Post by elp525 on May 29, 2011 8:39:54 GMT -5
May 28, 2011
By Mitch Vingle
The Charleston Gazette
THIS WON'T be a run-of-the-mill summer for West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins.
Aside from the rubber chicken dinner fundraisers and golf tournaments, he's potentially filling a roster spot. And he's using his passport.
Almost two weeks ago, you may know, Huggins granted a release to 6-foot-5 guard Dalton Pepper, who is transferring to Temple. No, it wasn't a direct hit to the program's bow, but it was certainly a glancing blow because Pepper finally seemed to be maturing as a Mountaineer.
It will be tough for WVU fans to forget that Pepper, playing at the top of the Mountaineers' 1-3-1 zone against Clemson in the NCAA tournament, stole the ball on three consecutive possessions. He converted two of the steals into layups to seal West Virginia's win.
Also, he was one of only five scholarship players set to return next season. Now, though, there's a roster opening, although it's very late in the recruiting game.
Will Huggins fill that spot?
"Conceivably," said the Mountaineer coach. "We're looking to see if there are transfers [available] or if there's somebody out there who makes it late [academically]. If not, we're in no hurry."
Pepper could have been in the running for a starting spot at shooting guard.
"But we recruited three guards and got Truck [Bryant] back," Huggins said.
The summer will also be different because the youthful Mountaineers will get a jump on most of the other NCAA teams. They'll get 10 days of practice at the beginning of August before embarking on a trip to Italy.
"They'll basically be gone the middle of August," said trip coordinator Chris Spencer of WWS Management in Nashville, Tenn. "They'll be in Sicily, Rome and Venice."
There are a couple of high points scheduled.
"One is a game at a U.S. Naval base in Sicily," Spencer said. "That's exciting."
Spencer said the Mountaineers would be playing at the Naval Air Station Sigonella, known as the "The Hub of the Med."
"Also," Spencer said, "they'll play one of the professional teams in Rome and then a team called Benetton [Treviso] near Venice."
Benetton Treviso, of course, is where Mullens native and current New York Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni made a name for himself. Andrea Bargnani of the Toronto Raptors played there.
The team is in Lega Basket Serie A, the highest level in Italian professional basketball. Until the 2000s, the Italian league was considered the best in Europe until the rise of the Spanish and Greek leagues. It's still considered one of the top three. Benetton Treviso has won five Serie A titles, eight Italian Cups, two Suporta Cups and four Italian Super Cups.
"Very good," Spencer said of Benetton. "One of the better teams in Italy. It's probably one of the top 10 teams in the world outside of the NBA.
"Bob played them when he was at Cincinnati, oh, 15 years ago."
The organizer said WVU would play "four or five games" on the trip, although plans haven't been finalized.
In addition, the Mountaineers will do some sightseeing.
"It will be a great educational experience," Spencer said.
In addition to visiting the Naval Air Station, West Virginia will take in Castello Ursino, a castle in Catania, Sicily; Duomo Cathedral, a church in Milan; and, in Rome, the Trevi Fountain, Forum and Colosseum.
It will be educational. It will be helpful for a Mountaineer team that could use a little togetherness.
All of which will put a little sizzle in Huggins' summer.
By Mitch Vingle
The Charleston Gazette
THIS WON'T be a run-of-the-mill summer for West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins.
Aside from the rubber chicken dinner fundraisers and golf tournaments, he's potentially filling a roster spot. And he's using his passport.
Almost two weeks ago, you may know, Huggins granted a release to 6-foot-5 guard Dalton Pepper, who is transferring to Temple. No, it wasn't a direct hit to the program's bow, but it was certainly a glancing blow because Pepper finally seemed to be maturing as a Mountaineer.
It will be tough for WVU fans to forget that Pepper, playing at the top of the Mountaineers' 1-3-1 zone against Clemson in the NCAA tournament, stole the ball on three consecutive possessions. He converted two of the steals into layups to seal West Virginia's win.
Also, he was one of only five scholarship players set to return next season. Now, though, there's a roster opening, although it's very late in the recruiting game.
Will Huggins fill that spot?
"Conceivably," said the Mountaineer coach. "We're looking to see if there are transfers [available] or if there's somebody out there who makes it late [academically]. If not, we're in no hurry."
Pepper could have been in the running for a starting spot at shooting guard.
"But we recruited three guards and got Truck [Bryant] back," Huggins said.
The summer will also be different because the youthful Mountaineers will get a jump on most of the other NCAA teams. They'll get 10 days of practice at the beginning of August before embarking on a trip to Italy.
"They'll basically be gone the middle of August," said trip coordinator Chris Spencer of WWS Management in Nashville, Tenn. "They'll be in Sicily, Rome and Venice."
There are a couple of high points scheduled.
"One is a game at a U.S. Naval base in Sicily," Spencer said. "That's exciting."
Spencer said the Mountaineers would be playing at the Naval Air Station Sigonella, known as the "The Hub of the Med."
"Also," Spencer said, "they'll play one of the professional teams in Rome and then a team called Benetton [Treviso] near Venice."
Benetton Treviso, of course, is where Mullens native and current New York Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni made a name for himself. Andrea Bargnani of the Toronto Raptors played there.
The team is in Lega Basket Serie A, the highest level in Italian professional basketball. Until the 2000s, the Italian league was considered the best in Europe until the rise of the Spanish and Greek leagues. It's still considered one of the top three. Benetton Treviso has won five Serie A titles, eight Italian Cups, two Suporta Cups and four Italian Super Cups.
"Very good," Spencer said of Benetton. "One of the better teams in Italy. It's probably one of the top 10 teams in the world outside of the NBA.
"Bob played them when he was at Cincinnati, oh, 15 years ago."
The organizer said WVU would play "four or five games" on the trip, although plans haven't been finalized.
In addition, the Mountaineers will do some sightseeing.
"It will be a great educational experience," Spencer said.
In addition to visiting the Naval Air Station, West Virginia will take in Castello Ursino, a castle in Catania, Sicily; Duomo Cathedral, a church in Milan; and, in Rome, the Trevi Fountain, Forum and Colosseum.
It will be educational. It will be helpful for a Mountaineer team that could use a little togetherness.
All of which will put a little sizzle in Huggins' summer.
