We thought we’d escaped it, or at least gotten off easily as Erik Slaughter’s exit was tidily repaired by the addition of Damon Cogdell, but yesterday proved one thing once again …
Let me fill this layover by going over a few things, beginning with the Twitter activities of Dana Holgorsen, who he’s following and why.
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The numbers say the Big 12 has the best and deepest basketball league. I have to think it’s the most entertaining, too. Every time one of the league’s game is on television, the chances are pretty good that it’s going to be pretty entertaining. That expectation is reinforced a couple times every week now.
Maybe that has to do with the concentration of games reserved for the league’s top-shelf teams, but maybe it has more to do with there being a bunch of good offensive teams, irresistible individual talents, clever coaches and effective home courts.
And for one reason or another, WVU is becoming one of those teams that makes for good television.
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According to a WVU statement:
West Virginia University defensive coordinator Keith Patterson has voluntarily left the football program and is no longer a member of the coaching staff.
“I want to thank Keith for his two years that he spent coaching in our program,” head coach Dana Holgorsen said. “He was a valuable member of our staff, and we wish him nothing but the best.”
The school has no further comment at this time.
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WVU reached its scholarship limit with Wednesday’s signing class, picked up a surprise offensive lineman and a rankings-boosting running back and addressed a bunch of needs by getting players whose hometowns are in 12 states and Washington, D.C.
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Among the many things Bob Huggins discussed after Wednesday night’s win against No. 21 Oklahoma is that his team is now 1-16 in the past 17 games against ranked teams. And that’s cool because an entertaining and likable team probably didn’t deserve to break the school record of 20 straight losses.
Sound byte!
Your thoughts? Because I don’t entirely agree.
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Live on press row just in time for the tip of tonight’s game here at the Coliseum. And I wasn’t the only one who was late to the party. My fingers were tied hammering away at signing day stories, but check out what the Sooners were made to go through to get here.
Oklahoma arrived at 5:40 p.m. Sheesh.
As I hurry to the finish here and the start out there, I offer you the story line: WVU’s bad/improving defense against Oklahoma’s prolific, precise and balanced offense.
Let’s hit it….
G’morning. Surprised to see me this early? You should have seen the look on my wife’s face.
Anyhow, we’re live and sipping coffee in the Tier 4 studio this morning as we dig in to cover national signing day at WVU. I’ll update this throughout and try to get to as many questions as I can in the comments. The Mountaineers have their press conference at 3 p.m. and I’ll post that soon after it’s finished. Then it’s off to the Coliseum for WVU v. Oklahoma.
Here’s the situation entering the day — and it’s pretty simple.
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It’s one thing to play point guard in the Big 12 and do so for more than 37 minutes per game. It’s another to rank second in the league in scoring and lead the league in assists. Staten does all of this because WVU needs it and because Staten is able to stay on the floor.
Nobody in the conference is playing more and fouling less than Staten, which is sort of remarkable when you consider how the new rules are supposed to make things harder on a point guard. But he’s fifth in the conference in steals and is just never in foul trouble.
And here’s the nutshell statistic: He’s played six games without committing a foul and five games when he committed more than two. Ridiculous.
“He’s probably our best perimeter defender,” Huggins said. “Actually, he is our best perimeter defender. Actually, he’s our best defender, now that I think about it.”
Only three other players in the Big 12 average at least 25 minutes and have committed fewer fouls – and none of them play as much as Staten.
Baylor’s Kenny Chery averages 28.3 minutes and has committed 30 fouls. Texas Tech’s Toddrick Gotcher averages 26.7 minutes and has matched State’s foul total. TCU’s Amric Fields is the only other player averaging 30 minutes per game with fewer fouls and he’s missed seven games while committing 25 fouls.
“I feel like it makes me look like a weak defender when I foul,” Staten said. “I feel like if you foul it’s because somebody put you in a situation where you’re hopeless. I don’t like to be put in that situation.”
WVU’s deputy athletic director will work from now until June 30 in a remote location off campus and give his time and attention to special projects assigned by Oliver Luck. He’s also allowed to work as a consultant or accept a full-time position outside of the university and still receive the remainder of his salary, plus all the bells and whistles he’s accustom to, as long as he does his work for WVU. On July 1, WVU will pay him $325,000.
When all’s said and done, Parsons will leave with around $400,000, two football and men’s and women’s basketball season tickets for as long as he wants them, plus parking passes for football and basketball the next two seasons, as well as a glowing letter of recommendation from WVU. In turn, he can’t disparage WVU, nor can WVU speak ill of him, and Parsons must release WVU from and and all claims he may have had up until Jan. 27, when he and Oliver Luck signed the settlement agreement that spells out everything you’ve just read.
It’s a tidy settlement agreement for Parsons and probably even for WVU because there’s a certain piece of mind in no longer having to worry about Parsons. And if one thing can be taken from yesterday’s news, it’s that Parsons gave WVU reason to worry.
The settlement agreement, signed Jan. 27 by Parsons and athletic director Oliver Luck, further asserts tension between Parsons and Luck preceded last week’s action. The document says Parsons “raised various allegations and legal claims against the University and Mr. Luck” but that WVU denies “all such claims past and present” made by Parsons.
WVU v. Oklahoma was moved from Sept. 27 to Sept. 20. So now WVU plays Alabama, Towson, Maryland and the Sooners in succession and then has an open week Sept. 27.
