Post by cviller on Dec 25, 2008 8:19:53 GMT -5
By Mitch Vingle
WHEN BOB HUGGINS is within the Mountain State's craggy lines, he is home for the holidays.
"West Virginia is my home,'' he said. "But I have many dear friends in Ohio.''
Many as in many, many.
And it's no wonder. Although Huggins was born in Morgantown in 1953 and lived there until he was 9, he went to high school in Gnadenhutten, Ohio, at Indian Valley South.
He attended WVU and played basketball for the Mountaineers, but he's one of Ohio's most central basketball figures ever.
It's what makes Saturday's West Virginia game at No. 15 Ohio State special.
Not only is the matchup a fine opportunity for the Mountaineers, it's an opportunity Huggins has been awaiting most of his career.
See, much like Marshall pined for the resumption of a football series with WVU a few years back, Cincinnati pined for a basketball series with Ohio State for years.
Um, in case you've forgotten, Huggins coached at UC for 16 years.
"Ohio State didn't play UC,'' the now-WVU coach said. "But we were the premier basketball team in the state. I don't know why they wouldn't have wanted to play.''
Ah, but they did. After, that is, Huggins was forced out of his UC job by school president Nancy Zimpher.
On Dec. 16, 2006, the Buckeyes and Bearcats played. With Huggins gone. With UC's team in a depleted state. With OSU loaded with players like Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr.
The final: Ohio State 72, Cincinnati 50 at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
It was the first game between the two schools in 44 years. The last time they'd played was in the 1962 national championship game, won by Cincy.
So Huggins must be excited for Saturday's game. For many reasons.
There's the 16-year snub.
But there are other story lines. See, Ohio State is now coached by Thad Matta. He just happened to have coached at Xavier, Cincinnati's biggest - or at least longest-running - rival. The two met a few times before Huggins moved on to Kansas State.
Perhaps more than anything, though, Huggins has to want this because of pride.
His home may be West Virginia. But he's spent much of his life in the Buckeye state.
He was born in West Virginia. Then he went to high school in Ohio, where he played for his father Charlie's team. Indian Valley South went 26-0 one of those seasons.
Huggins played hoops in Morgantown with such standouts as Maurice Robinson. But he transferred there after playing as a freshman at Ohio University.
Huggins now coaches at WVU. But he became known from coast to coast because of his work in Ohio. At the age of 27, he took over at Walsh University, where he went 71-26 and had one 30-0 regular season. He coached at Akron, where he was 97-46.
And here's one you may not know. He was an assistant for two years at, yes, Ohio State. Under Eldon Miller.
So he's a West Virginian. He's an Ohioan. He's a West Ogininian.
With the emphasis on the West Virginia part.
And an eye on this Saturday's game.
Reach Mitch Vingle at 304-348-4827 or mitchvin...@wvgazette.com.