Feeling very good about WVU Basketball next year

[wvpaper]

Most of this group will have been together for 3+ years. Devin will be a senior (we will see a few 20 and 20 games from Devin). Beetle brings the true point guard skills. Phillip will be a year better too. Beetle and a more comfortable Teyvon will more than make up for Paige's offense. Esa and Macon will be a year better and more than capable of replacing Holton in the 1/2 court.

I don't see anyway we can continue to rely on a press all game, but it's going to a tool in our arsenal. And we will have at least a couple ways to beat teams.

Remember in 2009 we got handled by Dayton in the first round. 2010 was a special year.

 

[hunterspot1]

Most of this group will have been together for 3+ years. Devin will be a senior (we will see a few 20 and 20 games from Devin). Beetle brings the true point guard skills. Phillip will be a year better too. Beetle and a more comfortable Teyvon will more than make up for Paige's offense. Esa and Macon will be a year better and more than capable of replacing Holton in the 1/2 court.

I don't see anyway we can continue to rely on a press all game, but it's going to a tool in our arsenal. And we will have at least a couple ways to beat teams.

Remember in 2009 we got handled by Dayton in the first round. 2010 was a special year.

If not next year, then the year after that. One thing for sure, we will eventually have a special year. Getting to the sweet 16 or even the final four is no longer good enough. We want an NCAA championship! I am not sure if these same guys stayed for the next 10 years that they could win one. We need to recruit better shooters. Defense means nothing if you cannot score consistently.

 

[spreadoption]

Wonder if this group that will be together for 3+ years will be able to learn the simple basic skills of the sport. You know, like passing, not dribbling off your foot, catching passes, making open shots, having a few offensive moves that create open shots, playing half-court defense without fouling or giving up an easy layup, etc. In 2+ years these guys haven't scratched the surface of any of these basic and rudimentary basketball skills. We have athletes. We don't have any basketball players.

 

[wvpaper]

Wonder if this group that will be together for 3+ years will be able to learn the simple basic skills of the sport. You know, like passing, not dribbling off your foot, catching passes, making open shots, having a few offensive moves that create open shots, playing half-court defense without fouling or giving up an easy layup, etc. In 2+ years these guys haven't scratched the surface of any of these basic and rudimentary basketball skills. We have athletes. We don't have any basketball players.

we have plenty of bball players.

BUT we do need one heady player that truly understands the game. perhaps, beetle is that guy. maybe harler in a couple years. whenever, we have had success, we had that guy... basey, gansey, herbert, butler, mazulla

 

[pressvirginia]

well, spread, it sure as hell looked that way last night. but from Nov-BXII tourney we were quite capable. Carter was sensational shooting vs OU. MIles shut down Hield without fouling a ton. Paige had some world-class games vs KU and I-State. D.Will took KU to the woodshed for 31.

this SFA nightmare was a needed slice of humble pie & the fans suffer too. you'd think we'd have learned our lesson from UK last year. Gotta rise up again, get our edge back & use this as a learning experience. we do have a good club coming back and maybe added contributions from newcomers. Williams returning is huge. Check out his comments in Greg's article. that's leadership & maturity.

 

[GetYaNumbersUp]

We have a stubborn coach that for whatever reason will not recruit shooters. I am not holding my breath.

 

[COURT REPORTER]

Most of this group will have been together for 3+ years. Devin will be a senior (we will see a few 20 and 20 games from Devin). Beetle brings the true point guard skills. Phillip will be a year better too. Beetle and a more comfortable Teyvon will more than make up for Paige's offense. Esa and Macon will be a year better and more than capable of replacing Holton in the 1/2 court.

I don't see anyway we can continue to rely on a press all game, but it's going to a tool in our arsenal. And we will have at least a couple ways to beat teams.

Remember in 2009 we got handled by Dayton in the first round. 2010 was a special year.

Paper: seems like every year it is how good we are going to be next year. All the great coaches we have in this State are always on Hogs butt but maybe you should look at some of the recruits that Huggs gets. He only has to recruit three or four a year where Holgs has to go out of state and get 20-25. They were just out coached and out played period.

 

[dangerousdaneerfan]

Most of this group will have been together for 3+ years. Devin will be a senior (we will see a few 20 and 20 games from Devin). Beetle brings the true point guard skills. Phillip will be a year better too. Beetle and a more comfortable Teyvon will more than make up for Paige's offense. Esa and Macon will be a year better and more than capable of replacing Holton in the 1/2 court.

I don't see anyway we can continue to rely on a press all game, but it's going to a tool in our arsenal. And we will have at least a couple ways to beat teams.

Remember in 2009 we got handled by Dayton in the first round. 2010 was a special year.

Only IF Huggy fixes it.

 

[BobbyBoucheer]

Paper: seems like every year it is how good we are going to be next year. All the great coaches we have in this State are always on Hogs butt but maybe you should look at some of the recruits that Huggs gets. He only has to recruit three or four a year where Holgs has to go out of state and get 20-25. They were just out coached and out played period.

Paper loves Huggs and hates Holgs. His posts reflects his position quite clearly.

 

[Darth_VadEER]

Next year should be good. Maybe better, maybe not. This year was good, but this loss was bad enough to wash away the high points. I didn't expect a NT, or even Final 4, but I expected a good run from a team I thought had some heart.

Oh well, another season over.

 

[TexasforevEER]

Most of this group will have been together for 3+ years. Devin will be a senior (we will see a few 20 and 20 games from Devin). Beetle brings the true point guard skills. Phillip will be a year better too. Beetle and a more comfortable Teyvon will more than make up for Paige's offense. Esa and Macon will be a year better and more than capable of replacing Holton in the 1/2 court.

I don't see anyway we can continue to rely on a press all game, but it's going to a tool in our arsenal. And we will have at least a couple ways to beat teams.

Remember in 2009 we got handled by Dayton in the first round. 2010 was a special year.

Next year? This was 'NEXT YEAR'.

 

[jpoppa]

Next year should be good. Maybe better, maybe not. This year was good, but this loss was bad enough to wash away the high points. I didn't expect a NT, or even Final 4, but I expected a good run from a team I thought had some heart.

Oh well, another season over.

In the Big 12 league we should be better. We were and are young and a lot of teams are losing a lot of seniors

 

[GoWVU]

Remember in 2009 we got handled by Dayton in the first round. 2010 was a special year.

To a certain degree, paper, I admire your optimism.

However, I'm having trouble seeing much parallel between the 2009 + 2010 NCAA results and the 2016 + 2017 window.

For one thing, we were a 6-seed in 2009 and a 2-seed who won the BE tourney in 2010. By contrast, we just blew the high-seeded conference-finalist season this time around and it's dramatically more likely that we would be a much lower seed next season.

Rather than drawing that analogy, maybe a better possible example for you is this year's Cyclone team. They've followed last season's awful first-round exit as a 3-seed after a Big 12 tourney title with a nice run to the Sweet Sixteen this time after going out in one game of the Big 12.

I remember Niang seemed especially embarrassed when it happened in 2015, and he's played well both NCAA games so far in 2016. Let's hope we have some veteran players who see that and respond accordingly in 2017.

 

[GoWVU]

this SFA nightmare was a needed slice of humble pie & the fans suffer too. you'd think we'd have learned our lesson from UK last year. Gotta rise up again, get our edge back & use this as a learning experience.

I agree with a lot of your posts, press, but I can't agree with these points.

A "needed slice of humble pie"? None should've been necessary given your next sentence. Last year's Kentucky game is all anybody with the program should need.

If this group didn't use THAT as a "learning experience"--which it certainly appears they didn't--then I have to seriously question if they're even capable of learning at all.

How the hell does a team coming off that bad experience take any NCAA tournament appearance and opponent lightly? By all rights they should've been foaming at the mouth for a chance at redemption, considering the ass-raping Kentucky gave them in their last opportunity. Instead, they came out like Mike Tyson against Buster Douglas--complacent and lazy.

 

[GoWVU]

This year was good, but this loss was bad enough to wash away the high points. I didn't expect a NT, or even Final 4, but I expected a good run from a team I thought had some heart.

Can't remember the last time I agreed so thoroughly, especially with that last part. It really was a complete disgrace in every way--even more so because tremendous fight and desire was this squad's best asset all season. To see them toss it out the window so easily was like watching a betrayal.

 

[pressvirginia]

no worries. enjoy the commentary & not here to argue. we're all on the same team despite the approach of some.

yep shouldn't have been necessary but was the case nonetheless. riding on too a high from BXII play. we peaked in the wrong tournament, something I feared in Feb. wrote about wanting to see big picture in March rather than going on a monumental run in Kansas City. loved it at the time, but a lot invested in that to get a 2 seed, which didn't happen, then mailed in the one that really counts unfortunately. the WV team in KC was not the one in Brooklyn.

apparently they had not learned from last March. once again were humbled. we can't do a thing but watch and root them on though. all things considered, a young team & some immaturity/carelessness showed in the finale.

they did come out complacent & lazy & admitted so. & were served a harsh dose of reality chiefly from Thomas Walkup. if they'd not been satisfied with themselves like that & played to potential, we'd likely be in a winnable game Friday vs Wisconsin, who opened the bottom half of the bracket by stunning Xavier at the buzzer.

 

[wvpaper]

To a certain degree, paper, I admire your optimism.

However, I'm having trouble seeing much parallel between the 2009 + 2010 NCAA results and the 2016 + 2017 window.

For one thing, we were a 6-seed in 2009 and a 2-seed who won the BE tourney in 2010. By contrast, we just blew the high-seeded conference-finalist season this time around and it's dramatically more likely that we would be a much lower seed next season.

Rather than drawing that analogy, maybe a better possible example for you is this year's Cyclone team. They've followed last season's awful first-round exit as a 3-seed after a Big 12 tourney title with a nice run to the Sweet Sixteen this time after going out in one game of the Big 12.

I remember Niang seemed especially embarrassed when it happened in 2015, and he's played well both NCAA games so far in 2016. Let's hope we have some veteran players who see that and respond accordingly in 2017.

thanks, i'll stick with my analogy. both dayton 09 and sfa 16 were teams with strengths that matched up perfectly with our weaknesses.

dayton was a deep, experienced, athletic team - all areas of weakness for us in 09.

sfa wins with a unique, very good 1/2 court defense - do i even need to point out 1/2 court offense was this wvu team's chief weakness.

 

[TexasforevEER]

thanks, i'll stick with my analogy. both dayton 09 and sfa 16 were teams with strengths that matched up perfectly with our weaknesses.

dayton was a deep, experienced, athletic team - all areas of weakness for us in 09.

sfa wins with a unique, very good 1/2 court defense - do i even need to point out 1/2 court offense was this wvu team's chief weakness.

So...........it was a conspiracy? Those dadgum matchmakers have it in for WVU!

 

[wvpaper]

So...........it was a conspiracy? Those dadgum matchmakers have it in for WVU!

you try too hard. relax sometime

 

[BobbyBoucheer]

you try too hard. relax sometime

 

[TexasforevEER]

Watch out ole son. Ole Warez don't need nobody putting a hex on him! Mona Marie? Now that's another story.

 

[ColoradoMountaineer]

The team returns some quality experience but must improve on its shooting. If the overall team shooting doesn't improve than the team will be susceptible to the same early round exit that was experienced this year

 

[eerphone]

well, spread, it sure as hell looked that way last night. but from Nov-BXII tourney we were quite capable. Carter was sensational shooting vs OU. MIles shut down Hield without fouling a ton. Paige had some world-class games vs KU and I-State. D.Will took KU to the woodshed for 31.

this SFA nightmare was a needed slice of humble pie & the fans suffer too. you'd think we'd have learned our lesson from UK last year. Gotta rise up again, get our edge back & use this as a learning experience. we do have a good club coming back and maybe added contributions from newcomers. Williams returning is huge. Check out his comments in Greg's article. that's leadership & maturity.

SFA mention reminds me, I run into a guy that usually knows what's going on with the BB team. He told me Huggs was sick 3 or 4 days before the game and couldn't even make practice . Has that been on here ?

 

[KeatonsCorner]

Huggs had the flu Sunday and Monday of the prep week but it didn't impact anything.

Larry ran the practice on the day Huggs was sick..... But Larry runs a lot of practices anyways

 

[eerphone]

Huggs had the flu Sunday and Monday of the prep week but it didn't impact anything.

Larry ran the practice on the day Huggs was sick..... But Larry runs a lot of practices anyways

Thanks ! I guess I am still looking for an excuse. Maybe they were just getting the flu or they were empathetic.

 

[Orlaco]

Thanks ! I guess I am still looking for an excuse.

So is KC.

 

[ThatNehlenFeelin]

Well for starters they need to learn how to win in the tournament

 

[NCBuck]

Most of this group will have been together for 3+ years. Devin will be a senior (we will see a few 20 and 20 games from Devin). Beetle brings the true point guard skills. Phillip will be a year better too. Beetle and a more comfortable Teyvon will more than make up for Paige's offense. Esa and Macon will be a year better and more than capable of replacing Holton in the 1/2 court.

I don't see anyway we can continue to rely on a press all game, but it's going to a tool in our arsenal. And we will have at least a couple ways to beat teams.

Remember in 2009 we got handled by Dayton in the first round. 2010 was a special year.

I'm excited about next year. I just hope they all are working intensely on improving their shooting skills which next to passing is their Achilles heel. If our shooting greatly improves, watch out.

 

[NCNEER]

With Devin now declaring for the draft ......not feeling as good.

 

[Orlaco]

I'm excited about next year. I just hope they all are working intensely on improving their shooting skills which next to passing is their Achilles heel. If our shooting greatly improves, watch out.

Didn't Huggs already say that shooting...like passing... ...is something either you can do or can't (to paraphrase)....? ...meaning it's tough to teach ?

 

[NCBuck]

Didn't Huggs already say that shooting...like passing... ...is something either you can do or can't (to paraphrase)....? ...meaning it's tough to teach ?

No. I've never heard him once say that. I have heard him say....oh about a million times, you have to work at it, get in the gym...shoot. I think he's also worked (coached) with several of these guys and they have improved somewhat from last year, but still got a ways to go. So, these guys are not natural shooters, but they can vastly improve themselves with a lot of work. Guess the question, is if they want to. Anyways, with Williams leaving not sure what this team will do next year. Hope Macon steps it up.

 

[Orlaco]

No. I've never heard him once say that. I have heard him say....oh about a million times, you have to work at it, get in the gym...shoot. I think he's also worked (coached) with several of these guys and they have improved somewhat from last year, but still got a ways to go. So, these guys are not natural shooters, but they can vastly improve themselves with a lot of work.

I see you edited way past a simple 'no' as a reply.....not that it matters....

========


“We can't pass,” Huggins later said. “But we haven't been able to pass all year. … I think sometimes you better go recruit some guys that can pass because I'm not sure it's something you can teach. It's kind of like shooting. If you're a bad shooter, you can become a little better, but you're never really going to be a good shooter. I think, if you're a bad passer, you can get better, but you're never going to be a good passer. It's a skill thing"

 

[VaultHunter]

The only way WVU is better next season is if they don't turn the ball over 20 times a game. That's basically like turning it over 4-5 times a game in football. Hard to win like that no matter how good you are on defense. Fundamentals

 

[NCBuck]

I see you edited way past a simple 'no' as a reply.....not that it matters....

========


“We can't pass,” Huggins later said. “But we haven't been able to pass all year. … I think sometimes you better go recruit some guys that can pass because I'm not sure it's something you can teach. It's kind of like shooting. If you're a bad shooter, you can become a little better, but you're never really going to be a good shooter. I think, if you're a bad passer, you can get better, but you're never going to be a good passer. It's a skill thing"

Ok....now you're upset about editing???? Jesus!! Anyways, yeah obviously there are naturally good passers and shooters, but as he said, they can improve. Don't you know Huggins rhetoric by now? Guess, knowing Huggins, I take what he said and believe players can get better, your take from what Hugs said is they will never be better....glass half empty? Remember Joe Alexander? There's a perfect example of somebody who had a lot of athletic ability, but seemed like he couldn't shoot or pass and early on never played up to his potential. When Huggins took over, the improvement he made from one year to another was phenomenal. Was that hard work? Coaching? Maturity? I would guess a bit of all three. Oh, for your benefit, wild horses couldn't get me to edit anything here even if I do want to add or rephrase something. I know how much that apparently bugs you.

 

[Orlaco]

Ok....now you're upset about editing???? Jesus!! Anyways, yeah obviously there are naturally good passers and shooters, but as he said, they can improve. Don't you know Huggins rhetoric by now? Guess, knowing Huggins, I take what he said and believe players can get better, your take from what Hugs said is they will never be better....glass half empty? Remember Joe Alexander? There's a perfect example of somebody who had a lot of athletic ability, but seemed like he couldn't shoot or pass and early on never played up to his potential. When Huggins took over, the improvement he made from one year to another was phenomenal. Was that hard work? Coaching? Maturity? I would guess a bit of all three. Oh, for your benefit, wild horses couldn't get me to edit anything here even if I do want to add or rephrase something. I know how much that apparently bugs you.

Upset ? Nope... ...but I did type my post with your original reply in mind.

You can wiggle all you want...but Huggs did say what you originally answered with, "No".