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

Memories of the way they were

December 13, 2010 by Mike Casazza

Pretty tough talk out of the postgame last night at the Consol Center, where it was made very clear by Bob Huggins that he’s tired of certain habits exhibited by certain players.

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Tis the season

December 11, 2010 by Mike Casazza

Bowl season at WVU is typically dotted with things that have nothing to do with the game and the opponent. Happens everywhere, actually, but it seems every year the Mountaineers are made to deal with a lot of it. Some of it cannot be avoided, some of it should never happen and all of it must be discussed.

It can get quite silly, but let’s not call this the silly season — we media aren’t making these stories up.

And so it was Saturday WVU had its first bowl practice/media gathering in a season Bill Stewart said contained “distractions everywhere.” A rundown of the issues covered and mostly stiff-armed:

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Friday Feedback

December 10, 2010 by Mike Casazza

Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which sits on the back porch this morning and readies the toboggan as the snow falls. Bowl practice starts tomorrow at WVU with some coach and player availability afterward and a Bill Stewart press conference to follow. There might be one or two or 12 things to talk about, yes?

I expect to see both Jeff Mullen and Barry Brunetti at practice, although it could change as both seem to be pretty fluid situations. Not sure we’ll get to talk to them, but I figure it’s a possibility, and more for Mullen than for Brunetti.

Then again, it wouldn’t be unusual for an assistant coach up for a head coaching job to say, “Listen, I start bowl practice Dec. 11. Kind of need to know by then, ok?” It wouldn’t be unusual for a coach to tweet a player into his office and kindly say, “You can get a head start on your departure, ok?”

Still, it’d behoove everyone involved to have both around, though I’m sure everyone would be happy for Mullen if he were absent. As for Brunetti, you push him out now and you really hurt the other backups and the young kids who will have a different QB giving them all those passes and all those reps that make the 15 bowl practices so valuable.

Plus, for all we know, the players may have already known. They’re together lifting weights and preparing for exams, to say nothing of just hanging out with one another, and since they’re all in college, I’ll have to assume they can read writing on wall. Again, tough spot for Brunetti, but it’s hard not to totally understand his decision here. The kid can play. He’ll go get his chance now … and we’d be naive to think the wheels aren’t already moving in a specific direction.

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, make your list and check it twice.

(Also, handshakes for SheikYbuti for the ACBL stuff. Good sport, he is. The same may be said for bridge. I extend this courtesy:

SheikYbuti said:

Is it poor timing and/or bad form to claim victory in the blog’s preseason prediction poll? Yes? Oh, well. Believe me, I take only the grimmest of pleasure at the semi-accuracy of my picks.

SheikYbuti says:
July 6, 2010 at 5:46 pm

. . . . . .

1. Connecticut
2. Pitt
3. West Virginia

. . . . . .

4. Cincinnati
5. South Florida

. . . . . .

6. Rutgers
7. Syracuse
8. Louisville)

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Chat transcript

December 9, 2010 by Mike Casazza

This was our 110 meter hurdles edition. Longer than a sprint with some obstacles along the way. Do enjoy.

Chat on Mullen, Wolfpack, etc. at 2 pm

by Mike Casazza

Talk about plenty to talk about. Imagine the many things we can discuss when we meet again at 2 o’clock this afternoon. The bowl, the basketball team, the sideline attire of Bob Huggins, the Jill Kramer recruiting class and the Kent State coaching search.

(Update: Barry Brunetti is gone.)

Best of a multitude of texts/emails from the past 24 hours … and I probably earned this one: Will you and Mullen ride a toboggan built for two at Kent State?

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Your thoughts?

December 8, 2010 by Mike Casazza

Jeff Mullen and Kent State are giving one another the eye.

Big East superlatives are out

by Mike Casazza

UConn’s Jordan Todman is the (unanimous) offensive player of the year. Pitt DL Jabaal Sheard is the defensive player of the year. USF’s Lindsey Lamar is the special teams player of the year. Louisville’s Hakeem Smith is rookie of the year. UConn’s Randy Edsall and Louisville’s Charlie Strong share coach of the year.

Maybe some surprises there, but, whatever. I kind of like the notion there were good candidates for most of the awards. Things get interesting on the all-conference teams …

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Bob Huggins was bored last night

by Mike Casazza

The inexplicably well-dressed WVU coach — Aside: The Mountaineers won … will he keep wearing suits, as is his ritual? — spent much of the first half watching Robert Morris drive to the basket (and miss a lot of layups) and rebound better than its size might have predicted. His two main offensive players were mostly quiet and the offense was a lot of standing around and waiting for something to happen.

A reportedly tame halftime discussion preceded the second half and when the Colonials scored and Truck Bryant took the ball out of the basket and discovered he had no one to pass the ball to, Huggins called timeout. Twenty-four second into the half. Five out. Five in. And up 32-31 against a suddenly game opponent.

Cue the 15-4 run that blew the game open toward the eventual 82-49 outcome.

“I get tired of watching guys not play the right way,” Huggins said. “I’ve got great respect for the game and the way it’s supposed to be played. The 6,334 that showed up deserve a little better.

“I think that’s what it was. Sorry, the 6,443. I hate to short them.”

After drawing 12,707 in the season-opener, a combined 13,833 have shown up the past two home games. The Coliseum seats 14,000 and can accommodate several hundred more, but the crowd for Robert Morris was thin to the point people could be counted in some sections.

“I could have,” Huggins said. “There was a point in the first half where I thought that might be more appealing.”

Bang!

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The Circle of Death grows

December 7, 2010 by Mike Casazza

By every indication, Dave Wannstedt is out at Pitt. Locally, this (in no way) means Bill Stewart, as WVU’s full-time football coach, has coached 13 games against — and beaten — seven coaches who have since been fired.

Stewart, who owns 27 wins with the Mountaineers, is 10-3 against Mark Snyder (2-0 at Marshall), Steve Kragthorpe (2-0 at Louisville), Tommy Tuberville (1-0 at Auburn), Greg Robinson (1-0 at Syracuse), Jim Leavitt (1-1 at USF), Dan Hawkins (1-1 at Colorado) and Wannstedt (2-1 at Pitt).

And I don’t want to suggest this is the job opening that ultimately ends the suspense, but I have to think every time a head coach is fired Stewart shifts in his seat a little bit because he knows Jeff Casteel is available.

Young coach faces young team tonight

by Mike Casazza

Andrew Toole, 30, is the youngest Division I head coach and tonight he leads in-search-of-itself Robert Morris into the Coliseum. Toole was 29 when he was hired in May. His counterpart, WVU’s Bob Huggins, is in his 29th season as a head coach. Quite a contrast.

He took over a talented team vacated by Mike Rice’s coaching move to Rutgers. The Colonials were picked to finish No. 2 in the Northeast Conference.

“What I really think is you have to be yourself,” Huggins said. “I think a lot of young coaches make the mistake of trying to be somebody they’re not. I think you saw that with Coach (Bob) Knight.

“He had all those coaching academies and all those things and everybody would leave and say, ‘By God, I’m going to be like Coach Knight.’ There’s only one Coach Knight. Coach Knight is the only guy who could handle things the way he handled things.”

Toole has had immediate challenges this season. Sophomore Karon Abraham was arrested last month and charged with four alcohol-related offenses, including two for driving under the influence. The 2010 conference rookie of the year, Abraham has been suspended the past four games.

Abraham could be back tonight, but that’s not WVU’s greatest concern. Nor should it be.

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