West Virginia

2008-09 West Virginia Basketball Preview: #44

Joel Welser — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:38:29 -0700

HTML clipboard

West Virginia Mountaineers

Overall Rank: #44

Conference Rank: #9 Big East

2007-08: 26-11, 11-7, 5^th

2007-08 postseason: NCAA

The first year for West Virginia under Coach Bob Huggins went very well. The team did a great job changing philosophies and ended up in the Sweet Sixteen. That has made the expectations for this season just as high. However, without a couple key players, the Mountaineers might take a small step backwards. Yet, the recruiting class is solid and the future is very bright in Morgantown.

Who’s Out:

Joe Alexander led the team with 16.9 points and 6.4 rebounds last season. That success led to his being selected eighth overall in the NBA Draft. Alexander would take all the big shots for WVU and that leadership will be difficult to replace. Point guard Darris Nichols has also wrapped up his collegiate career. Nichols dished out 3.2 assists and turned the ball over just 1.1 times per contest. He was also an effective scorer. Often overshadowed by the big time scorers on the team, Nichols’ steadying influence cannot be overstated. Jamie Smalligan never put up big numbers, or even played that many minutes, but the seven-foot center did start just about every game. Little used Ted Talkington and Jarrett Brown will not be suiting up for the basketball team this year.

Who’s In:

Coach Huggins is bringing in a trio of talented forwards who will not only give the team some more scorers in the paint, but also provide better and tougher defense. The best of the bunch if Devin Ebanks. The 6-9 forward has the mobility and shooting touch of a guard and the size and strength of a forward. Ebanks was ranked by most as a top 20 player in the class of 2008 and should immediately be a major contributor. Like Ebanks, Kevin Jones is another versatile forward who can battle in the paint or hang out on the perimeter…on either side of the floor. Dee Proby does not have as much potential as Ebanks or Jones, but the junior college transfer does have more experience and, at 6-10 and 240 pounds, more size than anybody else on the roster. The lone newcomer on the perimeter is Darryl Bryant. The 6-2 guard is tough, strong and a great leader; and that will make him a quality point guard in the coming years. For now, he will learn off the bench, but do not be surprised if Bryant emerges as the steal of this class.

Who to Watch:

There are two things WVU needs to do this year in order to repeat the success of the 2007-2008 campaign. One is replacing Alexander. But that should not be much of a problem with Alex Ruoff and Da’Sean Butler playing on the wings. Ruoff is not the greatest athlete around and will not create his own shots, but he is a great long range shooter and averaged 13.8 points per game last season. Butler can score from outside too, but he will also get into the paint. For a team that is a little green in the post, having an experienced player like Butler help out on the glass will be very important. The other issue is Joe Mazzulla. Is the junior ready to take over the point guard duties full-time? Mazzulla has spent plenty of time learning behind Nichols, but keeping the team under control as well as Nichols did will be extremely difficult. Making matters worse is the off-field incident that could result in disciplinary action against Mazzulla. That would leave Bryant and little used Jonnie West on top of the point guard list.

Final Projection:

There is plenty of potential from this group. They might even be more talented than last year’s bunch, but just less experienced. The frontcourt has Wellington Smith who can block shots, but he will need help from Ebanks in the scoring and rebounding departments. Ruoff and Butler will do enough scoring on the perimeter, but West Virginia will not have the luxury of making mistakes if they want to make the NCAA Tournament again. Without Nichols, the mistakes will happen more often and the Mountaineers could miss the big dance for the last time in quite a few years.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Joe Mazzulla, Junior, Guard, 5.8 points per game

Alex Ruoff, Senior, Forward, 13.8 points per game

Da’Sean Butler, Junior, Forward, 12.9 points per game

Devin Ebanks, Freshman, Forward, DNP last season

Wellington Smith, Junior, Forward, 5.2 points per game

Complete Top 144 Ranking | 2008-09 Preview & Awards | Coach Interviews | Discuss the Preview

College Football: # 21 West Virginia @ Colorado Preview

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:39:43 -0700

Round two of the Big East/Big 12 "Challenge" is on the docket for Thursday, with Louisville putting the Big East up 1-0 with a 38-29 home win over Kansas State last night. Redshirt freshman Victor Anderson had a big night for the Cards, rushing for 176 yards on just eighteen carries and three touchdowns. Louisville's defense also had two key interceptions in the second quarter that resulted in thirteen Cardinal points. But the task tonight will be much tougher for the defending Big East champions, who head into the high altitude to take on a young program on the rise.

#21 West Virginia @ Colorado (8:30PM EST on ESPN)

The Mountaineers had some time to stew over their last game, a stunning 24-3 loss at East Carolina. The fact that they lost at ECU wasn't much of a surprise; how they did it was something that took much of the nation by surprise. The key tonight for the Mountaineers is how much production do they get from offensive players not named Patrick White (3rd in the Big East in rushing, averaging 80.0 yards per game). Sophomore Noel Devine is sixth in the league in rushing, and he also had a decent day on the ground in their last game.

But to rack up a paltry 72 yards through the air? That's not going to get it done, especially with Colorado currently boasting the top run defense in the Big 12. But there could be opportunities to make plays with the likes of WR Jock Sanders and WR Dorell Jalloh against a defense that ranks 8th in the Big 12 in pass defense.

As for the young Buffaloes, an impressive win here could be a sign that their future is now. Sophomore QB Cody Hawkins has continued to improve with more experience, and he should only get better as he progresses.

"Offensively, I have always been a big fan and admirer of Coach Hawkins and his son, Cody, the quarterback, is just an extension of his father and his staff on the field," said West Virginia head coach Bill Stewart in his weekly press conference. "He knows where to go and when to go with the ball and he knows what the offense is all about. The young man does a great job keeping in the framework of his dad's offense."

And there's also a capable stable of running backs led by heralded freshman Darrell Scott. But the Buffs have been mediocre thus far on the offensive side of the football. That's where talented threat Josh Smith comes into play. Smith, who returned a kickoff for a touchdown in their season-opening win against Colorado State, leads the Big 12 in all-purpose yards and kick return yards. It would be a good idea for the Mountaineers to limit his chances at breaking a big one.

As for who wins this game, I'll take Colorado due to the home field advantage. There was a time when opponents visiting Folsom Field didn't have much to worry about in regards to fan atmosphere. But the times have changed in Boulder. I guess that's what a little "Hawk Love" will do for a program.

2008 Jimmy V Classic Pairings Set

Press Release — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:25:35 -0700

Texas will face Villanova, and Davidson will face West Virginia in the 14^th annual Jimmy V Men’s Basketball Classic on Tuesday, Dec. 9, ESPN and the V Foundation announced today. The Horns and Wildcats are scheduled to tipoff at 9 p.m. Eastern at Madison Square Garden, while Davidson and West Virginia is slated for a 7 p.m. tip.

Proceeds from the event benefit The V Foundation for Cancer Research. The Foundation was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN commentator. Since 1993, the Foundation has raised more than $70 million to fund cancer research grants nationwide. It awards 100 percent of all direct cash donations and net proceeds of events directly to cancer research and related programs. For more information on The V Foundation or to make a donation, please visit www.jimmyv.org.

Beginning later this month, tickets for the Jimmy V Men’s Basketball Classic can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com, by calling Ticketmaster at 212-307-7171, or in person at the Madison Square Garden Box Office.

2008 Jimmy V Men’s Basketball Classic (Tuesday, Dec. 9)

Madison Square Garden (New York, N.Y.) – All times central

Game 1______________ Davidson vs. West Virginia_________________________________ 6 pm (ESPN)

Game 2______________ TEXAS vs. Villanova_____________________________________ 8 pm (ESPN)

Daily Dribble: Who Said Basketball Isn't Funny?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:32:52 -0700

Basketball is funny. I never really noticed it before, but things are getting out of hand this week.. there's just too much too laugh about.

The Yao Ming/Ron Artest spat.. in which Artest claims he is the paradigm of black culture, "I don't think he's ever played with a black player that really represents his culture as much as I represent my culture" is flat out funny. (I seriouslly thought the various Artest quotes came from the Onion, but they're actually real.)

The Indiana Hoosiers giving Tom Crean a two-year extension before he's ever even coached a practice is flat out funny. (Though a quick glance at the Hoosiers roster will give you a bigger laugh).

A pair of West Virginia ballplayers, including the decent Joe Mazzulla, charged with underage drinking and fighting with the police.. not really amusing at face value, but funny when you consider Bob Huggins is their coach.

Lastly, remember Tamir Goodman, the "Jewish Jordan"? He signed a contract to play in Israel yesterday.. again, amusing stuff. And this is all in just a 48 hour period.

Joe Alexander: NBA Draft Profile

Jeff Fox — Thu, 08 May 2008 08:42:09 -0700

Joe Alexander

College: West Virginia

Class: Junior

Position: SF/PF

Height: 6’8”

Weight: 230lbs

Accolades: Honorable Mention All-American – AP (08), Big East All-Tournament Team (08), First Team All-Big East (08).

Scouting Report: A perfect combination of size, skill and athleticism.

Strengths: Very athletic. Great leaper – everything ends in a dunk. Finishes strong around the hoop. Great wingspan. Good size for a small forward. Good jump shot – gets high off the ground and has a high release. Can hit tough shots over defenders. Good body control. Ability to beat man off the dribble with either hand. Great shot-blocker for his position. Good passer. Can post up strong. Hard worker. His game increased each year in college. Good rebounder for a wing player.

Weaknesses: Gets beat off the dribble – does he posses the foot speed to cover NBA wing players? Still inexperienced – a late bloomer – didn’t play much his sophomore year. Needs to become a better three-point shooter to play the three-spot in the NBA. Still inconsistent. Needs to improve his assist to turnover ratio.

Projected 2008 Draft Range: Mid to late first round pick.

Consensus: Joe Alexander had a breakout junior season at West Virginia and is primed to make some big-time NBA dough. While he is still inconsistent and a little inexperienced, his package of skills, size, athleticism and work ethic are rare. He should be a fine NBA pro.

Stats: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=27301

CHN's Six-Star Ranking System

= Superstar/All-NBA Potential

= Potential NBA All-Star

= Consistent NBA Starter

= 6th Man/Fringe Starter

= Career Reserve

= Fringe NBA Player/12th Man

0 stars = Life in the Minor Leagues

More 2008 NBA Draft Profiles

Current NBA Mock Draft Position

Complete NBA Draft coverage

Poll: What Will be Tonight's Sweet 16 Upset?

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:20:31 -0700

Interview w/ West Virgina's John Flowers

Jon Teitel — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:01:25 -0700

Live from Washington DC, CHN's Jon Teitel is covering the NCAA Tournament pod featuring Xavier/Georgia, Baylor/Purdue, West Virginia/Arizona, and Belmont/Duke. He'll be checking in periodically with player & coach interviews as well as news updates from the Verizon Center.

Tonight, Jon brings us an interview with West Virginia freshman John Flowers:

Q: What do you know about Arizona?

A: Every team in the NCAA Tournament is good. We will just prepare the same as we have for all of our games this year.

Q: Your team has had a great assist-to-turnover ratio all year: how important has that been to your success.

A: We do our best to not have a lot of turnovers. The more you have the ball, the better chance you have to do something with it.

Q: What is Coach Huggins like?

A: He is a good coach, and has a great track record of getting his players to the NBA. He does a great job of preparing us for every game.

Q: You are a freshman: how has the transition been from being recruited by former West Virginia coach John Beilein to playing for Coach Huggins?

A: Coach Beilein was great to me during the recruiting process, and I felt that I would be a good fit for his system. That being said, I have no regrets about choosing to play at West Virginia after Coach Beilein left, and I am happy to be here.

Q: In light of Joe Alexander’s outstanding play over the past month, has the team made an effort to run the offense through him?

A: We just continue to run our offense. Joe is a great player who can take over a game by himself, but we have a lot of other good players as well.

- Coaches Q&A: Huggins, Painter, Miller

- Get to Know Belmont: Coach & Player Q&A

- Interview w/ Purdue's Scott Martin

- Interview w/ Duke's Greg Paulus

- Interview w/ Xavier's Derrick Brown

- Interview w/ Georgia's Troy Brewer

- More 2008 NCAA Tournament Coverage

- Sign up for the free CHN Tournament Challenge and win great prizes!

- Check out various printable & downloadable NCAA Brackets

Tourney Coach Q&A: Huggins, Painter, Miller

Jon Teitel — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 07:42:16 -0700

Tonight, Jon brings us interview with big-time head coaches Bob Huggins (WVU), Sean Miller (Xavier), and Matt Painter (Purdue).

Interview with Coach Sean Miller (Xavier)

Q: You have worked with a lot of great coaches in the past: which one of them gave you the best advice about how to succeed in the NCAA Tournament?

A: I have been very fortunate to work with great coaches like Herb Sendek and Thad Matta. I am also friends with John Calipari, who I talk to a lot, and my dad was a successful high school coach as well. Rather than model myself after only one of them, I consider myself a hybrid coach who has taken bits and pieces from all of them.

Q: How did you feel about Herb Sendek’s Arizona State team getting left out of the NCAA Tournament?

A: I felt bad that ASU did not make the tourney, especially after they beat us soundly earlier this season. Herb is 1 of the most complete coaches I have ever met, from scheduling to recruiting to running a great program in general.

Interview with Coach Painter (Purdue)

Q: You have a very young team this year, but had a veteran team last year that had success in the NCAA Tournament: has your postseason preparation changed a lot from last March to this March?

A: Although we had a lot of veterans last year, we only had 1 player who had Tournament experience. While we have a lot of freshmen this year, we have several guys who are back from last year’s team. I also think that our experience this year against great non-conference teams during the regular season and on a big stage at the Big 10 Tournament will help us, and hopefully it will keep us sharp. We have a great tradition at Purdue, but it is important to get young guys to come here and help us get back to the top of the Big 10.

Q: What are your thoughts on Baylor?

A: They are a good team, and very fast. They are going to beat us off the dribble, as they proved they could do that against Kansas.

Interview with Coach Huggins (West Virginia)

Q: You are in a unique situation, having a lot of NCAA Tournament experience yourself, and being the first-year coach of a team that won the NIT last year: do you feel that your team is hungry because they missed the NCAA Tournament last year, or confident because they won the NIT, or other?

A: I wish you would go talk to them, because I cannot figure them out. We have won some games that I did not think we would win, and vice-versa. We do not have any guys who can play in the post, nor anyone who can break down an opponent off the dribble, so we have had to rely on our jump shots. I do not think our team feels slighted or uses that as motivation: it is all about making our jump shots.

Q: How much will last year’s NIT experience help this year’s team?

A: We lost 2 seniors who played a lot, and the majority of our current team did not play very much in the NIT. We have a very young team, and we have seen a lot of different styles by virtue of the number of different teams in the Big East. Our 7-footer is more of a 3-point shooter than a post guy: we are what we are.

- Interview w/ Purdue's Scott Martin

- Interview w/ Duke's Greg Paulus

- Interview w/ Baylor's Mark Shepherd

- Interview w/ Xavier's Derrick Brown

- Interview w/ Georgia's Troy Brewer

- More 2008 NCAA Tournament Coverage

- Sign up for the free CHN Tournament Challenge and win great prizes!

- Check out various printable & downloadable NCAA Brackets

2008 NCAA Tournament Capsule: West Virginia

Joel Welser — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:17:22 -0700

West Virginia Mountaineers

Big East (24-10, 11-7)

Big Wins: 1/6 Marquette (79-64), 1/13 Syracuse (81-61), 3/3 Pittsburgh (76-62)

Bad Losses: 12/29 Oklahoma (82-88), 1/30 Cincinnati (39-62), 2/20 at Villanova (56-78)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2006, Elite Eight loss to Texas

Coach: Bob Huggins (20-15 in 15 NCAA appearances)

Probable Starters:

Darris Nichols, Senior, Guard, 10.7 ppg, 3.2 apg, 3.4 rpg

Alex Ruoff, Junior, Forward, 13.5 ppg, 3.0 apg, 3.3 rpg

Joe Alexander, Junior, Forward, 16.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.5 bpg

De’Sean Butler, Sophomore, Forward, 12.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg

Jamie Smalligan, Senior, Center, 2.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

Joe Mazzulla, Sophomore, Guard, 5.6 ppg, 2.1 apg

John Flowers, Freshman, Forward, 4.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg

Wellington Smith, Sophomore, Forward, 5.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg

Why They Can Surprise:

West Virginia has Coach John Beilein’s players, but the style of play of Coach Bob Huggins. Most thought that the odd combination would lead to a poor season for the Mountaineers, but instead WVU has managed to find the best of both worlds. The team can still knock down three-pointers and keep the turnovers down just like their old coach preferred, but they can also attack the glass and be physical in the paint.

Point guard Darris Nichols dishes out 3.2 assists per game and only gives up 1.2 turnovers. The senior’s leadership has helped with the transition and his versatility is a very important part of this team. West Virginia will not take as many three’s as they did last year, but when you have Alex Ruoff on the team, you have to take some. Ruoff shoots over 40 percent from long range and Nichols and Da’Sean Butler will knock down a couple per game.

Why They Can Disappoint:

The rebounding might be much improved compared to last year, but it is still pretty average. The team simply does not have the players to clean up the glass effectively. Butler, Joe Alexander and Wellington Smith are all decent rebounders, but players like perimeter orientated 7-footer Jamie Smalligan do not grab as many boards as Coach Huggins would like. The lack of true post players also results in a one-dimensional offense. While the three-point shooting is not as widespread as it was before, the offense will still drive and dish…just now they will dish less and get to the basket more. The Mountaineers need to get some touches inside to at least make the opposing defense work a little bit.

Who To Watch:

Alexander is the team’s leading scorer and the most dynamic offensive player in Morgantown…not counting the football team’s backfield. He does a little bit of everything and averages 16.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks per contest. He is a solid free-throw shooter and, unlike the rest of the team, gets to the charity stripe more than four times a game. The 6-8 junior has scored in single digits eight games during the regular season and West Virginia lost five of those contests. When Alexander is not scoring, it puts a lot of pressure on Ruoff, Butler and Nichols to pick up the slack.

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 75.5 (61^st in nation, 6^th in conference)

Scoring Defense: 62.7 (48, 3)

Field-Goal Percentage: 45.5 (100, 6)

Field-Goal Defense: 41.5 (67, 6)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.3 (106, 6)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.2 (165, 7)

Free-Throw Percentage: 68.2 (188, 6)

Rebound Margin: 2.5 (93, 9)

Assists Per Game: 15.7 (38, 4)

Turnovers Per Game: 11.1 (8, 1)

- More 2008 NCAA Tournament Coverage

- All 2008 Tournament Capsules

- Sign up for CHN's Free NCAA Bracket Challenge.. win a Wii, Guitar Hero, and other prizes!

Three Stars of the Day: Alexander, Jordan, Roby

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 07:15:04 -0700

We handpick the best performances of the day, whether it be stat lines that make you drool, or clutch performances. Either way, its our way of showing the love:

Joe Alexander - West Virginia

Continuing his dominant run (30 ppg over 5 games), Alexander had 34 & 7 in an upset win over UCONN

Jerome Jordan - Tulsa

The sophomore big man continued his tear with 23 points and 17 boards, killing UAB's tourney hopes

Richard Roby - Colorado

Roby had 32 & 13 in the Buffs surprising double-OT win over Baylor in the Big 12's opening round

Other Top Performers

James Anderson - Oklahoma State - The freshman had his best game in months.. a solid 18 point, 8 rebound effort

Dave Bliss - Georgia - Hit a banker with 0.4 on the clock in OT as Georgia killed off Mississippi's tourney hopes

OJ Mayo - USC - Scored 23 of the Trojans 59 points, and added 6 assists in a win over bubble wannabe ASU

Sam Young - Pittsburgh - The Panthers knocked Louisville out of the Big East tourney behind Young's 21 & 12

Previous Stars of the Day

March 11th - Jeremy Evans, WKU

March 10th - Kevin Kanaskie, MTSU

March 9th - Brandon Johnson, San Diego

March 5th - Marquis Weddle, UTM

March 4th - Joe Alexander, WVU

March 3rd - Kevin Love, UCLA

March 2nd - Tyrese Rice, BC