ODDS AND ENDS and a few things I think I think while acknowledging a new leader in the clubhouse:
ODDS AND ENDS and a few things I think I think while acknowledging a new leader in the clubhouse:
The category? Obnoxious fans.
The new standard bearer? DePaul.
Not that it really mattered, of course, because there weren't really that many there to see the Blue Demons lose 83-75 Wednesday night to West Virginia at Allstate Arena (For those with naming-rights hangover, the building used to be the Rosemont Horizon).
Perhaps it was simply a matter of my own perspective as the only buffer between the student section on the baseline and the end of the WVU bench. But I can't ever recall a group more focused on screaming obnoxious and vulgar comments to an opponent at the expense of supporting their own team.
It might have been different had they come up with even one ounce of new material. Sadly, they did not.
By my count, today is the eighth day since Dan Dakich was named the basketball coach at Indiana, matching his tenure at West Virginia. Watch out, Hoosiers, he's at the threshold.
Obviously Dakich never had a chance to win 20 games at West Virginia. Bob Huggins has managed it for the 20th time in 23 years as a Division I head coach.
After watching what Huggins has been able to do with a team that he never would have recruited and doesn't fit his style at all, my only question is this: What the heck happened those three years his teams didn't win 20 games?
Of course, winning 20 ain't what it used to be, and Huggins is quick to admit that.
"When Coach Ray [Meyer] was coaching, if he won 20 games he'd be 20-4 or something,'' Huggins said, referring to the legendary former DePaul coach. "The reality is we play 31 games this season. You'd better win at least 20.''
If not?
"You'll be selling insurance if you don't,'' he said.
ODDS AND ENDS and a few things I think I think while acknowledging a new leader in the clubhouse:
The category? Obnoxious fans.The new standard bearer? DePaul.
Not that it really mattered, of course, because there weren't really that many there to see the Blue Demons lose 83-75 Wednesday night to West Virginia at Allstate Arena (For those with naming-rights hangover, the building used to be the Rosemont Horizon).
Perhaps it was simply a matter of my own perspective as the only buffer between the student section on the baseline and the end of the WVU bench. But I can't ever recall a group more focused on screaming obnoxious and vulgar comments to an opponent at the expense of supporting their own team.
It might have been different had they come up with even one ounce of new material. Sadly, they did not.
By my count, today is the eighth day since Dan Dakich was named the basketball coach at Indiana, matching his tenure at West Virginia. Watch out, Hoosiers, he's at the threshold. Obviously Dakich never had a chance to win 20 games at West Virginia. Bob Huggins has managed it for the 20th time in 23 years as a Division I head coach.After watching what Huggins has been able to do with a team that he never would have recruited and doesn't fit his style at all, my only question is this: What the heck happened those three years his teams didn't win 20 games?
Of course, winning 20 ain't what it used to be, and Huggins is quick to admit that."When Coach Ray [Meyer] was coaching, if he won 20 games he'd be 20-4 or something,'' Huggins said, referring to the legendary former DePaul coach. "The reality is we play 31 games this season. You'd better win at least 20.''
If not?
"You'll be selling insurance if you don't,'' he said.
Huggins and his players maintain they have to win their last five games (two are in the books) to get into the NCAA tournament. But let's be honest here and admit that's a long shot, what with a game against Connecticut in Hartford looming Saturday afternoon.Granted, winning out would seemingly leave no doubt about an NCAA tournament bid (WVU would be 23-8 overall, 12-6 in the Big East, 8-2 in the last 10 games and would probably be the No. 5 seed in the Big East tournament). Even a first-round loss at Madison Square Garden probably wouldn't matter.
But what about a 22-9 team that loses to UConn Saturday and then wins out against Pitt Monday night and at St. John's in a week? That's still a pretty good resume. It just seems tailor-made for bubble bursting.
Just as was the case last year, the glaring black mark is that the Mountaineers haven't beaten anybody above them in the league standings. Last year it was 100 percent true. This year the only higher-ranked league team WVU has beaten is Marquette. At home.In fact, against the teams ranked No. 1 through 9 in the Big East standings Thursday, West Virginia is 1-6. Against the bottom seven teams, the Mountaineers are 8-0.
What that means is West Virginia needs either to beat No. 15 Connecticut or win at least two games in the Big East tournament. The second of those tourney wins would be against one of the top four league teams, the ones who get the first-round byes.
Either way, WVU would get a much-needed win over a top-shelf Big East team. And without one of those, an NCAA bid seems unlikely.
Things could be worse, of course. You could be fighting for a playoff spot in the NBA's Western Conference.Let's see if I've got this straight. The last time I looked at the West standings, Denver was 10 games over .500 and three games out of first place in its division. Yet if the playoffs began today, the Nuggets wouldn't make it in.
Meanwhile, over in the Eastern Conference, New Jersey is seven games under .500 and almost 20 games out of first place in its division. But if the playoffs began today, the Nets would be in.
And they wonder why no one watches the playoffs until June.
To contact staff writer Dave Hickman, call 348-1734 or send e-mail to dphickm...@aol.com.
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