Post by rainman on Oct 22, 2009 5:28:37 GMT -5
WVU picked No. 2 in the Big East
By Bob Hertzel
For the Times West Virginian
— Not since … well, never has it happened before.
West Virginia University was picked to finish second to Villanova in the pre-season poll of Big East Conference coaches, and if a certain trend continues, that can only mean the Mountaineers will win the conference.
In Bob Huggins’ first two seasons, WVU was picked 10th and ninth and finished higher than their placing. If they finish higher this year, well, the only place above second is first.
“We’re all young, and that means a lot of variables,” Huggins said in New York at media day after receiving five first-place votes and 215 points to the 218 and 10 first-place votes the Wildcats received.
“We have veterans because we played three freshmen in our top six last year. Villanova is the pick because they have the perimeter and experience,” Huggins said. “Villanova has been to the Final Four, so that makes sense.”
In addition to being selected No. 2 in what may be the nation’s toughest conference, WVU was honored by having senior forward Da’Sean Butler named to the All-Big East preseason first team and sophomore forward Devin Ebanks to the second team.
Joining Butler on the first team were Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody, Cincinnati’s Deonta Vaughn, Georgetown’s Greg Monroe, Marquette’s Lazar Hayward and Villanova’s Scottie Reynolds. Six players were selected because of a tie in the voting.
Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody, the Player of the Year in the conference the past two years, was named the preseason Player of the Year for the second time. Only Patrick Ewing of Georgetown ever received more than one preseason Player of the Year selection, and he was picked three times.
Cincinnati newcomer Lance Stephenson was selected as the preseason Rookie of the Year.
Behind Villanova and WVU came Connecticut third, Louisville fourth, Georgetown fifth and Syracuse. Pitt, which has been a title contender every year recently, slipped to ninth, behind Cincinnati and Notre Dame.
Huggins has left no doubt that he expects this team to be one of the nation’s best, but he realizes that it is going to have improve greatly.
“We don’t have a Kenyon (Martin). We don’t have a Danny Forston,” he said, referring to the best players he coached while at Cincinnati, each a monster inside presence. “But we have two really good guys.”
That would Butler and Ebanks.
“If Devin does what he’s supposed to do, Devin’s going to be a lottery pick,” Huggins said. “Da’s going to have days when he shoots it really well.”
Much as he did in scoring 43 points in the Coliseum against Villanova last year.
The high ranking will certainly drive this team, although it may not have as much of an effect on it as did losing unexpectedly in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Dayton last year.
“I think it’s a joke they’re playing sometimes, but it’s cool,” Butler said of the high national rankings, including being picked fifth in the nation by The Sporting News. “But we have something to prove. What have we done? We lost in the first round last year.”
While Villanova returns all of its starters from its Final Four team, WVU returns Butler, Ebanks, Truck Bryant, Joe Mazzulla, John Flowers, Kevin Jones and Wellington Smith along with a powerful recruiting class that includes the nation’s top junior college scorer in Casey Mitchell, inside power forward Danny Jennings and shooting guard Dalton Pepper.
“We’ve been outmatched physically the past couple of years, and that’s getting ready to change,” Huggins said last week. “You look at Pitt a year ago. Tyrell Biggs had to be about 240-245 pounds, and we’re going to be like that now.”
By Bob Hertzel
For the Times West Virginian
— Not since … well, never has it happened before.
West Virginia University was picked to finish second to Villanova in the pre-season poll of Big East Conference coaches, and if a certain trend continues, that can only mean the Mountaineers will win the conference.
In Bob Huggins’ first two seasons, WVU was picked 10th and ninth and finished higher than their placing. If they finish higher this year, well, the only place above second is first.
“We’re all young, and that means a lot of variables,” Huggins said in New York at media day after receiving five first-place votes and 215 points to the 218 and 10 first-place votes the Wildcats received.
“We have veterans because we played three freshmen in our top six last year. Villanova is the pick because they have the perimeter and experience,” Huggins said. “Villanova has been to the Final Four, so that makes sense.”
In addition to being selected No. 2 in what may be the nation’s toughest conference, WVU was honored by having senior forward Da’Sean Butler named to the All-Big East preseason first team and sophomore forward Devin Ebanks to the second team.
Joining Butler on the first team were Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody, Cincinnati’s Deonta Vaughn, Georgetown’s Greg Monroe, Marquette’s Lazar Hayward and Villanova’s Scottie Reynolds. Six players were selected because of a tie in the voting.
Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody, the Player of the Year in the conference the past two years, was named the preseason Player of the Year for the second time. Only Patrick Ewing of Georgetown ever received more than one preseason Player of the Year selection, and he was picked three times.
Cincinnati newcomer Lance Stephenson was selected as the preseason Rookie of the Year.
Behind Villanova and WVU came Connecticut third, Louisville fourth, Georgetown fifth and Syracuse. Pitt, which has been a title contender every year recently, slipped to ninth, behind Cincinnati and Notre Dame.
Huggins has left no doubt that he expects this team to be one of the nation’s best, but he realizes that it is going to have improve greatly.
“We don’t have a Kenyon (Martin). We don’t have a Danny Forston,” he said, referring to the best players he coached while at Cincinnati, each a monster inside presence. “But we have two really good guys.”
That would Butler and Ebanks.
“If Devin does what he’s supposed to do, Devin’s going to be a lottery pick,” Huggins said. “Da’s going to have days when he shoots it really well.”
Much as he did in scoring 43 points in the Coliseum against Villanova last year.
The high ranking will certainly drive this team, although it may not have as much of an effect on it as did losing unexpectedly in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Dayton last year.
“I think it’s a joke they’re playing sometimes, but it’s cool,” Butler said of the high national rankings, including being picked fifth in the nation by The Sporting News. “But we have something to prove. What have we done? We lost in the first round last year.”
While Villanova returns all of its starters from its Final Four team, WVU returns Butler, Ebanks, Truck Bryant, Joe Mazzulla, John Flowers, Kevin Jones and Wellington Smith along with a powerful recruiting class that includes the nation’s top junior college scorer in Casey Mitchell, inside power forward Danny Jennings and shooting guard Dalton Pepper.
“We’ve been outmatched physically the past couple of years, and that’s getting ready to change,” Huggins said last week. “You look at Pitt a year ago. Tyrell Biggs had to be about 240-245 pounds, and we’re going to be like that now.”
