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Want To Watch Andy Katz Jump Head-First On The WVU Bandwagon?

I really hope you do, because if you had said no,  I would have bitten your ear off.

Earlier this week, I posted the votes of the Big East coaches, a result that landed WVU 2nd in the league.  An extremely impressive achievement, considering we've never risen higher than 5th in the preseason.  But ESPN's Andy Katz doesn't quite think that's high enough.  Warning, some of these quotes will give you goosebumps...

Star-divide

Bob Huggins has made West Virginia an elite team in three seasons.

But really, second place behind Nova? Does Villanova really have more talent than West Virginia or are the Wildcats just feeding off the Final Four run? Villanova lost key players Dante Cunningham, Dwayne Anderson and Shane Clark. West Virginia lost just Alex Ruoff.

Calipari's Kentucky team is getting most of the talk nationally and rightfully so for the impact the new-look Cats will have on the season. But Cal's former Conference USA coaching rival is back. The Mountaineers aren't as dominating as the Cincinnati teams Huggins coached earlier in his career, but this edition has the chance to do something similar -- make a run at a No. 1 seed.

I honestly have trouble envisioning West Virginia as a #1 seed.  Not because I don't think it could happen, but because I didn't think it was possible just a few years ago.

Huggins is working on a timeline that even he must think  has accelerated past his expectations.  It certainly has mine.  That quote from Katz about WVU being an elite team is telling: elite teams don't rise and fall so easily.  They reload instead of rebuild.  The Beilein teams of the middle of this decade were better than smoke and mirrors, but they were still jerry-rigged to some degree.  These Huggins teams, though, seem to lack weakness.  Whether its depth, inside vs. outside presence, defense, etc.

We're just good, and look to be good for years and years to come.

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Comments

Display:

Katz is an idiot...

ESPN hates us. I will never watch them again!

What? He said he likes us? Oh wow, that is sweet.

Leave no doubt tonigt! Leave no doubt tonight! No doubt! They shouldn't of played the Old Gold'n Blue.

by 5th Year Senior on Oct 23, 2009 4:15 PM EDT via mobile reply actions   0 recs

haha

Feels good to be on the other side of the hype for once doesn’t it? We shall see if they play well enough to continue it. I think they definitely have the potential

"Potential just means you haven’t done sh## yet"

by willgarr15 on Oct 23, 2009 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Now THAT'S funny

On the Blue and Gold board, the vitrol at ESPN is often so thick. this cracks me up.

somewhere, SEC basketball fans are complaining about the “big east bias”.

Oh, and you’re right, I got a chill up my spine. I can’t imagine being a #1 seed…. I temper it by recalling that Huggs’s record with Cincinnati in the tournament wasn’t always so great. But then, he didn’t have EBANKS, DID HE?!!!!

by phucoffaholic on Oct 24, 2009 12:28 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I'd rather

see Andy Katz jump head first INTO the WVU bandwagon, then have one of the wheels run over his leg. That would be some funny ish.

by Country Roads on Oct 23, 2009 7:17 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Huggs was AWESOME this evening at Donor Appreciation after practice.

He took several minutes to thank everyone repeatedly and talked about plans for the program, Coliseum, et al. I could have sworn I saw my dad get teary when he spoke about a few things. He even took time to field questions.

If the pics that I took from practice turn out ok, I will try to post them later this weekend. Let me also say this, whatever they’re paying Andy Kettler as strength coach is well worth every penny. Some of the guys have gotten HUGE (again that’s huge, but with all capital letters).

by WVUIE97 on Oct 23, 2009 10:37 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

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