By Bob Hertzel
MORGANTOWN — For Bob Huggins, the approach was both subtle and comedic, considering his antics throughout his career on the bench and in practice.
“We have No. 6 against No. 15 playing here tomorrow,” he began as the media pressed in closer to hear him, a playful smile on his face. “Biggest game in the nation. National television. You wouldn’t know it.”
He paused briefly, letting it sink in.
“You’d think maybe something would be in the media about it,” he continued. “I looked. Nothing.”
He poked gently at the media, looking almost amused by it all, but he was getting his point across and that point is that West Virginia is not just a football school.
On the Tuesday before his No. 6 West Virginia team was to face No. 15 Ole Miss on ESPN2, teams who have combined for 18 victories and only one loss this year, the loss belonging to the Rebels, the print and broadcast media were exclusively trumpeting football and a secondary bowl game in Jacksonville, Fla., that was nearly two weeks off.
That the Mountaineers were about to face their toughest test of the still young season in game that had been designated a “Gold Rush”, finally meeting a ranked team, had been totally ignored and Huggins was obviously perturbed by it, despite his soft lecture to the media.
That the only connection to the sports coverage on this day to his basketball team was the mention of quarterback Jarrett Brown, once a WVU basketball player, bothered Huggins, who is trying to build a team, a reputation and a following not only among the students who are out of town but among the people of the area themselves.
What’s more, he knows something about selling out arenas, as he did in Cincinnati, and about creating an intimidating atmosphere for a visiting team to face, something that cannot be overstated when a Top 15 opponent comes riding into town.
The intrigue in this matchup isn’t just that it is an intersectional battle between teams that met only last season in their long history, a game that was far more significant from the shoulder injury suffered by Joe Mazzulla than by WVU’s victory that was built on a control of the offensive boards far more than on their own shooting proficiency.
Instead, it is tutor and pupil, which makes it important to Huggins, who will be facing his former assistant coach, Andy Kennedy, the man who replaced him when he was run out of the gym in Cincinnati by then-UC President Nancy Zimpher, publicly honoring the ousted Huggins after the final game of the regular season.
The matchup came about because of Kennedy and Huggins’ closeness, Kennedy wanting to get some attention for his basketball team at Ole Miss earlier than normal by bringing in Huggins and the Mountaineers.
“Normally, basketball season doesn’t start down there until Jan. 15 and he wanted to let the fans know that it was basketball season,” Huggins said, again inserting his needle into this area's media coverage.
And Huggins was happy to oblige, considering the warm feelings he has for Kennedy.
“I have the utmost respect for Andy Kennedy,” Huggins said. “He’s what coaches are all about. He’s loyal, hard working, loves his kids and works his heart out.”
When it was mentioned to Huggins that very same description could fit him, too, he thought for a moment, then answered:
“I’ve been described a lot of different ways.”
It could not have been said better.
“Let me tell you how I hired Andy,” Huggins then added. “I’m sitting in Augusta, Ga., at the Peach Jam and I’m going to hire this one guy as an assistant who had a reputation as a great recruiter but he had family issues and he couldn’t come when I wanted him to come.
“So I’m an assistant short and I know Andy and he comes over and sits down and we start talking. He tells me no one would work harder than him, no one would be more loyal than him, no one would have a better relationship with the players than him. I can promise you that.
“We left it at that. Then I called him, asked him if he wanted to visit and he said, ‘No, just send me the gear.’ He never came to campus. He just went out on the road and did an unbelievable job and everything he said was absolutely right.”
Huggins affection for Kennedy showed through in everything he said.
“I’ll tell you this. These are two very good teams, but the best shooter in the gym tomorrow night is the bald-headed guy coaching that other team. He used to wear (former Cincinnati star Steve) Logan out. Every time Logan thought he was pretty good, he’d show him up.”
And so it was that competing was inevitable for these schools.
“Frank (Martin, a Huggins assistant who became head coach at Kansas State, me and AK decided we might as well play each other,” Huggins said, “because at the end of the day, if I lose and I’ll be miserable, but not as miserable as I would be if I lost to someone else. At least this way, no matter who wins, a good guy will win.”
A good guy, yes, but as they always say, may the best man win.
E-mail Bob Hertzel at bhertzel@hotmail.com.
