ON TUESDAY, West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins finally got a break from his schedule. He received a break from basketball, recruiting and the rubber-chicken banquet circuit.
ON TUESDAY, West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins finally got a break from his schedule. He received a break from basketball, recruiting and the rubber-chicken banquet circuit.
And he went fishing.
With limited success.
"They're not cooperating,'' Huggins said of the fish.
Some claim the coach went through a similar scenario in regard to recruiting.
Huggins' Mountaineers had a big year by any definition this past season. They were big in the Big Apple, winning the Big East tournament. They were big in the Big Dance, waltzing like Erin Andrews to the Final Four. The program received unprecedented national exposure.
Then two players the Mountaineers were hot after cast their lots elsewhere. Josh Selby of Baltimore signed with Kansas and Doron Lamb of Oak Hill [Va.] Academy chose Kentucky.
Finally, this past Monday, Huggins signed a relatively unknown player in forward Darrious Curry of Houston. Neither Scout nor Rivals even rated the kid. Some fellow named Mike Kunstadt of TexasHoops.com once rated him the No. 35 prospect - in Texas.
It didn't seem to be the payoff one expected after the Mountaineers' run to the Final Four, the CBS segment on WVU and, especially, the Cradle, Huggins' touching moment when star Da'Sean Butler was injured.
The Mountaineer coach, however, said he's happy with the 2010 class that also includes four-star guard Noah Cottrill of Logan and 7-foot-1 center David Nyarsuk of Mountain State Academy.
"We've known we've had Noah for a long time,'' Huggins said. "We got size in David. He's a shot blocker. Then we got a good young shooter in Darrious with size and length.
"[Curry] can shoot it. He's long. He has good size for a wing. He'll be a good player. I don't know if he'll be one next year, but he'll be a good player.''
Understand that Huggins doesn't take a recruit unless he believes the player will help him win. It will, however, be interesting to see how the recruits fit into the coach's plan. Cottrill is game ready. By all accounts, Nyarsuk, an original product of Sudan, is not - unless simply to alter shots. Curry, who originally signed with UTEP, may be a year away.
Will that be enough to make up for the losses of Butler, Devin Ebanks and Wellington Smith?
"Well,'' Huggins said, "you'll have Pep [Dalton Pepper] and Casey [Mitchell] back. You have to figure they'll play. All those guards - Truck [Bryant], Joe [Mazzulla] and Noah [Cottrill] - are going to play.
"I'd imagine we'll predominately have three guards and two 'bigs' out there.''
Huggins will have frontcourt players back like Kevin Jones, John Flowers, Danny Jennings, Deniz Kilicli and Cam Thoroughman.
nn
Something that'll, well, bear watching in regard to Huggins and this season's recruiting is the success of Nyarsuk versus that of 6-10, 225-pound Gorgui Dieng, a Huntington Prep Academy recruit who signed with Rick Pitino and Louisville.
Dieng recently won MVP honors in the Kentucky Derby Classic all-star game with 15 points, nine rebounds and eight blocked shots.
"West Virginia saw him,'' said Prep coach Rob Fulford, who also coached Cottrill at Mountain State. "Huggins was one of the first calls I made. They watched him work out, left Huntington, saw David [Nyarsuk] and signed him, I think, the next day.
"I think they thought they were further along in the recruiting process with [Nyarsuk] than Gorgui.''
Fulford, however, believes Dieng is the better player.
"David [Nyarsuk] is 7-1 and can run,'' Fulford said, "but Gorgui [Dieng] is going to be a pro. He'll be two years and done.''
The Huntington Prep coach said Pitino visited to watch Justin Coleman, another Prep recruit headed to Louisville, saw Dieng and offered on the spot.
"Pitino told [Dieng] he was the best big man - based on potential - he'd ever recruited,'' Fulford said.
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Fishing, recruits, buyouts and flameouts
ON TUESDAY, West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins finally got a break from his schedule. He received a break from basketball, recruiting and the rubber-chicken banquet circuit.
And he went fishing.
With limited success.
"They're not cooperating,'' Huggins said of the fish.
Some claim the coach went through a similar scenario in regard to recruiting.
Huggins' Mountaineers had a big year by any definition this past season. They were big in the Big Apple, winning the Big East tournament. They were big in the Big Dance, waltzing like Erin Andrews to the Final Four. The program received unprecedented national exposure.
Then two players the Mountaineers were hot after cast their lots elsewhere. Josh Selby of Baltimore signed with Kansas and Doron Lamb of Oak Hill [Va.] Academy chose Kentucky.
Finally, this past Monday, Huggins signed a relatively unknown player in forward Darrious Curry of Houston. Neither Scout nor Rivals even rated the kid. Some fellow named Mike Kunstadt of TexasHoops.com once rated him the No. 35 prospect - in Texas.
It didn't seem to be the payoff one expected after the Mountaineers' run to the Final Four, the CBS segment on WVU and, especially, the Cradle, Huggins' touching moment when star Da'Sean Butler was injured.
The Mountaineer coach, however, said he's happy with the 2010 class that also includes four-star guard Noah Cottrill of Logan and 7-foot-1 center David Nyarsuk of Mountain State Academy.
"We've known we've had Noah for a long time,'' Huggins said. "We got size in David. He's a shot blocker. Then we got a good young shooter in Darrious with size and length.
"[Curry] can shoot it. He's long. He has good size for a wing. He'll be a good player. I don't know if he'll be one next year, but he'll be a good player.''
Understand that Huggins doesn't take a recruit unless he believes the player will help him win. It will, however, be interesting to see how the recruits fit into the coach's plan. Cottrill is game ready. By all accounts, Nyarsuk, an original product of Sudan, is not - unless simply to alter shots. Curry, who originally signed with UTEP, may be a year away.
Will that be enough to make up for the losses of Butler, Devin Ebanks and Wellington Smith?
"Well,'' Huggins said, "you'll have Pep [Dalton Pepper] and Casey [Mitchell] back. You have to figure they'll play. All those guards - Truck [Bryant], Joe [Mazzulla] and Noah [Cottrill] - are going to play.
"I'd imagine we'll predominately have three guards and two 'bigs' out there.''
Huggins will have frontcourt players back like Kevin Jones, John Flowers, Danny Jennings, Deniz Kilicli and Cam Thoroughman.
nn
Something that'll, well, bear watching in regard to Huggins and this season's recruiting is the success of Nyarsuk versus that of 6-10, 225-pound Gorgui Dieng, a Huntington Prep Academy recruit who signed with Rick Pitino and Louisville.
Dieng recently won MVP honors in the Kentucky Derby Classic all-star game with 15 points, nine rebounds and eight blocked shots.
"West Virginia saw him,'' said Prep coach Rob Fulford, who also coached Cottrill at Mountain State. "Huggins was one of the first calls I made. They watched him work out, left Huntington, saw David [Nyarsuk] and signed him, I think, the next day.
"I think they thought they were further along in the recruiting process with [Nyarsuk] than Gorgui.''
Fulford, however, believes Dieng is the better player.
"David [Nyarsuk] is 7-1 and can run,'' Fulford said, "but Gorgui [Dieng] is going to be a pro. He'll be two years and done.''
The Huntington Prep coach said Pitino visited to watch Justin Coleman, another Prep recruit headed to Louisville, saw Dieng and offered on the spot.
"Pitino told [Dieng] he was the best big man - based on potential - he'd ever recruited,'' Fulford said.
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ON TUESDAY, West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins finally got a break from his schedule. He received a break from basketball, recruiting and the rubber-chicken banquet circuit.
And he went fishing.
With limited success.
"They're not cooperating,'' Huggins said of the fish.
Some claim the coach went through a similar scenario in regard to recruiting.
Huggins' Mountaineers had a big year by any definition this past season. They were big in the Big Apple, winning the Big East tournament. They were big in the Big Dance, waltzing like Erin Andrews to the Final Four. The program received unprecedented national exposure.
Then two players the Mountaineers were hot after cast their lots elsewhere. Josh Selby of Baltimore signed with Kansas and Doron Lamb of Oak Hill [Va.] Academy chose Kentucky.
Finally, this past Monday, Huggins signed a relatively unknown player in forward Darrious Curry of Houston. Neither Scout nor Rivals even rated the kid. Some fellow named Mike Kunstadt of TexasHoops.com once rated him the No. 35 prospect - in Texas.
It didn't seem to be the payoff one expected after the Mountaineers' run to the Final Four, the CBS segment on WVU and, especially, the Cradle, Huggins' touching moment when star Da'Sean Butler was injured.
The Mountaineer coach, however, said he's happy with the 2010 class that also includes four-star guard Noah Cottrill of Logan and 7-foot-1 center David Nyarsuk of Mountain State Academy.
"We've known we've had Noah for a long time,'' Huggins said. "We got size in David. He's a shot blocker. Then we got a good young shooter in Darrious with size and length.
"[Curry] can shoot it. He's long. He has good size for a wing. He'll be a good player. I don't know if he'll be one next year, but he'll be a good player.''
Understand that Huggins doesn't take a recruit unless he believes the player will help him win. It will, however, be interesting to see how the recruits fit into the coach's plan. Cottrill is game ready. By all accounts, Nyarsuk, an original product of Sudan, is not - unless simply to alter shots. Curry, who originally signed with UTEP, may be a year away.
Will that be enough to make up for the losses of Butler, Devin Ebanks and Wellington Smith?
"Well,'' Huggins said, "you'll have Pep [Dalton Pepper] and Casey [Mitchell] back. You have to figure they'll play. All those guards - Truck [Bryant], Joe [Mazzulla] and Noah [Cottrill] - are going to play.
"I'd imagine we'll predominately have three guards and two 'bigs' out there.''
Huggins will have frontcourt players back like Kevin Jones, John Flowers, Danny Jennings, Deniz Kilicli and Cam Thoroughman.
nn
Something that'll, well, bear watching in regard to Huggins and this season's recruiting is the success of Nyarsuk versus that of 6-10, 225-pound Gorgui Dieng, a Huntington Prep Academy recruit who signed with Rick Pitino and Louisville.
Dieng recently won MVP honors in the Kentucky Derby Classic all-star game with 15 points, nine rebounds and eight blocked shots.
"West Virginia saw him,'' said Prep coach Rob Fulford, who also coached Cottrill at Mountain State. "Huggins was one of the first calls I made. They watched him work out, left Huntington, saw David [Nyarsuk] and signed him, I think, the next day.
"I think they thought they were further along in the recruiting process with [Nyarsuk] than Gorgui.''
Fulford, however, believes Dieng is the better player.
"David [Nyarsuk] is 7-1 and can run,'' Fulford said, "but Gorgui [Dieng] is going to be a pro. He'll be two years and done.''
The Huntington Prep coach said Pitino visited to watch Justin Coleman, another Prep recruit headed to Louisville, saw Dieng and offered on the spot.
"Pitino told [Dieng] he was the best big man - based on potential - he'd ever recruited,'' Fulford said.
Dieng made unofficial visits to Virginia Tech, Kentucky and Louisville and made an official one to Marquette. UK did not offer, but the others, as well as Memphis, Marshall, Wake Forest and UCLA, did, according to the coach.
Fulford has another player, guard Ozan Dilik, who was on an official visit to Cincinnati on Tuesday.
nn
While Huggins was on the horn, I asked if Ebanks had signed yet with an agent. As most WVU fans know, the standout declared for the NBA draft but, at last word, had not signed and officially slammed the door on a return to Morgantown.
"I haven't talked to him,'' Huggins said. "I'll be going out to [Las] Vegas, though, to speak and will try to talk to him there. That's where he's working out. I will get with him there.''
Likewise, WVU spokesman Bryan Messerly said Tuesday he'd not heard of Ebanks signing. All, however, expect no return from Ebanks.
nn
Could we be moving toward another Rich Rodriguez situation - Marshall-style?
According to one MU official, former basketball coach Donnie Jones, now at Central Florida, has not paid the agreed-upon $500,000 buyout to his former school - with a Thursday deadline looming.
Let's hope sports fans in the Mountain State don't have to go through another round of Sports Law 101.
nn
A plea to WVU and Marshall officials:
Please rethink the starting times of your spring football games.
For some odd reason, the Mountaineers will hold their game this Friday at 7 p.m. Marshall held its last Saturday at 4 p.m.
The thought from here is the perfect time for a spring game is 1 p.m. on a Saturday. That gives WVU fans in the Kanawha Valley time to drive up if interested and return at a decent hour. Those in the Morgantown area can take in the game and still have their Saturday night. But 7 p.m.? On a Friday?
The 4 p.m. Saturday starting time in Huntington was better, but still head-scratching. Dinged both the fans' afternoon and evening.
Of course, that written, MU did draw one of its largest spring game crowds ever. So maybe these folks know what the heck they're doing after all.
nn
And finally . . .
My nominees for the Dopiest Move of the Year: USC's Anthony McCoy, Georgia Tech's Jonathan Dwyer, California's Nyan Boateng - and Marshall's Darius Marshall.
According to the Boston Herald, all four failed drug tests at the NFL Combine.
Swift, eh? Especially in regard to Marshall. He dropped out of school early, with little fanfare, to take his shot at the big time. And it - perhaps literally - went up in smoke. (Hopefully, that's all it was.) He was not drafted. And, as of this writing, he has not signed.
This article is available only to our premium digital content subscribers.
Fishing, recruits, buyouts and flameouts
ON TUESDAY, West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins finally got a break from his schedule. He received a break from basketball, recruiting and the rubber-chicken banquet circuit.
And he went fishing.
With limited success.
"They're not cooperating,'' Huggins said of the fish.
Some claim the coach went through a similar scenario in regard to recruiting.
Huggins' Mountaineers had a big year by any definition this past season. They were big in the Big Apple, winning the Big East tournament. They were big in the Big Dance, waltzing like Erin Andrews to the Final Four. The program received unprecedented national exposure.
Then two players the Mountaineers were hot after cast their lots elsewhere. Josh Selby of Baltimore signed with Kansas and Doron Lamb of Oak Hill [Va.] Academy chose Kentucky.
Finally, this past Monday, Huggins signed a relatively unknown player in forward Darrious Curry of Houston. Neither Scout nor Rivals even rated the kid. Some fellow named Mike Kunstadt of TexasHoops.com once rated him the No. 35 prospect - in Texas.
It didn't seem to be the payoff one expected after the Mountaineers' run to the Final Four, the CBS segment on WVU and, especially, the Cradle, Huggins' touching moment when star Da'Sean Butler was injured.
The Mountaineer coach, however, said he's happy with the 2010 class that also includes four-star guard Noah Cottrill of Logan and 7-foot-1 center David Nyarsuk of Mountain State Academy.
"We've known we've had Noah for a long time,'' Huggins said. "We got size in David. He's a shot blocker. Then we got a good young shooter in Darrious with size and length.
"[Curry] can shoot it. He's long. He has good size for a wing. He'll be a good player. I don't know if he'll be one next year, but he'll be a good player.''
Understand that Huggins doesn't take a recruit unless he believes the player will help him win. It will, however, be interesting to see how the recruits fit into the coach's plan. Cottrill is game ready. By all accounts, Nyarsuk, an original product of Sudan, is not - unless simply to alter shots. Curry, who originally signed with UTEP, may be a year away.
Will that be enough to make up for the losses of Butler, Devin Ebanks and Wellington Smith?
"Well,'' Huggins said, "you'll have Pep [Dalton Pepper] and Casey [Mitchell] back. You have to figure they'll play. All those guards - Truck [Bryant], Joe [Mazzulla] and Noah [Cottrill] - are going to play.
"I'd imagine we'll predominately have three guards and two 'bigs' out there.''
Huggins will have frontcourt players back like Kevin Jones, John Flowers, Danny Jennings, Deniz Kilicli and Cam Thoroughman.
nn
Something that'll, well, bear watching in regard to Huggins and this season's recruiting is the success of Nyarsuk versus that of 6-10, 225-pound Gorgui Dieng, a Huntington Prep Academy recruit who signed with Rick Pitino and Louisville.
Dieng recently won MVP honors in the Kentucky Derby Classic all-star game with 15 points, nine rebounds and eight blocked shots.
"West Virginia saw him,'' said Prep coach Rob Fulford, who also coached Cottrill at Mountain State. "Huggins was one of the first calls I made. They watched him work out, left Huntington, saw David [Nyarsuk] and signed him, I think, the next day.
"I think they thought they were further along in the recruiting process with [Nyarsuk] than Gorgui.''
Fulford, however, believes Dieng is the better player.
"David [Nyarsuk] is 7-1 and can run,'' Fulford said, "but Gorgui [Dieng] is going to be a pro. He'll be two years and done.''
The Huntington Prep coach said Pitino visited to watch Justin Coleman, another Prep recruit headed to Louisville, saw Dieng and offered on the spot.
"Pitino told [Dieng] he was the best big man - based on potential - he'd ever recruited,'' Fulford said.
