Basketball

Morgantown, West Virginia - West Virginia could soon get a huge addition! Jose Perez, the 6'5 guard from Manhattan, where he was chosen as the preseason Player of the Year in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. He averaged 18.9 points, 4.5 assists and 3.2 rebounds last season. Perez has been ineligible this season and West Virginia recently filed an appeal for immediate eligibility for him. Early, Perez hinted that this could be a really possibility! Perez posted "Oh oh" with eyeball emojis on his social media accounts. https://twitter.com/showout_zayy0/status/1610733491901108224?s=20&t=HQyPOk7CW2nmIF0EpuTosg In addition, Jaden Daly of Daly Dose of Hoops, said that his sources have informed him that Jose Perez will receive a decision on the appeal West Virginia filed for his eligibility waiver that was initially denied last month, and that he could be available for the Mountaineers Saturday against Kansas if all goes well." Huge news for the Mountaineers! https://twitter.com/DalyDoseOfHoops/status/1610736213442584576?s=20&t=HQyPOk7CW2nmIF0EpuTosg

(Photo by WVU Athletics)  The West Virginia University Men’s Basketball team has backed themselves into a corner. Following a 10-2 start, the Mountaineers have dropped six of their last seven games and now will likely be heading into the home stretch on the outside of the NCAA Tournament looking in. The team is in jeopardy of missing the tournament for the second straight season, and just may be left out of all postseason tournaments should they continue to trend downwards. While there has been a lot of turnover with West Virginia’s roster over the last two seasons, many of the same issues that have plagued them over the last several seasons still remain. For some reason they just can’t seem to get over this metaphorical hump that is hindering them. Though it is easy to blame the players on the court for this, at some point you have to look at coaching. The Mountaineers addressed this when they parted ways with Assistant Coach Larry Harrison earlier this season. However, it is hard to fathom a change that minor will really influence a better outcome in the end. To put it lightly, it’s not going to. I’m going to say what a lot of people are thinking - the Mountaineer Men’s Basketball team needs a major overhaul. Bob Huggins is a West Virginia legend, nobody is denying that. The recognition that he has brought to the school has been monumental and his presence will be felt for many years to come. But it’s time to face the facts - this simply isn’t working anymore. The magical Huggins era is clearly running out of steam before our eyes. In what seemed like overnight, the 2022-23 season has unraveled before our very eyes. The team is undisciplined, struggling from the free throw line and going through major droughts on offense. All of this is recipe for a 1-6 start in Big 12 play. This style of Mountaineer Men’s Basketball isn’t good enough - I won’t sugarcoat it. Huggins is 69-years old and will turn 70 in September. He’s not getting any younger and his style of coaching is quickly becoming a thing of the past. This is evident with the product on the court. It’s not a question for the athletic department, but one for Huggins to ponder. How long? How long will he let this go on? He has always said that he wants to leave the Mountaineers in a better spot than where they found them. Well, this certainly isn’t it. This basketball team is a far cry from where they were when Huggins took over in 2007. With the direction that the program is going, it is hard to imagine them ever getting back to that level under Huggins. No, I’m not saying he should be relieved of his duties. He’s far too accomplished and has done way too much good for the program. What I am saying, however, is that it may be time for him to start looking forward to life after coaching. I would love nothing more than for him to get this turned around and start winning at a high level again, but how realistic is that, really? What are the chances a fast-aging Huggins can build a national title contending program in the numbered amount of time he has left in his career? Not very high, folks. I’ve always been one to call it how I see it. What I’m seeing is a men’s basketball struggling and in need of something fresh. All good things must come to an end, and if the writing on the wall is clear enough, we may be in the final days of the Bob Huggins era. That is if he is true to his word and won’t leave the Mountaineers in worse shape than he found them. I hope I’m wrong. I really do - but it’s a wrap. The future of West Virginia University Men’s Basketball has to be right around the corner. The relevance of the program may rely on it.  

West Virginia disposed of an overmatched Missouri team, 74-51, at the WVU Coliseum on Saturday afternoon. It was a solid victory by a comfortable margin over a non-descript team in the first game of the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Saturday’s contest was the Mountaineers (16-3) final non-conference game of the regular season. With the win over Missouri (9-10), WVU finishes 12-1 in the regular season against non-Big 12, with the lone loss coming at St. John’s in December. There’s not a lot to take away from Saturday’s victory. The Mountaineers disposed of a smaller, less talented and less deep opponent with ruthless efficiency. But that’s what West Virginia has done all season against its overwhelmed opponents (sans Kansas State). If you’re looking for a big-picture take from Saturday’s win, it’s this: An unfamiliar foe was perplexed, overwhelmed and intimidated by the style, size and strength of the Mountaineers, especially their front line. “I’m not sure if there is another team … that functions like that in the country” Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin said after the game. “In the second half they turned the heat up. Whether their bigs were scoring the ball or not, they had a presence.” That’s the most significant take from Saturday’s win. When the unfamiliar play West Virginia, they struggle with the Mountaineers style. Analytics have moved the game of basketball further and further from the post. West Virginia lives and thrives there. Until teams see WVU up close and in the flesh, they don’t know what hit them. It’s an uncommon style and philosophy in 2020. This novel approach should serve as an asset for WVU when the Mountaineers begin NCAA Tournament play in less than eight weeks. Few teams bring the ingredients and the recipe to the table that WVU does. Facing it for the first time is the equivalent to being woken up by a bucket of ice water. In Saturday’s game itself, there was plenty of good and a little bad from West Virginia. On the plus side, Miles McBride and Gabe Osabuohien continue to give the Mountaineers the kind of production they couldn’t possibly have hoped for coming into the season. McBride once again led West Virginia in scoring, tallying 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting. The freshman’s ability to create scoring opportunities – and capitalize on them – has become invaluable to a team that doesn’t consistently shoot well. Osabuohien has turned the Mountaineers inside-the-paint two-headed monster (Derek Culver and Oscar Tshiebwe) into a three-man wrecking crew. The Arkansas transfer led WVU with 12 rebounds off the bench and tortured the Tigers with his frenetic defensive effort. Culver’s afternoon featured play on both sides of the good/bad divide. The sophomore forward had three fouls with 18 minutes left to play. West Virginia coach Bob Huggins stuck with Culver despite the foul-trouble risks. It paid off. Culver never picked up a fourth foul. On the good, Culver played like Shaquille O’Neal inside, grabbling 11 rebounds and blocking two Missouri shots. On the bad, Culver played like Shaquille O’Neal at the foul line (0-for6). This is becoming a serious issue for WVU and Culver. The sophomore is down to 60 percent from the charity stripe, but even that percentage doesn’t encapsulate the depth of the issue. Since WVU opened Big 12 play, Culver has hit just 48 percent of his foul shots. This is a problem. Overall, Saturday was a very satisfying performance across the board. The next time West Virginia sees someone from outside the Big 12 it will be in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. You’ll hear the phrase “a team no one wants to play” thrown around as March Madness approaches. The Mountaineers are one of those teams.

Realistically, West Virginia Head Coach Bob Huggins has 2-5 years of coaching left.  It would be shocking to see him on the sidelines into his early 70s.  Although we would all love to see him as the coach of the Mountaineers forever, Huggins' health isn't great and it's likely that he'll coach for only a few years more. With that said, the window on Huggins winning a national championship is starting to slowly close.  That means West Virginia's chances of winning its first ever national championship is also coming to an end. While West Virginia will undoubtedly hire a quality, proven head coach to replace Huggins, the new coach won't be Bob Huggins.  It will take years and years and years to get the program back to its current condition when he steps away. There simply isn't much time to waste.  West Virginia returns one of the deepest, most talented rosters in the Big 12 and perhaps the entire country.  It's win big now or fall short of that elusive national championship. The Mountaineers are loaded next season and there's no reason why they can't be the last team standing in March.  In order to give West Virginia the best chances of winning, Huggins must do the following: Hand the team over to Miles McBride Deuce McBride is a transcendent, once-in-a-lifetime type player for the Mountaineers.  He's the teams best shooter, best scorer, best defensive player, best everything.  As such, he should be given the keys to the car and allowed to drive the team to success.  Living and dying with the ball in Miles McBride's hands will lead to wins more often than not.  While the Mountaineers are talented everywhere on the roster, McBride is capable of putting this team on his back and carrying them to wins. 1-3-1  Again, the 1-3-1 zone was used by the Mountaineers at the end of games in which they were down and attempting to make a come back.  This strategy always worked.  The 1-3-1 is a look that offenses are not used to and it rattles opposing players. Toughness  Huggins always preaches toughness to his players, but I would take it a step farther and say that he should tell them to be flat-out mean on the court.  This is a deep team that can afford players to get into foul trouble rather than giving up easy points.  Although Oscar Tshiebwe and Derek Culver struggled at times to stay out of foul trouble, the emergence of Gabe Osabuohien and newcomer Isaiah Cottrell will allow for more flexibility in the front court.  This team should be nasty, the kind of team that no one wants to go to the basket against. Derek Culver is NOT a Go-To Player Derek Culver is far more successful as a rebounder, a garbage man, etc., than the player that Bob Huggins can rely on for important points at key times of big games.  Culver is frequently out of control in the post and this leads to forced shots and turnovers. Press Virginia Press Virginia was remarkably successful during previous seasons and the current roster gives Huggins flexibility with its incredible depth.  Constant full court pressure is exhausting for an opposing team to deal with for an entire game.  However, I recommend that Huggins uses it only occasionally.  Mixing it up and throwing it in at random parts of the game keeps opponents off balance. In Closing  Like I've previously stated, it's big win now time for Bob Huggins and the West Virginia Mountaineers.  Follow this blueprint and Huggins can lead his insanely talented team to first National Championship in school history.

Morgantown, West Virginia - All Miles "Deuce" McBride needed was a chance and last night, he finally got one. With Knicks' starting point guard Jalen Brunson out with a foot injury, McBride got an opportunity to play meaningful minutes and he certainly made the best of it! In the Knicks' 123-107 victory over the Portland Trailblazers, McBride scored a career-best 18 points on 6-for-8 shooting, including four made 3-pointers, in 25 minutes. "Honestly, I knew I needed to step up,” McBride said after Tuesday’s game. “End of a road trip, I felt like we came out flat and I just wanted to be a spark, give energy and do what I can.” McBride drew praise from Knicks' head coach Tom Thibodeau: "It’s huge, and it’s not just hitting the shots but the defense, the hustle plays,” Thibodeau said. “When you make hustle plays like that, that does nothing but unite and inspire the team. You see a guy hustle (like McBride) and all of a sudden, he’s got a steal; we’ve got an easy bucket. That’s how you win.” https://twitter.com/nyknicks/status/1635837214306304002?s=20

As you are already aware, the NCAA Tournament has been canceled, dashing the dreams of players, coaches and fans.  The West Virginia Mountaineers finished the season at 21-10 and 9-9 in the Big 12 Conference - a huge turnaround from last season - and were playing some of their best basketball of the year before the season was cut short. https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/1239245480841936897?s=20 As disappointing as this is for fans, it is substantially more frustrating and discouraging for the players and coaches.  With that said, there should absolutely be an NCAA Tournament Selection Show this Sunday.  The players have earned it and this is a perfect opportunity to celebrate the players' successes this season. While the games obviously will not be played, the magic of Selection Sunday would still exist.  Players and coaches should gather around the television, fans should still anxiously see who and where their favorite team would have played.  The Selection Show is one of the most entertaining, exciting parts of March Madness and it should not have been taken away from the players and fans as well. With this said, the West Virginia Mountaineers would have made some major noise in the NCAA Tournament.  In Joe Lunardi's final Bracketology, he had the Mountaineers as a 7th seed in the East Region.  In this bracket, West Virginia would have played the #10 seed Utah State in Tampa in the 1st around. The NCAA releasing the bracket for the tournament is the very least that they could have done for the players and coaches that worked so hard to accomplish what they did during the season, and fans would have embraced the excitement surrounding the Selection Show, even if the tournament would not be played. The overreaction to the Coronavirus has taken away one of the best sporting events of the year and showing the Selection Show would have been a nice moment for players and fans during a very dark time in sports history.

Morgantown, West Virginia - Moments ago, it was revealed that Texas basketball head coach Chris Beard has been arrested. Beard is in police custody following domestic violence charges. Beard was arrested by police in Austin, Texas, and has been booked on a charge of third-degree assault of a family member "impede breath circulation" or strangulation. According to ESPN: “Beard, 49, is currently going through the booking process at the Travis County jail, according to Kristen Dark, senior public information officer for Travis County Sheriff's Office.” He is in our custody," Dark told ESPN. "I can confirm he is the person who is in our booking process." https://twitter.com/petethamel/status/1602314226399420422?s=46&t=DIhiO7KfuYkKOGpRuZjXRQ

Morgantown, West Virginia - The Mountaineers are absolutely loaded this season with incredible size, skill and depth at all positions.  According to Bob Huggins, one of the biggest challenges his team would face this season would be how to get all of his players playing time. West Virginia has ten players on its roster right now that will one day play basketball professionally - either in the NBA or overseas.  Here are the players on the Mountaineers' roster that will be paid to play professionally one day: 1.) Miles McBride - Huggins has said on multiple occasions that NBA executives he speaks to are most interested McBride.  He's a great on-floor leader, he's a winner, has great size, can shoot and get to the basket, and is becoming a better and better point guard.  Prediction: NBA 1st or 2nd Round Draft Pick 2.) Oscar Tshiebwe - Tshiebwe has struggled through the first seven games of the season, but he's still averaging 8.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.  His perimeter shot has regressed this season and he looks lost at times, but he's also an exceptionally talented athlete that has an NBA body and huge upside.  Prediction: NBA 1st or 2nd Round Draft Pick 3.) Derek Culver - Culver is more controlled this season on the offensive end and is a double-double machine.  He has great size and continues to show improvement on both ends of the floor.  Prediction: NBA 2nd Round Draft Pick or Undrafted Free Agent/G League 4. Taz Sherman - Taz has good size at 6'4, can shoot (50% from three point range and 88% from the foul line), can get to the basket and create his own shot, plays great defense, and it's really surprising that he hasn't gotten more attention from the NBA.  Prediction: NBA G League or Overseas Contract 5.) Emmitt Matthews, Jr. - Matthews has takeover ability but must improve his perimeter shooting.  With that said, his size and athleticism will get him an overseas contract at the very least.  Prediction: Overseas 6.) Gabe Osabuohien - Osabuohien is undersized for his position, so the NBA is very unlikely.  However, he has improved every part of his game since coming to West Virginia and will have a tremendous career playing overseas.  Prediction: Overseas 7.) Isaiah Cottrell - At 6'10 240, Cottrell already has an NBA body.  He also is very skilled, can rebound, can shoot from three point range and a developed post game.  Four years under Huggins and staff will have him ready for the NBA one day.  Prediction: NBA Undrafted Free Agent/G League 8.) Sean McNeil - McNeil has European star written all over him.  He handles the ball well, plays sneaky good defense and can shoot the lights out.  Don't be surprised to see him have the longest professional career of anyone on the roster.  Prediction: Overseas 9.) Jalen Bridges - Bridges is very skilled and continues to grow.  Like Cottrell, four years under Huggins will prepare him for professional play.  Right now, he's likely a G League/Overseas talent, but he could develop into an NBA Draft pick with continued improvement and growth.  Prediction: NBA Undrafted Free Agent/G League 10.) Jordan McCabe/Seny Ndiaye/Taj Thweatt/Kedrian Johnson - At least one of these four players will have an opportunity to play overseas.  McCabe is a solid floor leader who would likely do very well overseas, Ndiaye is a huge shot-blocker with a big upside, and Thweatt and Johnson are both physically gifted athletes who could develop into a professional player. With all of this talent on his team, Bob Huggins can walk into any arena in the nation unafraid because he has one of his best overall rosters in his long and illustrious career.

MORGANTOWN, West Virginia -- Bob Huggins is a desperate man and has made it clear that he will do anything and everything to get his job back. But it's not just his job that he wants back; he wants the power, the prestige and the admiration that comes along with it. Unfortunately, his recent actions are doing the exact opposite of what he intends. Huggins, once revered throughout the state of West Virginia and around the country, is now increasingly becoming a less and less sympathetic character and is in danger of becoming an absolute joke in the eyes of people following his story. Huggins is a proud, stubborn man. He has been Bob Huggins the basketball coach for 41 years and he's done it better than 99.9% of the people that ever tried to do it, accumulating 935 career wins, 3rd-most ever among Division 1 coaches. He's a real, genuine Hall of Fame head coach and he earned every bit of the respect that he's been given. But what's now clear is that Bob Huggins is unwilling, or may even unable, to walk away from what he's done so successfully for so long. He's unable to give up being Bob Huggins the basketball coach and just simply be Bob Huggins the human being. Unfortunately, because of this, Huggins is going to end up hurting everything that means so much to him; West Virginia University, the Mountaineers' basketball program and his reputation and legacy. It's hard to imagine how Huggins could possibly think that demanding his job back by threatening a lawsuit against West Virginia University is in any way beneficial to the university, the basketball program or even himself. Huggins' desperate attempt at regaining his position as the head coach of the Mountaineers will not end well. He will not sit on his stool on the sidelines in the Coliseum next year or ever again. That ended the moment he decided to get in his vehicle and drive around West Virginia and Pennsylvania highly intoxicated in a company car. The sooner that Huggins is willing, or able, to accept that his time as the head coach at West Virginia is over, the better it will be for the university, the basketball program and for him and his family.

Morgantown, West Virginia - Maybe our expectations were too high.  Perhaps we expected too much too soon.  But the West Virginia Mountaineers, despite beating three quality opponents and winning the Crossover Classic Championship, do not appear to be as good as the hype surrounding them in the offseason suggested. I can't think of one area that the Mountaineers have improved on.  Although we've heard countless times West Virginia is a much better shooting team, that is clearly not the case. Through the first two games, the Mountaineers shot 40% from the field and 29.2% from three point range.  In the championship game of the Crossover Classic, the team was better from the perimeter but also had far fewer attempts from three point range (5-12, 41.7%). Huggins' offense hasn't changed since he arrived in Morgantown in 2007 and is very predictable.  If West Virginia's guards can't hit perimeter shots, the offense is extremely stagnant.  The Mountaineers too often settle for perimeter shots from its forwards (Tshiebwe, Culver, Osabuohien, Cottrell, etc.) and that is not a way to win many tough games. The West Virginia defense allowed far too many easy points under the basket.  The interior defense in the first three games of the season is the worst that the Mountaineers have played during Huggins' entire time at West Virginia. In the season opener, South Dakota State's undersized and unathletic players were able to get to the basket at will.  VCU and Western Kentucky had more talented athletes, and were able to get several easy scores on backdoor cuts.  All three teams were able to get to the basket with ease and West Virginia's interior defenders did not effectively provide help defense on the opposing player. After the first game, the Mountaineers appeared to have improved at taking care of the ball and limiting turnovers (only 3 in the opener against South Dakota State), but had 21 turnovers against VCU and 15 against Western Kentucky.  In the first three games, the Mountaineers have 37 total assists and 39 turnovers.  That's not just bad, it's terrible.   Seniors Taz Sherman and Gabe Osabuohien have taken big steps forward individually, but overall, the team has shown very little improvement from last season through three games. In order for the Mountaineers to truly improve and be one of the best teams in the nation, West Virginia will need to shoot more consistently, defend better (particularly on the interior) and learn to take care of the ball.

Morgantown, West Virginia - Moments ago, former West Virginia Mountaineers forward Derek Culver announced on his personal social media account that he has signed with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA G League! Culver, who left West Virginia one season early to enter the 2021 NBA Draft, will join former Mountaineers standout Daxter Miles, Jr. on the Mad Ants. Culver captioned his picture: “Year 1.  Step 1.” Congratulations to Derek Culver! Check out The Voice of Motown Podcast’s outstanding interview with Culver here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/interview-with-derek-culver-former-wvu-basketball-star/id1586381395?i=1000539533296

Morgantown, West Virginia - Yesterday, former West Virginia Mountaineers standout Miles “Deuce” McBride was sent down to the Knicks’ G League team in order to get more playing time. Knicks’ head coach Tom Thibodeau explained the decision by the team: “I love him, I love him,’’ Thibodeau said. “I think it’s important for him to be with us, but every opportunity we get where we can have him play some, we want to try to take advantage of that as well. But he’s got a great future, great kid, hard worker. And when you come into this league, it’s all about — you’ve got to learn first. And that’s what he’s doing.’’ While McBride has a huge future ahead of him for the Knicks, he has only gotten playing time in four games this season during garbage time. In his G League debut, however, McBride showed that he belongs in the NBA, scoring 25 points, while dishing out 9 assists and 5 rebounds in the team’s win. Check out his incredible highlights from last night’s game below: https://twitter.com/nbagleague/status/1461160078116073472?s=21

MORGANTOWN, West Virginia -- On Thursday, Omar Silverio had his appeal for a waiver to play for the West Virginia Mountaineers denied by the NCAA. Silverio sat out last season after transferring from Manhattan and hoped to be eligible to play this season. However, the NCAA ruled against him and his collegiate career is now over. Today, Silverio posted a message on social media, asking for help through a GoFund Me fundraiser. The fundraiser says the following: "Ten years ago Omar Silverio left his family in the Dominican Republic to chase his dream of an education and basketball career in the United States. Through the ups and downs, he has worked hard, treated people the right way and stayed positive. He has dealt with injuries, saw one coach fired right before the season started, lost another to a major health issue, and played for three coaches in three seasons all while at the same school. Despite that, he earned his degree from Hofstra University. Now, he has been waiting for six months to hear from the NCAA regarding a waiver to play his final season at West Virginia. As many of you know, that waiver was denied this week and Omar's college career is over. He appreciates all of his teammates and coaches and especially all of the fans he has met and come in contact with throughout his college career. The community at West Virginia has treated him like family even though he won't be able to suit up for the University this season. He has many great memories -- winning the CAA Championship, scoring 40 points in a game, playing in front of friends and family, and meeting some amazing people along the way. He is contemplating what is next for him and his family. He is considering filing a lawsuit against the NCAA, but isn't sure if it is worth the time and expense that will entail. Regardless, thanks to the NCAA, he has had to forfeit the NIL money that he was promised. Please consider supporting Omar and his family in DR as they navigate the next steps in their lives." It is unfortunate that the NCAA would make such a callous, unfair decision to not allow him to play this season and their denial really does no one any good. If you would like to give to Omar Silverio, please visit his GoFund me page here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-omar-silverio?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet-first-launch&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer https://twitter.com/OmarSilverio15/status/1690402174109368320?s=20

Morgantown, West Virginia - The West Virginia Mountaineers finished the regular season 18-9 overall and 11-6 in the Big 12 Conference after back-to-back losses to the hottest team in the college basketball, the Oklahoma State Cowboys. With the losses, West Virginia's hopes of being a 2 or even 3 seed appear to be unlikely at this point.  According to Bob Huggins, "This probably took us off the 3 line in the tournament." ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi, known as "Joey Brackets", is the most reliable source in predicting how the NCAA Tournament Committee will seed teams.  According to Lunardi, the Mountaineers will be a 4 seed and the 13th ranked team overall. https://twitter.com/ESPNLunardi/status/1370787198602248197?s=20 This means that West Virginia is only one spot from being a 3 seed in the tournament.  Kansas is currently a 3 seed, but had to drop out of the Big 12 Tournament with a COVID case on the team and is questionable for the NCAA Tournament.  If the Jayhawks can't play, the Mountaineers could easily slide into the 3 seed. In addition, Texas is currently a 3 seed according to Lunardi, but a loss in the Big 12 Championship against Oklahoma State could drop the Longhorns below West Virginia in the overall rankings.

On a conference call with members of the West Virginia media, Bob Huggins touched on several topics.  He said that he has been watching episodes of Naked and Afraid during quarantine, that he fully expects Oscar Tshiebwe to make the wise choice of returning to school after he explores the possibility of entering the NBA Draft, and he also said that he he has no interest in poaching players from other teams during the offseason. While coaches around the country slobber over players who enter the transfer portal, Huggins refuses to reach out to players unless they contact him first.  While it's commendable for Huggins to show respect for other coaches and teams by not openly attempting to bring players to Morgantown, he's missing out on tremendous opportunities to land incredibly talented players. Several outstanding players - including Radford's Carlik Jones, Purdue's Matt Haarms, Harvard's Seth Towns and Bryce Aiken, Pittsburgh's Trey McGowens and Ohio State's Luther Muhammad - all would have been key additions for the Mountaineers, but only Carlik Jones and Luther Muhammad have really been considered by Huggins because they reached out to him.   Bob Huggins' job is to put his team in position to win national championships.  Huggins' top priority should always be to get as much talent to West Virginia as possible.  However, he will not compromise his principles and standards, and in a day and age when winning is the only thing that matters to most, Huggins stands alone as the coach who puts his integrity above all else. Huggins has never been involved in rumors or speculation about paying players and has managed to run one of the cleanest, most respectable programs in the country.  When (not if) the West Virginia Mountaineers win a national championship, Huggins will do it the right way, free of any accusations or compromises.  Bob Huggins is truly a once in a lifetime coach and West Virginia University is lucky to have him.