Post by cviller on Nov 18, 2007 2:34:49 GMT -5
By Mike Whiteford
Staff writer
West Virginia’s domination of Division II Arkansas-Monticello Friday night at the WVU Coliseum was as much about nostalgia as it was about basketball.
In addition to giving Bob Huggins his first victory as Mountaineer coach, it seemed to stir old memories.
Afterward, Huggins talked about his feelings for his alma mater, where he twice earned Academic All-America honors as a Mountaineer basketball player and graduated magna cum laude in 1977.
“It’s always been a part of the family,’’ he told the media. “I want to represent the university and I want to win. We haven’t won a Big East championship or a national championship, and people deserve it here.”
Among the crowd of 8,371 were Huggins family members and friends.
“My dad was here, my sister was here and my brother,” he said. “There are so many people through the years that I’ve remained close with. It’s good to be around friends and family, and it’s good to be at a university that you love.’’
With the opener out of the way, the Mountaineers will be at home today for a 3 p.m. game against Prairie View A&M of the Division I Southwestern Conference.
In Friday’s opening round of the Legends Classic, the Panthers (1-2) held a one-point lead over No. 7 Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn., but the Vols responded in the second half for an 89-75 victory.
“We really believe we can compete with any team in the nation,’’ said Prairie View coach Byron Rimm. “We had some writers who wrote we were the worst team in the nation, and that kind of fueled our fire. I believe we can match up with anybody in the country.’’
Prairie View was 8-22 last year in Rimm’s first season as coach but returns three starters, has picked up seven transfers and, unlike Monticello-Arkansas, can match the Mountaineers in size.
Meanwhile, Huggins is just looking for improvement.
“The reality is we’re not good enough to take plays off,’’ he said. “We can’t do that and we’re not good enough to do that. We’re not consistent enough with anything.’’
BRIEFLY: As part of the Legends Classic, the Mountaineers will face Tennessee at 9 p.m. Friday in Newark, N.J. On Saturday, the Mountaineers will play either Texas or New Mexico State at either 4:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. in Newark. ... West Virginia’s next home game will be Nov. 27 against Maryland-Eastern Shore. ... Prairie View lost at Oklahoma State 104-58 and defeated Schreiner University of Texas 88-59. ... Panther guard Aaron Smith scored 21 points against the Vols, hitting 5-of-9 from 3-point distance. ... Huggins’ father, Charles, is a former high school coach who was inducted into the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches’ Association Hall of Fame in 1993.
To contact staff writer Mike Whiteford, use e-mail or call 348-7948.