, and that might even be a stretch. The NFL is a passing league with a focus on concussion prevention. It just doesn’t value run-stopping, big-hitting safeties nearly as much these days. If nothing else, I’m sure his physicality could be made use of on special teams and in situational defense, though.

I heard the feedback Joseph received was he was a fringe second/third-day player, which means third round or later. There are also differing opinions about where or how he’s used (he’s not big enough to be a safety, so he’s a nickel back; he isn’t great in coverage, so he’s a safety; he’s not big enough to be a safety and he’s not great in coverage, so no thanks, etc.). He’s probably near his ceiling with that projection, but there is room to move up. The first round would seem highly unlikely, if only because the way safeties aren’t getting drafted that high anymore and that Joseph doesn’t break that mold. But, yeah, a more precise senior year with enhanced coverage (which has improved through the years) and he can be a second-day pick. You can watch Joseph on film and like a lot of what you see and purse your lips at other things you see, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he cracked the second round.

chocolate covered bacon said:

The defense should be well represented in the next NFL draft. This defense reminds me a lot of the 2007 unit, and probably has more depth on paper. Someone gets drafted high/mid in the first round, and a number go on the first day.

To me, the thing about Joseph, he hasn’t matured, or improved significantly since his freshman season. There has been improvement, just not on the level we all expected. Now, as a senior should that growth present itself Joseph could be that first round pick. You can coach toughness to a point, and typically that’s what you have to do for a safety in run support. If Joseph can improve in coverage and become a complete safety his draft stock and the defense overall will be fantastic.

I think the kid was hurt by the turnover on the staff. With Gibby and the coaches coming back for a second year Joseph doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. There were a lot of holes on the defense and Joseph was perceived as a strength. Joseph wasn’t broke so why fix him with everything else that needs fixed on defense. Now that all those things appear fixed, there is time for some fine tuning on Joseph’s cover skills.

I am very excited to see how this defense stacks up in the Big-12. Statistically, I believe the defense this season would rival the 2010 unit if they still played in the Big East. With all of the offenses in the Big-12 those statistics, and rankings, take a hit.

Hmm. Interesting. I wonder who gets drafted. Up front, Kyle Rose is a late possibility for unheralded work, but he’s not vividly dynamic. I doubt Nwachukwu skips his senior season, but what a season he could have. The linebacker crop is a bit more interesting. Kwiatkoski will get picked and has a chance to secure a higher spot, but Jared Barber, Shaq Petteway and Ed Muldrow leave you looking for a bit more. Terrell Chestnut will get picked — scouts like him because he’s so anonymous — and can make some money this year. Daryl Worley is eligible and might have a decision to make because scouts like him, too. I think K.J. Dillon has all the tools to get picked and at least challenge Joseph for “Who gets picked first?” I’ll agree and disagree with one point. Joseph hasn’t made wild improvements through the years, but Joseph started off as a pretty good player and got better in his first season. In addition, you’re right, the coaching situation messed with him, and he changed positions again last season. This is the first time he’s had any continuity, and what better time to improve than right now?

SheikYbuti said:

I’m thinking this defense will be better than the overrated units under Rodriguez and Stewart, but not nearly as good as 1996, which was probably our best defense in my lifetime. As a young lad, I watched Sam Huff and Chuck Howley in the NFL, but I wasn’t around to see them in college.

So far 1996 and 2007 have been been mentioned. The 1996 defense was nuts. I can’t believe this is that. The 2007 defense was grown men who’d been around a few years and knew precisely what they had to do, and there were a lot of them. Personally, I think this defense might not be as good as either of those or as good as the (summer) predictions suggest, but I think the Big 12 is going to have a lot do to with it, and the defensive line isn’t getting near the concern it likely warrants. Those other two defenses had great fronts. My comparison is this: The outlook between the 2009 and 2010 seasons. The 2009 defense was pretty good and brought back a lot of players a year later. It turned out to be very good. I think the preamble is very similar. Who knows where it goes, though?

Joe Dryler said:

So, if I understand correctly, the most exciting and iconic college basketball play in history – the Laettner shot – was just legislated out of the game in the name of excitement? Sean Woods had just hit a shot, Duke called a timeout, and there was 2.1 seconds left in overtime. Way to go NCAA, way to go.

You are correct, but that’s the women’s game. And if we’re being honest, that play doesn’t work almost all of the time. You might get the right throw and maybe you get the catch, but combining the throw with the catch and then asking the offensive player to take and make the shot under duress is an extraordinary task. Out of 100 times it happens, what, seven?

netbros said:

I don’t like foul shots!

So I’m all on board with the four quarter women’s game and its companion rule of five fouls per quarter before free throws.

I get the factor that the game-watching experience plays in all of this, but when you start moving the ball around at the end of the game and you take away the one-and-one, you’re also removing much of the strategy involved with and the execution required in late-game scenarios. I’m not sure I’m in love with that. I like making a team win the game for 40 minutes, whether that’s split up into halves or quarters. 

Sid Brockman said:

I don’t like the “advance the ball” rule, even in the NBA. Why would you be allowed to advance the ball at the end of the game, but not any other time? And why are we rewarding teams for calling a timeout? To my knowledge, in no other sport can you just skip half of your distance to the goal by doing nothing.

Common critique, and I won’t quibble. I’d be shocked if in an honest moment someone involved told you it isn’t for postseason play appeal. 

rickinpa said:

I take it that the five seconds rule that was eliminated is only during on court play but not on an out of bounds play, is that correct? 

I believe so, but there’s some confusion over this. The inbound rule applies, but the way the NCAA wrote the release, it’s abolished for uninterrupted dribbling. In theory, it would exist if someone is trapped — and remember, a coach can’t call a timeout. I’ve been told it’s for any live-ball defense, though.

Ron from Morgantown said:

If WVU and Marshall hook up in the “Heart of Dallas ” ( it will never happen but it’s June and we have nothing else to talk about ) then it’s safe to say both programs would have underachieved big time and 1 head coach probably wouldn’t be retained .

Can’t disagree with any of that, especially the part about “it will never happen.” It won’t. Dallas doesn’t care about two teams from West Virginia, and fans who can’t get the game in the Mountain State — and/or who don’t want the game — won’t give enough damns to go there over Christmas. It’s not Texas v. Texas A&M or Kanas v. Missouri or Pitt v. WVU. It would be a box office disaster. I have to think both schools and both conferences would lobby against the assignment. They’d want different (Read: better) opponents and would much, much, much rather have a bowl date in Florida, and that assumes both conferences are looking out for those schools. The Big 12 would surely want a team closer to Dallas in Dallas, and I’m sure the bowl would, as well.

SheikYbuti said:

So you’re saying there are benefits to finishing 8th or lower in a conference with 7 bowl slots?

Essentially, yes.

tls62pa said:

Satellite camp exposure is essential to college wrestling. That’s where you make and grow your connections. As an individual sport, one’s decision to attend a certain school is much more dependent on the coach than it is the team. Wrestling coaches can naturally be more hands on and play more of an effect on an athlete’ career than in other sports.

I like how you make out the importance of his connections. Coach is near the top of the chain in terms of connections. It’s also important that you noted Sunkist/Mountaineer Regional Training Center. This is crucial to athletes who are looking for additional opportunities above and beyond collegiate wrestling. The most elite wrestlers have those international competition objectives, and a strong regional training center is another tool to attract them to WVU. This also leads to elite wrestlers training in your room that the college guys can look up to and train with. That can be a whole story in its own. Having a staff with Felix, Marable, Dom Bradley, and even Clarissa Chun is all part of this.

Good work on this story, Mike. It’s still only scratching the surface of how Coach Henson ‘ s connections and training will play in establishing the program.

tls62pa (als0) said:

Surprised he’s going to Kansas and Texas for camps, tho. Those states are totally outside the blue bloods of high school wrestling. Not much talent coming from them.

On another note though, it wasn’t hard getting Coach Felix and Bradley to come to run a clinic at our wrestling club in central PA. My buddy I coach with was a good wrestler for us in his time at WVU and has a good relationship with Coach Felix. It was a good opportunity for the young kids to see elite wrestlers/coaches, while the coaches got to get an eye on how some of our elite guys were working in the room…

If you’d like to read more about Sammie Henson, there’s tls62pa for you. As for Kansas and Texas, they’re annual haunts for Henson — Wichita and the cities he’ll visit in Texas have population, as well — but maybe his kids like it! Given the way he pulled prospects from all other places, I’ll assume he knows what he’s doing. He pulled in a really wide net this year.

I love you, Doug! said:

When in August does football practice start?

Enjoy the weekend!

P.S. Late July.