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

Good tidings from good people

December 20, 2016 by Mike Casazza

On Saturday, Bob Huggins got his 800th win. Tonight, No. 11 West Virginia, which might be better now than it was last season, aims for No. 801. In between, the players visited WVU’s children’s hospital Sunday, and that’s becoming an annual deal for the Mountaineers.

On Friday, though, a little old driver, so likely and quick, popped up in Van, and Tony Gibson, who in July donated $25,000 to the children’s hospital in Boone Country, once again lifted up the place he still calls home.

“My name is attached to this,” Gibson said, “but I had help. And if it wasn’t for the other major contributors, I couldn’t have done this.”

What “this” turned into was a $375 lift for 53 families in Boone County. Major donors like Gibson and his wife Kerry, Astorg Auto, Greg Darby of Little General, Steve and Jamie Antoline, Wayne and Kathy Richards, Johnny Cagagis, Lara Bowen of Larry’s Pharmacy in Madison and Bill Stone helped pony up over $34,000.

“We had other people give $100,” Gibson said. “One person dropped off two $20 bills.”

It all helped. Gibson and company gave each of the 53 families a $150 gift card to a grocery store, a $225 gift card to Walmart, plus a turkey.

Your thoughts?

December 19, 2016 by Mike Casazza

Following Leonard Fournette, who’s already weathered plenty of injuries and projects to be a higher draft pick at a position with a brief shelf life in the NFL, Christian McCaffrey has decided to skip the team’s bowl game to avoid injury begin draft prep. I don’t know exactly what to think about this, but it seems fair to me to understand the decision and at the same time not respect it.

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Attendance: 8,800

by Mike Casazza

Fun little day at the Coliseum Saturday … unless you were the UMCK player who had five fouls and four turnovers in five minutes. But everyone on the other side of the floor enjoyed being a part of the spectacle that was a 45-point win and the 800th victory of Bob Huggins career.

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Dana Holgorsen: Dapper news conference

December 16, 2016 by Mike Casazza

Not much in the line of coming and goings. Grades are due Monday, so Dana Holgorsen will know more soon. Time off after eight straight Saturdays helped, and Tony Gibson said Kyzir White will play. On the other side, Miami has a very good defensive line but will be without one player. A talented secondary will welcome back one of its better performers.

There’s a three-point spread in favor of the Hurricanes — Dana sounded like he’s convinced! — but I could see it dropping before kickoff. There’s been a lot of weird late action on WVU games this season … but then again, the Mountaineers have never seen an opponent quite like Miami!!!

On Miami’s defensive unit compared to past opponents this year
I would say take the best player from every defense we’ve played and put him out there at every position. That’s the nature of this time of year when you’re playing in a bowl game, that’s why good teams go to bowl games. They got really good personnel across the board, you look for a weak spot but you can’t find one. They’re all big, they’re all fast, they are the kind of defense you’d expect to see from Miami.

 

Ahem: 500 people, two stoplights and nine bars!

December 15, 2016 by Mike Casazza

 

Bob Huggins reminded us Wednesday that he grew up in a town with 500 people, two stoplights and nine bars. But we also heard a few other stories, some I’d never heard, a couple I’d never heard in much detail. The guy who will not look back allowed himself to at least reflect for a moment as he readies to join a list with only eight other names when he wins the 800th game of his career.

He’s in his 35th season, but it’s funny to think how close he came to doing something else with his life.

David Sills, you say?

by Mike Casazza

Two days in a row begin with one of my favorite stories.

The Wake Forest story, which is turning into the Louisville story now that Lonnie Galloway is indeed in the middle of it, is surreal.

This David Sills story is merely cool, and an underrated part is the fact the follow-up tweet with highlights, which WVU did for all seven signees yesterday, had his top plays from WVU in 2015.

And no, we did not see this coming.

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Junior college signatures rolling in today

December 14, 2016 by Mike Casazza

Today is the first day of the junior college signing period, and you’ll want to keep an eye on the WVU football Twitter timeline. It’s already announced three junior college additions, including two late developments. One is Kelby Wickline, who is offensive coordinator Joe Wickline’s son. He was with the Mountaineers previously but went to junior college and committed to North Carolina. He flipped to WVU yesterday.

Today, Iowa Western cornerback Hakeem Bailey committed and signed. He’s a former Marshall signee, and he can help fill the gaps that come with the loss of four senior cornerbacks.

Let’s get it started!

by Mike Casazza

 

This Wake Forest scandal could be one of my favorites. If you’re not familiar with the story or with the name Tommy Elrod, it’s worth exploring just to take it all in. It’s Shonda Rhimes meets Bill Belichick, and this is most definitely not over.

But why the picture of Lonnie Galloway?

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You may now plan your weddings

December 13, 2016 by Mike Casazza
2017sked

 

Well, you want to get Kansas in September instead of December.

No.

I guess the Big 12, which has accurately decided the conference champion on the final weekend several years in a row, thinks highly of the WVU v. Oklahoma matchup.

No.

Wait. Is WVU going to be the opponent in three homecoming games?

Maybe.

I mean, an off week after Delaware State and before Kansas seems suboptimal.

Probably.

Uhhh. The bye is in a better spot this seas– sheesh, there’s one open weekend?

Yes.

Three out of four on the road to start conference play?

Yes.

Actually, now that I look at this, am I wrong to like it and loathe it?

Up to you.

 

Do call it a comeback

by Mike Casazza

 

Brandon Watkins has been here for years, and he’s now rocking his peers. We’re nine games in — and he missed one because of a problem with punctuality — the senior has more than doubled his career averages for points and rebounds per game while sharing the team-lead with Elijah Macon and shooting 61.5 percent per game.

Macon, of course, starts for No. 12 West Virginia. Watkins plays, scores, rebounds and blocks shots more often. If it’s a bit unexpected, it’s OK to think that. Watkins  has now missed 20 games in his career, and Bob Huggins wasn’t even sure over the summer if Watkins would be with the 2016-17 Mountaineers.

“He had a little vacation this summer,” Huggins said after the 799th win of his career, a 90-55 victory that Watkins aided with 11 points and 10 rebounds in 17 minutes. “It was one of those things where you need to decide if this is what you really want to do.”

Basketball had tested Watkins again and again during his first three years with the Mountaineers. The nephew of former WVU great Warren Baker, Watkins started once and played in 32 of the team’s 33 games in the 2013-14 season and averaged 2.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 11 minutes per game. He had 12 points and 11 rebounds in a win against Marshall and 10 points and seven rebounds in the Big 12 tournament against Texas. Watkins led the team with 24 blocked shots.

“I think we all saw glimpses of it,” Huggins said, “but it seemed like every time it looked like Brandon was about to break out, something happened.”