Basketball

Morgantown, West Virginia – Bob Huggins has unquestionably coached many talented teams during his long and illustrious career.  However, Huggins would likely call some of his former Cincinnati Bearcats teams as the best, toughest teams he’s ever coached. The 1991-1992 Cincinnati team – led by future NBA players Nick Van Exel and Corie Blunt – made it to the Final Four before losing a close 76-72 game to Michigan’s Fab Five featuring Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Ray Jackson and Jimmy King.  That Bearcats’ team went 29-5 and 1st in the Great Midwest Conference with an 8-2 record that season. Huggins’ 1999-2000 Cincinnati team was even more dominant.  The Bearcats finished 29-4 overall and 16-0 in Conference USA play.  Cincinnati had future NBA players Kenny Satterfield, DerMarr Johnson and Huggins’ favorite player ever, senior Kenyon Martin. Cincinnati was 28-2 and ranked No. 1 in the country when Martin went down during the opening minutes of the Conference USA quarterfinals. Only four of the Bearcats’ victories had come by fewer than 10 points and only one had come by fewer than seven. Huggins was later asked if that Cincinnati team would have won the national championship if Martin didn’t break his leg before the start of the NCAA Tournament and Huggins believed they would have, saying, “No doubt, whatsoever.”   While at West Virginia University, Huggins’ most talented team so far has certainly been the 2009-2010 Final Four team led by Devin Ebanks, Kevin Jones, Da’Sean Butler, Truck Bryant, Joe Mazzulla, Casey Mitchell and John Flowers.  This team finished 31-7 overall and 13-5 in a really tough Big East Conference.  The Mountaineers won the Big East Conference Championship at Madison Square Garden and beat a Kentucky team that had John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson and Eric Bledsoe in the Elite Eight.  If Da’Sean Butler wouldn’t have been injured in the Final Four, there’s a very good chance that the Mountaineers would have beaten Duke and advanced to the National Championship. With this said, the 2020-2021 West Virginia Mountaineers have the talent, depth, size and potential to be better than any team that Bob Huggins has coached at Cincinnati and Morgantown. The most dominant front court in the Big 12 and perhaps the nation – Oscar Tshiebwe and Derek Culver – both return, and while West Virginia will lost Jermaine Haley, Chase Harler and Logan Routt, Huggins brought in talented JUCO guard Kedrian Johnson (the #4 ranked JUCO player in the country), four star forward Isaiah Cottrell, four star Jalen Bridges (who Huggins referred to as “one of his best players in practice) and Taj Thweatt (one of the best high school players in the state of New Jersey). Oscar Tshiebwe is the best rebounder in the country and has worked hard during the offseason to improve his post game.  Derek Culver is probably the second best rebounder in the Big 12 Conference between Tshiebwe.  Miles “Deuce” McBride is the best returning guard in the conference and the likely leader of the team.  Kedrian Johnson adds a scoring punch from the two guard position that the Mountaineers haven’t had in years.  Emmitt Matthews, although he struggled at times last season, is an incredible athlete and can score from the perimeter and attack the basket.  His length and size make him one of the most difficult players in the conference to stop when he’s making shots.  Taz Sherman and Sean McNeil are deadly scorers off the bench.  Gabe Osabuohien is a perfect complimentary garbage man to replace Tshiebwe or Culver when they are tired or in foul trouble.  Jordan McCabe is an ideal veteran leader that will provide key minutes behind Miles McBride.  Jalen Bridges and Isaiah Cottrell are talented and mature enough to step in an immediately contribute as freshman.  In other words, this team is loaded.   Several “way too early predictions” are out for the upcoming season and West Virginia has been given nominal respect, but there simply isn’t a team that will have the level of size, depth and talent that the Mountaineers will in the Big 12 or perhaps in the country. Several “way too early predictions” are out for the upcoming season and West Virginia has been given nominal respect, but there simply isn’t a team that will have the level of size, depth and talent that the Mountaineers will in the Big 12 or perhaps in the country. Bob Huggins has done everything in the game of college basketball except win a national championship and this team gives him a better shot than any in his entire illustrious career. Lineup:  G Miles McBride G Kedrian Johnson F Emmitt Matthews, Jr. F Oscar Tshiebwe C Derek Culver Bench:  G Taz Sherman G Sean McNeil G Jordan McCabe G Spencer Macke F Isaiah Cottrell F Jalen Bridges F Gabe Osabuohien F Taj Thweatt

Morgantown, West Virginia - Best Virginia, the West Virginia alumni team, will play for $1 million in The Tournament in Charleston, West Virginia July 17-21. While the team has been dynamic in past seasons, this particular team is absolutely loaded!  The team - featuring former Mountaineers Kevin Jones, Sagaba Konate, John Flowers, Tarik Phillip, Juwan Staten, Nathan Adrian, Teyvon Myers and Jonathan Holton  has now added Jaysean Paige, one of the most talented offensive players in recent West Virginia history. Paige averaged 14.3 points per game, was named to the second team All Big 12 team and was the conference's Sixth Man of the Year Award winner during his senior season. Since graduating from West Virginia University, Paige has played professionally in Germany and England, and has most recently played in the NBA G League with the Maine Red Claws. This Best Virginia team is going to be dangerous! https://twitter.com/thetournament/status/1394723191478751232?s=20

Colorado and Connecticut have reportedly been evaluated by the Big 12 Conference.   Arlington, TX - After months of speculation, it now appears that two schools are on the fast track to be considered for expansion of the Big 12 Conference. According to Farouk Yusuf of Sports Keeda, the Big 12 has completed evaluations of both Connecticut and Colorado, and conversations between all parties have continued for several months. There has been no indication as to when these schools could officially be added as members of the Big 12 Conference. However, Commissioner Brett Yorkmark did confirm that the league has a “plan for expansion” at Big 12 Media Days. Stay tuned to The Voice of Motown for updates. (Photo by UConn Athletics) 

MORGANTOWN, West Virginia -- Although he denies that it ever happened, it's been exactly one month since Bob Huggins resigned as the head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers. When Huggins resigned, it opened up a 30 day window for players to transfer without penalty and without a waiver for the upcoming season. Tre Mitchell, Joe Toussaint, James Okonkwo, Mohamed Wague and Jose Perez all took advantage of this opportunity. Now that the 30 day window is up, RaeQuan Battle, Kerr Kriisa, Jesse Edwards, Josiah Harris, Kobe Johnson, Pat Suemnick, Omar Silverio and Seth Wilson are no longer able to transfer this season. However, graduate transfers are able to transfer at any time, which means if Jose Perez graduates this summer and decides to return to West Virginia, he would likely still be able to transfer to another school prior to the start of the season. The Mountaineers currently have nine players on the team with the recent addition of Florida State transfer Jeremiah Bembry and will need to add at least 2-3 more players in the portal to fill out the roster. https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/1670451771695669248?s=20 https://twitter.com/voicemorgantown/status/1681449352315777025?s=20

Morgantown, West Virginia - Today, legendary West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins spoke to WVU students and signed autographs at The Mountainlair ahead of tonight's big matchup against the Pitt Panthers inside the Coliseum. West Virginia (1-0) is coming off a 60-53 win in their season opener against Oakland.  Pitt, on the other hand, lost their opener at home in embarrassing fashion against Citadel, 78-63. Tony Caridi asked Huggins about his thoughts on Pitt and he didn't hold back one bit.  "I detest them," Huggins said.  "I mean, really, it's not that I don't like them.  I really detest Pitt." Huggins continued:  "Their fans?  Same.  They're crude." West Virginia holds a 99-88 all-time series record and has won the last four games against Pitt.  Tonight's game starts at 8:30PM and will be televised live on ESPNU. Let's Go Mountainers!  Beat Pitt. https://twitter.com/voicemorgantown/status/1459174055190450176?s=21

Morgantown, West Virginia - Recently, former West Virginia star forward Kevin Pittsnogle sat courtside at the West Virginia Mountaineers home game inside the WVU Coliseum against Radford. Pittsnogle, who is adored and admired in Morgantown, West Virginia, tried his very best to fit in with the crowd. https://twitter.com/wvusportspod/status/1467244587194458112?s=20 Kevin Pittsnogle never wanted the fame that came with his improbable runs in the 2005 and 2006 NCAA Tournament.  He didn’t want the individual attention or the accolades then and he certainly doesn’t want them now.  This article will make him squirm.  His induction into the WVU Hall of Fame was not wanted or needed by him. As a young journalist trying to make a name for myself years ago, I came as close to stalking him as legally allowed.  I went to extraordinary measures to locate his cell phone number.  I texted him several times asking for an interview and he politely declined each time.  I explained that his run in the 2005 NCAA tournament was one of the best moments of my life, that he meant more to me personally than any other athlete ever.  I tried countless times to tell him that Mountaineer fans would love to hear from him, that he’s one of the greatest athletes in the history of West Virginia and that his fans throughout the state miss him.  Nothing worked.  He wants to remain private and he doesn’t want to live in the past. The One That Got Away I expressed my appreciation for what he did at WVU and informed him that he was my dream interview (I have interviewed some of West Virginia’s greatest athletes and coaches: Jevon Carter, Pat White, Rich Rodriguez…the list goes on and on, but Kevin Pittsnogle is the elusive interview that I’ve always dreamed about) and that the door would always be open when he was ready.  He humbly replied, “Certainly nothing to dream about but thank you.” There’s so much more to Kevin Pittsnogle’s story.  Following his career at West Virginia University, he was signed by the Boston Celtics but was waived shortly afterwards.  He signed with the CBA’s Pittsburgh Xplosion where he averaged 23.5 points per game and made the CBA All Star game in 2006.  He played with the Cleveland Cavaliers summer team in 2007, then played internationally in France.  He bounced around in the NBA’s Developmental League from 2008-2009 before ultimately retiring in 2010. After being a special education teacher for six years in Berkeley County and serving as a coach at Hedgesville High School for four seasons, Pittsnogle was hired as the assistant principal at Berkeley Springs High School this past year. From all accounts, Pittsnogle is happy being a father and living in the present.  His heroics at WVU might as well be a million years ago for him, but West Virginia fans will always be able to look back fondly and remember his contributions as a Mountaineer and all of the wonderful memories he gave us. Kevin Pittsnogle in 2005 – You’ve Been Pittsnogled! https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessTV/status/844571901615747072?s=20

MORGANTOWN, West Virginia -- Yesterday, Bob Huggins found himself in the middle of controversy when he made a homophobic slur on on a Cincinnati radio show. Huggins later apologized for the comment, saying he was "embarrassed" and "heartbroken" for the people that he hurt with his comments. Although many people found Huggins' comments abhorrent, he has received quite a bit of support from West Virginia fans, who believe that he should be defined by all the good he's done and not by one comment he made jokingly on a radio program. Emmitt Matthews, a former West Virginia basketball player who played under Huggins for 4 seasons during his collegiate career, seemed to brush Huggins' comments off on social media, saying the following: "Aye man Xavier student section said a lot worse lol lemme stop." The Mountaineers played at Xavier early on this past season, losing the game 84-74. Matthews didn't clarify what he heard at the game, but clearly he thought it was much worse than what Huggins said on the radio yesterday. Matthews' former teammate, Erik Stevenson, agreed with him, saying, "Not a lie detected Mr. Matthews! Shhhhhhh!" West Virginia University is currently investigating the matter and should have a decision on Huggins' future very soon. https://twitter.com/THEDOOSKIE/status/1655767741499076608?s=20 https://twitter.com/ej_stevenson5/status/1655797838905851905?s=20

Morgantown, West Virginia - Last night, former West Virginia Mountaineers superstar Jevon Carter finally got some playing time and made the best of it! Carter, who is now a backup guard for the Phoenix Suns, played 25 minutes in the Suns’ 140-103 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder! Carter finished the game with 4 points on 2-4 from the field and added 4 assists. But Carter had a spectacular steal and dunk as well during the game.  Check out the incredible play below: https://twitter.com/protectedpick/status/1378177753195765761?s=21 Jevon Carter continues to make West Virginia proud!  Once a Mountaineer, Always a Mountaineer!   

Morgantown, West Virginia - Before Oscar Tshiebwe quit on his West Virginia Mountaineers teammates halfway through last season, he looked like a shell of his former self, averaging only 8.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game while shooting 52% from the field. Last night, in Kentucky's first game of the season against Duke, Oscar Tshiebwe looked better than ever, leading the entire team in both points and rebounds.  Although Kentucky lost the game to Duke 79-71, Tshiebwe finished with 17 points and 19 rebounds in 29 minutes of play. Tshiebwe, now a junior, broke the Kentucky record for most rebounds in a game in a debut, breaking the previous record of 17 set by Roger Newman in 1960, Cotton Nash in 1961 and Sam Bowie in 1979. The West Virginia Mountaineers were severely out-rebounded 48-33 against Oakland last night in their season opening win and will definitely miss Tshiebwe's ability to rebound this season.

Morgantown, WV - It was a tough way to end the regular season and Big 12 tournament, but West Virginia's overall body of work is the primary reason why these Mountaineers find themselves with a #3 seed and promising path in the NCAA tournament. Much of that 'body of work' can be summarized in the widely respected KenPom ratings. We will take a quick look at those as well as how we stack up with Morehead St. in few more of these interesting stats. First, you have to understand the statistics; both the adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency ratings are based on points scored or points allowed in 100 possessions against an average D1 team. WVU comes in the tournament ranked VERY strong in adjusted offensive efficiency at #11 out of 357 D1 College Basketball teams.  For comparison, Morehead St. ranks #214 in the offensive rankings. There's a reason West Virginia didn't drop out of the Top 15 all season... And it wasn't because of our defense...Contrary to recent years this isn't a classic Huggs defensive team, coming in at #65 out of 357 in adjusted defensive efficiency. Morehead St. ranks #96 in the adjusted defensive rankings, which is more of a testament to how bad we've been defensively down the stretch than it is Morehead St. being an above average defensive team. Remember, they aren't seeing the offensive juggernauts these Mountaineers play against every night. This goes to show two things: 1. The level of competition they've played (winning 19 of their last 20) certainly isn't the Big 12 caliber we are used to... actually not even close! 2. These Mountaineers SHOULD be FAR superior. A couple other interesting comparisons include (out of 357 teams): Strength of Schedule: WVU - 19th in D1 Morehead St. - 217th in D1 'Quadrant 1 wins' WVU - 7 Morehead St - 0 We will end with a good one... From 2014 through 2016 there were 5 upset wins in the 3 vs. 14 matchup. Since then? None.... Needless to say the Mountaineers are better in almost every category. But as we all know, nothing is promised in March.

Morgantown, West Virginia - Moments ago, on the NCAA Tournament Selection Show, it was announced that the West Virginia Mountaineers are a 3 seed and will play Morehead State in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament! Winners of the Ohio Valley Tournament, the Eagles are an ideal matchup for West Virginia! The Eagles, 23-7 overall and 17-3 in conference play, had a strong season in the Ohio Valley Conference and according to Busting Brackets, "Morehead State won’t overwhelm you with one specific strength – but they don’t have any real weaknesses, either. They keep it simple. Defensively, they don’t force turnovers but they’ll make you take bad shots. Offensively, they pass well and hit their shots. They’ll outrebound you on both ends. And every player knows his role." While they outrebounded teams in the Ohio Valley Conference, they won't do the same against the Mountaineers.  Of all the potential first round opponents, Morehead State is a great team for West Virginia to start the tournament against. The Mountaineers, 18-9 overall and 11-6 in the Big 12 Conference, have the lost back-to-back matchups with the Oklahoma State Cowboys, but they were previously ranked #6 in the AP Top 25 and the NCAA Tournament is the start to a whole new season! Let's Go Mountaineers! https://twitter.com/WVUhoops/status/1371229980714221582?s=20

Morgantown, West Virginia - Bob Huggins, following his team's 76-72 win at Iowa State, called this team is "worst defensive team he's ever coached." "I'm going to probably get in trouble for this, but this is my worst defensive team I've ever coached.  And I've been doing this a long time.  My teams in the past cared about playing defense.  They felt bad if they let their team and teammates down.  This team doesn't seem to care." Analyst Jay Jacobs asked a very appropriate question about why this team always give up three point shots after opponents drive to the basket and kick it to the corners.  Huggins replied, "It's all about wanting to play defense.  It's all about closing in on the shooter and getting a hand up.  Our guys just stop defending." Huggins went on to say that "beating a team that hasn't won game in conference all year is nothing to jump up and down about." The Mountaineers now have a brutal upcoming schedule with games against Kansas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Baylor twice in a row and Texas over the next six games. Huggins didn't hold back and said he's concerned about the stretch of games coming up for his team: "Tonight doesn't give me any hope.  We're getting ready to play the big boys and I don't feel great about where we're at right now."

The ugly brawl that closed Tuesday night's Kansas State-Kansas basketball game is going to result in punishments for the players of both teams involved - and maybe the schools and their coaches https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMD9XUbFqSc. Kansas coach Bill Self called the brawl an "embarrassment" and put the majority of blame on his squad. "I know we were in the wrong," Self said. "I’m not saying both parties weren’t in the wrong, but I know that we were in the wrong." The primary instigator was Kansas forward Silvio De Sousa. As Kansas was trying to run out the clock in their 81-60 win, KSU's DaJuan Gordon stole the ball and went for a layup. De Sousa blocked the shot and towered over Gordon and taunted him. That was a bad look for De Sousa. It got far worse. That precipitated the brawl that turned ugly and quickly. The low-light was De Sousa holding a stool over his head looking for someone to hit with it. The brawl spilled into the area where fans that seated on the floor behind the basket. So what's next? The Big 12 (and the NCAA) is accused by West Virginia fans of treating Kansas basketball favorably compared to the rest of the conference. It's not a totally unfair accusation. The conference's reaction to this brawl can either cement or refute that accusation. Let's take a look at what should what will and happen as a result of this brawl. De Sousa (KU) What should happen: Season-long suspension. De Sousa should have played his last game of college basketball. Not because De Sousa was the the primary instigator of the brawl, which he was. Not because none of this happens if it wasn't for his taunting, though that's true, too. This fate should have been sealed the minute he picked up the stool and waved it above his head. Fortunately, he didn't hit anyone with that stool. But the conference and the NCAA can't tolerate a player wildly swinging a dangerous weapon in a crowd of players, officials and fans. The potential is too disastrous. What probably will happen: 10 games. The closest comparable (relatively) recent incident was a 2011 bench-clearing brawl between Cincinnati and Xavier https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1N49HSUAvY. The most heavily punished combatants in that incident - Cincinnati's Yancy Gates, Cheikh Mdodj and Octavius Ellis were suspended six games by the NCAA. Xavier's Dezmine Wells and Landen Amos received four games. De Sousa will get more tacked on because of the stool and because he took the fight into the fans area on the floor. But don't expect the conference or the NCAA to suspend De Sousa for the rest of the season. It's Kansas, among other things. The Jayhawks have 13 regular season games left. De Sousa will likely play in some of them. David Sloan (KSU) What should happen: Six games. Sloan was the first Kansas State player into the fight. He appears to push De Sousa from behind, triggering the literal violence of the incident. If Sloan doesn't run in and push De Sousa, it's possible (likely) the extent of this incident was poor sportsmanship by De Sousa and Gordon. Sloan helped escalate it. Because of that, and based on the UC-Xavier precedent, Sloan should get six games. What will happen: Six games. A lot depends on what De Sousa gets. No one should (or will) get a stiffer punishment that him. And it shouldn't be close. If De Sousa gets the 10 games we predict, six games sounds about right. Gordon (KSU) What should happen: Two games. The ember that started this wildfire was Gordon stealing the ball rather than letting KU run out the clock. It's a violation of the "unwritten rules" of basketball. If the team leading the blowout is willing to end the game without scoring any more, the trailing team lets them. Obviously Gordon didn't. Not exactly the crime of the century. But given what transpired because of this, and because he was involved in at least some physical altercations, he should get a two-game suspension. What will happen: One game. The conference and/or NCAA likely doesn't let Gordon off Scot Free because of the end result. But he's not likely to get hammered, either, simply for violating unwritten rules. Expect a one-game suspension for Gordon. Players leaving the bench (KU/KSU) What should happen: One game. The more people that join a brawl the worse the potential outcome becomes. That's why a one-game suspension - across the board - should be applied here. Obviously these suspensions would need to be spaced out, otherwise neither team could play its next game. But players need to be discouraged from entering the fray from the bench. What will happen: Zero games. College basketball doesn't have a precedent for blanket suspensions for leaving the bench during physical altercations, and its not likely to start one now. Self (KU) What should happen: Two games. If a player gets a free tattoo, his coach can be held responsible for the player's actions. There's no reason that shouldn't apply here. Self admitted his team was at greater fault in the incident. He shouldn't escape responsibility for it. Two games is an appropriate punishment for his failure to control his players. What will happen: Zero games. Self isn't going to get anything. He's just not. The conference and the NCAA aren't going to break new ground with one of the most prominent coaches in the game. Bruce Weber (coach, KSU) What should happen: One game. For the same reasons as Self, Weber needs held to account here, too. As Self said, KU bears a greater responsibility, therefore Weber should get a one game suspension. What will happen: Zero games. You can't punish Weber and not Self, and Self isn't getting suspended.

Cover Photo: ClutchPoints Morgantown, West Virginia - Earlier today, West Virginia University got the best news possible when top point guard transfer Kerr Kriisa officially announced that he will play for the Mountaineers next season. Kriisa, a 6'3 guard who led the Arizona Wildcats to a 28-7 record and a PAC-12 Championship this past season, will step in as West Virginia's leader next year. Kriisa visited Morgantown a few weeks ago and then took a trip to Nebraska. However, he ultimately decided that West Virginia was the best fit for his future. Although not yet confirmed (and may never be confirmed because NIL deals are typically kept under wraps), Jason Scheer, the Senior Editor/Publisher of Wildcat Authority and beat writer for the Arizona Wildcats said today that he believes Kriisa received a deal worth $500,000 to play for the Mountaineers. In college athletics today, paying players this amount of money is almost mandatory to be competitive. While it may be hard for some traditionalists to accept, Bob Huggins and his coaching staff have realized that in order to win big, you have to bring in the best players and to bring in the best players, you are going to have to pay them large sums of money. https://twitter.com/voicemorgantown/status/1643708905699065860?s=20

Morgantown, West Virginia - Former West Virginia forward Emmitt Matthews, Jr. has no remaining collegiate eligibility, but he is still very much a big part of the Mountaineers family. Matthews, who averaged 10.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game last season for the Mountaineers, was not only successful on the court but also had a tremendous impact off the court as well. Matthews posted the following message on social media earlier today: "Fun Fact: During my time here, I have only had one recruit leave their visit without saying they were going to commit. 40 minutes later, he FaceTimes me and tells me that he's going to commit. I'm undefeated!" During his time at WVU, Matthews was often the host player for recruits, taking them around Morgantown and showing them the facilities, meeting the coaches/players and showing them why West Virginia would be the right choice to make. With this kind of success, perhaps West Virginia should consider hiring Matthews as a recruiting coordinator! https://twitter.com/THEDOOSKIE/status/1645461799737651200?s=20