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

Huggins makes some money. How much, we’re not sure

May 17, 2010 by Mike Casazza

The fourth-winningest active coach is Bob Huggins and he’s contractually linked to no worse than the eighth-best salary in the Big East.

I’ll allow you to digest for a moment.

And we’re back. Yes, from what I’ve gathered — and this is emails and conversations with colleagues and administration people, even if just in passing or in catching up — the Huggins lifetime contract is pretty rare. Actually, based on my unscientific sample that’s gone on for two-plus years now, it’s entirely unique. And that makes it intriguing.

Continue reading…

Big Da’ for Clinton (Updated)

by Mike Casazza

Da’Sean Butler’s not-so-bad life got even better Sunday. He graduated from the Eberly College of Arts & Sciences with a degree in MDS. He witnessed former President Bill Clinton address the Eberly Class of 2010. He listened when noted college basketball fan Clinton — big Arkansas Razorbacks backer, attended the Big East Tournament semifinal doubleheader at MSG — said he rooted for WVU in the NCAA Tournament.

And then there was this from Clinton: “I’ve had two great thrills today. I got a degree and I got to meet Da’Sean Butler.”

(Update: This from Butler’s Twitter)

Met with the Real Pimp C today—-Bill Clinton. Cool dude n knows his basketball. It kinda surprised me. Oh yea I 4got I’m graduating!!!!!!

By now, I fully expect Butler to be a lottery pick next month. Until then, who’s the Faux Pimp C?

Friday Feedback

May 14, 2010 by Mike Casazza

Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which is typed today beneath a blanket and propped up by two pillows while eating a bagel — don’t tell my wife. Explanation? Game freaking six in Boston last night. I suppose the good thing is I saw it coming. I expect the worst. But, man, it just stings. And that still surprises me. And kills me. Like, I’ve seen the highlights of the Elway and Jordan daggers, of Mesa’s blown save and Renteria’s base hit, of Justice’s home run, of all that stuff that ESPN shamefully showed throughout Thursday and then throughout the game. I vividly recall a lot of it as it happened. And now this, which may be the worst in that it’s so closely attached to hope … and fans in that city and of its teams don’t have much.

Anyhow, as we were watching gasoline poured around our teams late in the fourth quarter last night, Mike Gansey and I texted thoughts on our latest torture — and included plans not to rally around the Indians or Browns, but to pray Mr. James stays, lest Cleveland sports go jump in Lake Erie — he signed off with “I’m turning off my phone for a couple days and not leaving bed.”

If it’s good enough for him …

 Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, don’t rush to blame “fat finger.”

rekterx said:

OK Mike. It’s Thursday, May 13th, and it has been 24 hours, give or take, since it was first reported on ESPN radio that the SEC may invite WVU to the conference. The silence from WVU and the WV press is deafening. Which, of course, leads me to think … come on … give us the scoop!

Fine, fine, fine. It’s Friday, May 14, and many more hours since this “incident” occurred … and as best as I can tell, it never happened. I’ve emailed and spoken with people who are and remain plugged into all the happenings. While many have heard of this incident, no one’s heard it. Two people assured me it didn’t happen as it’s rumored to have happened — and imagine that, someone embellished a little in reporting what they thought they heard! So in defense of the WVU and its media, it is difficult to report that which doesn’t exist. I’m also not one to run with second- or third-hand information and say, “Hey, Ed P., have you heard the one about WVU and the SEC? No? Well listen here …”  Hope that explains things. Also, I really wish the Big Ten would just make up its mind and stop milking the publicity. When does Slive, Marinatto, Bebe or Swofford say that? 

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Rick Rock gets Rick Roll’d

May 13, 2010 by Mike Casazza

Who among us hasn’t had tickets for a concert or a game or a something that we haven’t been able to unload? They’re burning a hole in your pocket, you want to make a profit, would settle for making your money back and eventually accept taking a small loss and, deep inside, it bothers you for the first quarter, few innings or half.

Show of hands? … Thought so.

And who among us has had $18,000 in ducats in our pockets? Show of hands? … Didn’t think so. Pity, then, poor Rick Rock and his not-so-Sweet Sixteen experience.

“We were told that morning that we needed to decide by 10 a.m. how many tickets we wanted,” Watson said. “We relied on the credibility of the travel agency to provide the charter.”

So, the airport purchased 125 tickets for the trip and planned to charter a 150-seat aircraft, Watson said.

He said the agency guaranteed a plane would be available for the trip and there were “several witnesses” at the meeting with the travel agency in which the verbal agreement was allegedly made.

But as soon as the tickets were in hand, the travel agency told the airport it couldn’t get an aircraft, Watson said.

“There we were at the 11th hour with more than $18,000 in tickets and no plane,” Watson said.

Indeed, another top 10

by Mike Casazza

The athletic year  is all but over — though baseball is trying to make things a little interesting — and it’s just about time to look in the rear-view mirror (where applicable) and what happened, who did what and why we cared.

So how about the top 10 moments of the 2009-10 year? It’s always a fairly subjective survey of the season and you can usually think of a few suggestions and omissions — Da’Sean Butler’s game-winners, men’s soccer beating No. 3 USF, Ed Pastilong somehow making it from the stands to the stage to hoist the Final Four trophy in 10.8 seconds — but it’s always a fun discussion.

Without further adieu …

A brief review of in-state basketball recruiting

May 12, 2010 by Mike Casazza

WVU’s dependency upon its own state for the state’s best players and resources for the walk-on program is fairly well-known. Basketball, though, is a littler harder to measure, not as easy to celebrate.

There have been different reasons in the past — when, to be fair, WVU did a good job getting good players from its own backyard — but there also wasn’t a wealth of coveted prospects. That’s changed in recent years and the current staff has done a pretty good job supplying talent outside the borders while incorporating in-state talent of late.

According to Rivals.com, the Mountain State had four pretty good prospects for the 2010 class — though only one is a West Virginia high schooler and he’s Noah Cottrill. All four, though, signed at Division I programs … and good ones, at that.

The 2011 class isn’t thought of to be quite as good, though that may change over the AAU summer, and there are just two prospects of note. One, Chase Fisher, no doubt the reason Bob Huggins was spotted in Ripley after the Final Four, is set up with Wake Forest after the coaching change at Marshall caused him to change his mind there. The other, Perry Henry, who WVU had some interest in, though he never offered at it, is off to VCU and will be one of the Rams’ top recruits. Seemingly ever … though I’m waiting on feedback from my sister/VCU junkie.

Da’Sean Butler is not supposed to be having this much fun

by Mike Casazza

It seemed bad. That much we know. I mean, really, tear an ACL, sprain a MCL and end your otherwise spectacular college career with nine minutes left in the Final Four as your coach holds your head in his hands?

That’s not the way it was supposed to end for Da’Sean Butler.

Which is precisely why he hasn’t allowed that to be the ending or the way he’s going to be remembered. Life after surgery, as he would say, “sucks” from time to time, but not all the time. He won’t allow that.

Believe this: “I’m telling you, I’m having a good time.”

Morgantown continues to benefit from WVU’s Final Four run

by Mike Casazza

I literally saw this in my rear-view mirror as I left Kroger in Suncrest Town Center. How's that for irony?

WVU passes the graduation story test

May 11, 2010 by Mike Casazza

Both football and basketball are thriving at WVU … in the classroom. Bob Huggins, who is usually loathe to discuss graduation rates, is actually open to talking about how anyone who’s completed their eligibility while he’s been with the Mountaineers has earned a diploma.

“It’s a commitment by the university and the athletic department to supply the resources to help the players succeed academically,” said Huggins, declining to take credit in graduates under his watch. “There’s a real commitment there, and the guys work at it.”

Bill Stewart is far more willing to discuss academics. For one, it means as much to him as anything else. And he’s got good reason to feel so strongly. When seven seniors graduate this weekend, that’ll make a perfect 23-for-23 from the class.

Not included is kicker Josh Lider, who did his thing in a year at WVU with a rather unique approach he learned long ago.

He also needed a push to change his approach, for school was still school. While at Western Washington, however, he came across a professor that took care of that. At a small Division II school, things get tough some times. You spend a lot of time on buses, a lot of time away from class.

This particular professor gave extremely tough tests and Lider was finding it hard to combine sports with academics until the professor pulled him aside.

“Look,” he said. “You like sports. Well, my tests are a competition. It’s you against me. Beat me.”

All of a sudden, Lider wasn’t looking as much at the tests as an academic challenge, but as a competition as intense as any he had on the field.

“OK,” he thought, “if it’s a hard test, I’m going to beat you.”

WELLS likes to say ‘Whooo!’

by Mike Casazza

That’s what I gather from a behind-the-scenes look at the Final Four team.