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

USF taking Saturday very seriously

March 1, 2012 by Mike Casazza

Yikes. And to think, USF has a pretty good look at a two-round bye (beat WVU, have Marquette win at home against Georgetown or have Providence win at Notre Dame). So offer up some $10 tickets and some free T-shirt after what Stan Heath called the biggest win in USF history.

The Bulls are playing their home games at the St. Pete Tampa Bay Times Forum this year because the Sun Dome is undergoing renovations, but they’re 14-1 in the off-campus arena. Largest crowd? Try 6,784 … in the last home game … a noon start last Saturday against Cincinnati. I’m guessing they’ll top that Saturday, with WVU’s fans helping out a good bit.

I’m probably going to go overboard during the game blog praising Jawanza Poland — he missed the first 11 games and USF was 7-6 in non-conference play, so he’s pretty valuable … and he’s one of those players I have an irrational appreciation for — but get a look at Anthony Collins.

“(He is) a very good thinker; he doesn’t play like a freshman,” Louisville head coach Rick Pitino said. “He’s the best freshman point guard I’ve seen mentally in some time. He doesn’t rattle; he knows what to do.”

You may remember his brother. I travel tomorrow and have business I have to deal with the rest of the day today, so no F Double. I’ll make it up to you soon, I promise.

Adjusted expectations, and results, of Dominique Rutledge

by Mike Casazza

The junior college forward has gotten an extended run the past two games and he’s rewarded Bob Huggins with 14 points and 18 rebounds, 50-percent shooting and just two turnovers in 19 and 15 minutes.

With Kevin Jones getting double-teamed on the offensive glass — remember, he had zero offensive rebounds at Pitt — and Deniz Kilicli coming and going without warning, this is a potentially significant development for West Virginia at the end of the long and trying regular season.

And remember, no Kevin Noreen and no Pat Forsythe and Aaric Murray is sitting out to form what Huggins calls the 20 Feet of Humanity on the end of the bench.

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Oliver Luck could teach a Sneetch

by Mike Casazza

Full disclosure: A call from the home office yesterday asked me to track down Oliver Luck, which can be a fairly simple thing to do, only this time I was to ask the athletic director about reading Dr. Seuss to local children.

This did not get me excited.

Then I saw this picture …

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More interesting times inside the Coliseum

February 29, 2012 by Mike Casazza

Someone emailed me this morning and asked me a question … can’t remember who, exactly, but for some reason I want to say he was over the C-USA. I might have that wrong.

Anyhow, what he asked about was along the lines of what I tracked last night in the postgame. The tone, if not the suggestion, of many questions was that all was well again with WVU’s basketball team and, in particular, specific parts. The Mountaineers did look pretty good for most of the game for a change and, given the occasion, that was to be celebrated, I guess.

Never mind DePaul did exactly what DePaul does and the Mountaineers, to their credit, simply did what a DePaul opponent ought to do if it’s worth its weight in gold.

Or, in this case, fool’s gold.

I think the best part of the postgame — and this is what I’m writing about for Friday, for the record — is how young and old players scoffed at the notion things were fine again. They eschewed those questions.

Yes, yes, WVU scored and shot and guarded and rebounded on a level well above what it had done for a long, long time. Certain players were not themselves, which was perhaps the best news in weeks. Guys had confidence for either long or brief stretches. They took to their roles or played to their strengths and generally seemed to be much different than what Bob Huggins had griped about Friday night.

So, to them, kudos. Keep it up. Build on this.

Right?

Or is it another way? Given the opposition, that’s the kind of performance that was to be expected, especially if the Mountaineers are to be taken seriously by the NCAA’s selection committee. And yet there were just enough issues to keep Huggins upright in his seat in the film session.

The team fell asleep in the first half. DePaul scored a lot of points and, come to think of it, had some really good shots. Deniz, I feel, just didn’t get to the party on time. You still saw some people submit some sloppy turnovers and careless moments.

So, to them, you still are who you are, only it was good enough for one night to beat the program that for four straight years now is the worst in the Big East.

Right?

I honestly don’t know. I can see advantages of both approaches and I can certainly see drawbacks for both. Bob Huggins was in Minnesota this morning and the team has the day off, so there is time for the coach to put together his plan and get ready for Saturday’s potentially enormous situation in Tampa.

Huggins said last night things won’t come nearly as easy against USF as they did against DePaul and he touted the size and length the Bulls have and how they use it to be so good on defense.

A lot to think about here. Put on the pullover and put down Twitter: You’re Bob Huggins. What angle do you take with your team tomorrow?

Hey, 8-10 it is today

by Mike Casazza

WVU, now 3-7 in the past 10 games, which is a positive because it’s not 2-8, had a whale of a Senior Night Tuesday. So many things went right at a pretty ideal time and people walked off the floor and into an off day thinking “Hey, maybe we’re pulling it together here!”  When the Mountaineers had to script things right, it was hard to script things any better.

“It feels good to win,” Bryant said. “I’m not even going to talk about Senior Night. It just feels good to win.”

The Blue Demons (11-18, 2-15) were just what the Mountaineers needed. Set to finish in last place in the Big East for the fourth straight season, DePaul has the league’s worst field-goal percentage defense, scoring defense and rebounding margin.

WVU shot 31-for-61 and the 50.8 percent was the highest in 11 games. The 92 points was more than any other game except the 97-62 home win against Alcorn State Nov. 17. The Mountaineers outrebounded DePaul 47-27, their second-best rebounding total and rebounding margin all season and, again, behind just the Alcorn State game.

DePaul played into WVU’s strengths, which have been covered up by the opposition’s plans. Teams don’t spread out against the Mountaineers and instead pack the middle, which congests the area where WVU likes to rebound and dares the Mountaineers to make shots to win games.

DePaul presses and WVU was only rarely troubled on the way to its best offensive game in quite some time. The Mountaineers had just 11 turnovers and led by as many as 25 points. They tried only 11 3-point shots and had a season-high 46 points in the paint.

“When you press like that you spread the floor and when you open the floor you score more points,” Coach Bob Huggins said. “That’s the nature of our game. The more compacted things are, the less you score.”

Afterward, and right about the time bubble-dweller UConn suffered a brutal loss to Providence, that old moving target moved again. Opinions will differ on this, and right up through the end of next week, but more and more now WVU believes WVU is in the NCAA Tournament.

The opinion from the press row sitter is that West Virginia’s 92-75 victory in Tuesday’s Senior Night game puts Coach Bob Huggins’ team (18-12, 8-9) one win from an NCAA Tournament berth for a fifth consecutive season.

“I don’t know if we need any more,” Huggins replied when asked about an NCAA bid-clinching wins number. “I think we’re in pretty good shape. I’d feel a whole lot better with a couple more, but …”

WVU v. DePaul: Demons will be exercised or exorcised

February 28, 2012 by Mike Casazza
Special thanks to Kevin Jones for posing for this picture and to his barber for making it happen.

To begin this evening, please welcome erstwhile colleague and my first boss in Morgantown, Jason Martin. Formerly of the Daily Athenaeum and then the Daily Mail, a WVU graduate armed now with a Ph.D. from the Indiana University School of Journalism, Martin is now an assistant professor at, ahem, DePaul.

He reports, you decide …

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Nearly out of things to say about Kevin Jones

by Mike Casazza

The supply will be exhausted not long after he wins Big East Player of the Year Tuesday — Bob Huggins said there ought to be an investigation if his senior doesn’t win the award … and I’d love to cover that –and deservedly so. In all seriousness, Mr. Jones has been a treat to deal with for four seasons now. Never a problem. Not once. And this season, when, speaking for myself, I’ve asked him some hard questions, he’s accepted and answered every one and with a level of candor you don’t often receive. So good for him. And good for us that we’re not out of things to call him just yet.

Enter tonight’s opposing coach, Oll Purnell.

“If I had to describe him it would be one word — warrior. He’s been a warrior since I’ve been in the league. He does what he does. He rebounds, he scores, he leads. He’s an inspiration to his team.”

Interesting times inside the Coliseum

by Mike Casazza

So tonight is a must-win for West Virginia inside the Coliseum. No other way to label a late-February game against DePaul, which then got me thinking. When was the last time the Mountaineers played a must-win regular-season game this late in the season? Had to be 2007, right?

This is new stuff for WVU and these fresh experiences produce different reactions. You see some players are tight and some aren’t playing well. Bob Huggins has, shall we say, voiced his displeasure after recent games. It’s all on a string, if you think about it, and it happens even when we aren’t looking.

WVU’s RPI will drop with tonight’s game, regardless of the outcome, from 50 to 50-something. USF visit Louisville on Wednesday, but the RPI will rise, regardless of the outcome, from 47 to 40-something.

The feeling around the WVU Coliseum is an unusual one, as uncertain as it’s been in February since 2007, when the Mountaineers ended up winning the NIT. These Mountaineers don’t like the sound of that, much like they didn’t like the sound of Sunday’s practice.

“It was weird,” Bryant said. “Coach usually spends the whole time yelling at us. (Sunday) he was cool, calm and collected.

“He’s going through some things himself and it’s rough. Losing is rough on everyone.”

‘Are you (kidding) me?’

February 27, 2012 by Mike Casazza

Believe it or not, we’re not the only ones who have heard about and dissected the pointed and seemingly pessimistic comments Bob Huggins let loose Friday night. Either your suspicions or your worst fears were confirmed Monday afternoon: The players hear, read or hear about that stuff, too, though I’d have to think it would be hard to avoid that particular episode.

The opinions? Well, they were interesting, though plucked only from Truck Bryant and Kevin Jones, who as seniors  have the best background to draw upon to have the conversation I wanted to have.

For starters, that postgame scene is not nearly as normal as we profess and believe.

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Huggins takes aim at moving target

by Mike Casazza

Just back from today’s senior-laden basketball interviews. Bob Huggins says 9-9 in the Big East is good enough for an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.

Ahem, let’s be honest. If they win these next two games, the Mountaineers are in the field. If they win these next two and then again on the first day of the Big East Tournament, they avoid the play-in game. They have a lot  of numbers in their favor … but they need the wins to be on their side.