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

Coaches talk to you before they talk to we media

March 26, 2010 by Mike Casazza

Bub — nee, Bob — Huggins post-Washington/pre-Kentucky via Lexy.com.

Coach Cal, meanwhile, didn’t get to bed last night until 3.

Still burning

by Mike Casazza

I have legitimate work to do here, but I do need to point out a few other things:

– WVU rather likes life under the microscope.

– Lorenzo Romar, he of the terrible technical foul Thursday night, knows and appreciates a Bob Huggins team. He says WVU nearly has a Bob Huggins team.

– A 10-note notebook!

– If you have the opportunity, watch the Huggins and Calapari press conferences today on ESPN News. It’ll be worthwhile. If the NCAA allowed such a thing, I think they’d do the pressers together.

And finally: No chats here, but, screw it. Let’s “chat.” I know people are interested, intrigued and inquisitive. Throw your questions, comments and concerns out there and I’ll handle them as best as I can. Team interviews are forthcoming, but I have no deadline. I can handled the inquiries.

Remember this?

by Mike Casazza

It was Jan. 22 and WVU had just WVU’d by Marshall and would WVU past Ohio State the following day. In between was Friday Feedback No. 93, which wasn’t noteworthy at all until late Thursday night.

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Back to John Flowers for a moment

by Mike Casazza

I said he had a good night Thursday and I meant. Flowers and his band promised more videos. They deliver.

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John Flowers had a nice night, yes?

by Mike Casazza

Bob Huggins called John Flowers the MVP Thursday night. He played a sneaky good game. Only four points, but a bunch of other plays that really mattered, especially as WVU pieced things together without Truck Bryant and looked very uncomfortable in the first half.

In retrospect, I think the Mountaineers were bothered because they were bothered. Does that make any sense? This is a team that has thus far laughed at and ignored all the things that are supposed to go wrong, but for many moments in that Sweet Sixteen game they looked there was a realization suggesting: “Whoa, this might be tougher than we thought.”

And that’s not just me saying that. Remember, this is a team that goes out of its way to decline admissions of discomfort, but would not after the game.

Q. For Devin and for Da’Sean, how uncomfortable was it in the first half without Bryant there to handle the ball? You guys had 13 turnovers. And what did you do to get things under control offensively in the second half?

DEVIN EBANKS: It was tremendously uncomfortable, especially this time of the year when we’re not used to bringing the ball up. Having our point guard out was a huge blow to us. We played kind of poorly in the first half. In the second half we kind of limited our turnovers. But still I think, in my opinion, we had too many turnovers in the second half.

DA’SEAN BUTLER: Yeah, it was a struggle, I’m not going to lie to you. I hate having to bring the ball up. But first half we came out there, we did a poor job of taking care of the ball. Coach even told us, keep passing the ball side to side instead of advancing it forward. You don’t have to beat the press just dribbling it. You can pass the ball ahead sometimes. We didn’t do a great job of that.
Second half we came out we did a better job. Still not a great job at all either. But we did a better — we were a little more assertive, bringing to the ball up the floor instead of having the ball over our heads or over-dribbling a lot. I think we did a better job the second half.

Enter John Flowers.

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I’m going over the top today

by Mike Casazza

No paper tomorrow, no Feedback today, but I got this thing covered.

To begin, a cursory review of last night. The game began with a totally unexpected and — I think, as it relates to this season — unprecedented alley-oop lob from Ebanks to Butler for a dunk. WVU used to run this a lot with Ruoff and Nichols, but I can’t recall it this season. Sometimes I say, “I bet that happened before this and I just don’t remember it” and I’m right. I bet that never happened before this year.

And then came the expected and, um, precedented. WVU went WVU and excelled in its ability to stand it its own way … and then recover. It’s remarkable.

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Who is No. 5?

March 25, 2010 by Mike Casazza

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Bob Huggins turned in his starting lineup a few minutes ago and listed Da’Sean Butler, Devin Ebanks, Kevin Jones and Wellington Smith. That’s four. You need five. The fifth was left blank for a game-time decision

The indication I’ve just received is the fifth starter won’t be who you think. I’d tell you, but I’d have to thrill you.

Open post, en garde!

How about a video?

by Mike Casazza

No, not that one … not that there’s anything wrong with that. I’m talking about this one.

To get you through your day

by Mike Casazza

I like how people make a big deal out of the first two days of the NCAA Tournament and the impact it has on the collective workforce in the country. Yeah, it’s probably a drain and, yeah, some West Virginia agencies restricted the ability of their employees to watch and stream games online.

But there’s no way big WVU fans are more productive today. Not with the conversations I’ve been having with people … people who are supposed to be working, but are instead terribly preoccupied.

I’m also fascinated by the 180 a lot of people have done on this team. It wasn’t long ago when some strong things were being said about the Mountaineers and people were stating this was the least likable WVU team in many, many years. And now? Very much the opposite, no doubt because their personality has become more visible, contagious and certainly effective.

Anyhow, just some observations. To wit …

– Huntington’s Patrick Patterson is having a fine season, despite statistical slippage.

– How about a voluminous six-note notebook?

– The Mountaineers are of the impression — or want to solicit the impression — Joe Mazzulla will “probably, definitely start.”

– Da’Sean Butler says the key to tonight’s game is “pretty simple.”

Not to be inaccurate, but …

by Mike Casazza

… ask, look, listen and read around and tell me WVU is rattled by Truck Bryant’s injury. You can’t. It wouldn’t be true.

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