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

Having a slightly better summer, Devin Ebanks

July 12, 2010 by Mike Casazza

Exactly as everyone predicted, Devin Ebanks stepped onto the summer league roster of the two-time defending world champion Los Angeles Lakers and promptly twice led the team in scoring its first two games.

What’s that? Not what everyone expected? Oh …

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Get a look at Mükremin Kilicli

by Mike Casazza

 

WVU’s Deniz Kilicli — he’s Mükremin according to the roster for Turkey’s U-20 national team — gets darn near horizontal for this dunk Saturday against Montenegro. While impressive, it was his only basket and Turkey lost, 63-61. Turkey is 0-3 now with 15- and 16-point losses coming before that semi-shocker.

Kilicli, who more or less had to stay in Turkey for this U-20 European Championship, is not exactly lighting it up in Croatia. Perhaps it changes today. Turkey plays the Netherlands at 3:15 EST. You can watch online.

Friday Feedback

July 9, 2010 by Mike Casazza

Welcome to the Friday Feedback which swears off Horatio Cain, Crockett and Tubs, The  U, Gloria Estefan, any and all sound machines, catchy Will Smith songs and, sorry, Pat White and Da’Sean Butler.

Just because it happened doesn’t mean I have to acknowledge it. So I won’t. This is maybe irrational, maybe not. In fact, I grandmothered in “Golden Girls” because of Betty White and I am weighing one more exception.

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, don’t press.

Dr Love said:

My brother is a waiter in Las Vegas and waited on DiCaprio recently while he was wearing said hat. My brother asked Mr. DiCaprio if he was a WVU fan. Mr. DiCaprio replied that he just liked the hat and was not familiar with the Mountaineers.

Thank God. Can we put that story to bed now? I’ll tuck it in and read it a bedtime story if that’s what takes.

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Fine, fine, you got me

July 8, 2010 by Mike Casazza

I can’t escape the topic here or on the radio or online or in conversation. Might as well address it. Against all better judgment and virtually everything I stand for, I’m watching “The Decision” tonight.

I’ve thought about and wrestled with it and while I absolutely disagree with, dislike and disown the concept and everyone behind it, I feel like it’s a seminal moment in sports. I’m not sure if it’s at the White Ford Bronco level, but 16 years from now, it might be. This is precedent-setting. Quite likely, nothing will be the same after he makes his decision tonight. No matter who he picks, the game changes. The way decision are made and news is announced could very well conceptually change from this night forward. And that worries and nauseates me.

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It was a very good year for the MAC

by Mike Casazza

Say what you — or others — will about the economy and the strains these times have put on people, but WVU fans continue to support their school and its teams.

Niles Eggleston, executive director of the Mountaineer Athletic Club, said the MAC closed its books June 30 for the 2009-10 fiscal year and recorded an unaudited total of $18.6 million.

The MAC reported audited totals of $15.01 million and $13.85 million the previous two years.

“First and foremost, we have the best fans in the nation,” Eggleston said. “They are so passionate about this program and supporting it and being a part of it and helping our student-athletes achieve. We’re going to keep raising money because the people love (WVU) and they’re competitive and they want to keep doing it.”

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The wall around Pittsburgh has been penetrated

July 7, 2010 by Mike Casazza

WVU football and men’s basketball games can be heard in Pittsburgh via 970 AM.

“We are excited to welcome West Virginia University into our portfolio of major sports franchise play-by-play” said Dennis Lamme, President and Market Manager for Clear Channel Radio Pittsburgh. “Building on West Virginia’s recent successes we are looking forward to a strong partnership”

“We are happy to have Fox Sports Radio 970 join the MSN network of stations. It is great to reestablish radio coverage of Mountaineer football and men’s basketball in the Pittsburgh market on a station committed to area sports. Western Pennsylvania is one of the largest areas for WVU alumni, who will be ecstatic with the addition of Fox Sports Radio 970,” said Mike Parsons, West Virginia University Deputy Director of Athletics.

Somebody call John Marinatto!

by Mike Casazza

I had a feeling this wasn’t over, but I had no idea it had progressed this far.

Jeff Hornacek not a fan of WVU recruit

by Mike Casazza

Bob Huggins just sewed up the 2010 class and promptly started on what will be a pretty important 2011 class. WVU loses four seniors — guards Joe Mazzulla and Casey Mitchell, forwards John Flowers and Cam Thoroughman — to graduation. A good year by Kevin Jones might encourage him to look at the NBA draft, which he says he thought about after this past season. Jones will start and, for all we know, some combination of Mazzulla, Mitchell and Flowers might, too.

So getting to work on 2011 is crucial and the Mountaineers received their first name Monday when Aaron Brown pledged. Brown is a 6-foot-5, 205-pound lefty who some consider the best player in Pennsylvania. He was first team Classs AAAA all-state as a junior and can give WVU its trademark versatility.

“In my opinion, his best position can be power forward,” Gripper said. “He would be a very dominant, undersized power forward. He’d be a good (small forward) and a decent (shooting guard) because he can handle the ball very well, but he’s just a good basketball player. He’s a lot like Jerry Stackhouse coming out of high school. Jerry Stackhouse went from playing center to playing (shooting) guard in the NBA. He wasn’t a natural shooting guard, but be made a pretty good career out of it. Aaron Brown is the same way.”

Jerry Stackhouse! Let’s hope that comparison only goes so far.

Big East poll

July 6, 2010 by Mike Casazza

The Big East included me in its annual poll of conference media to put together a preseason media poll — I have no idea if that’s exclusive or not and I’m not the who who makes a big deal of these things. The point is to say that poll … that poll wasn’t easy. No team is going to get all the first-place votes and I can definitely see three teams getting one. I’d understand if four came away with one and I don’t think I’d be outraged if it ended up being five.

And so I sort of struggled putting it in order — and I’m way too competitive to take this lightly. I’m the guy who’ll read the poll and go, “Oh, that’s just great. I only have three of the eight teams in the right spot” before I hit the treadmill.

Anyhow, I can’t divulge my ballot. Well, maybe I can. I doubt the Big East cares. I’m not doing it, though, because I will instead invite you to rank Nos. 1-8 and throw in some brief justifications. I’ll mix my in my ballot Aug. 2 when I reveal the the blog’s poll, just as we did in the past.

Olive Luck calls truce, but also shenanigans in conference expansion

by Mike Casazza

There was symmetry for certain the day Oliver Luck was celebrated as WVU’s new A.D. last month. It was on the Monday he was doing his first press conference and then meeting with reporters afterward when news first developed Texas was going to stay put in the Big XII. Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Texas Tech would remain, too, and quite suddenly conference matters were given cause to pause.

“I’ll call it a truce in this whole skirmish, if you will,” he said. “I think I’ve said this before, but I don’t think it’ll be a permanent situation. I think the Big Ten is still interested in further moves.

“I’m not sure why they don’t feel comfortable now with 12 teams (after adding Nebraska), but as far as I can tell – and I ask this sincerely to you – but they have not made a statement to say, ‘We’re done now. We’re not going to cast a wandering eye south or east,’ have they?

“I’ve not seen them swear off further expansion. I think everyone can take a deep breath and say, ‘Wow, we got out of that little skirmish OK and without too much wear and tear,’ but I don’t believe it to be permanent.”

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