Mickey Furfari
Mountaineer men not taking foe lightly
MORGANTOWN — The West Virginia University men’s basketball team won’t be taking Mountain State University lightly in today’s exhibition game at the Coliseum.
“We remember that they played us tough and close for a long time last year before we finally pulled away in the last four or five minutes,” point guard Joe Mazzulla recalled. “So we know it’s not going to be an easy game.
“They are a pretty good team, and we’re tired of going against ourselves. We’re ready to play different personnel. We know the plays that we run, and we know where each player is on the floor and what each does.
“I think we have improved tremendously since we began preseason practice. But the young guys are still learning and don’t really know what’s going on yet. This should help them.”
Tip-off time is 1 p.m. Reserved seat tickets are priced at $22. WVU students will be admission by a valid ID.
Coach Bob Huggins must replace three starters in his second season at WVU as the head coach. He has not announced a starting lineup.
Mountain State’s Cougars have topped 100 points in posting a 3-0 record, the most recent 101-69 against West Virginia Wesleyan at Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center last Tuesday night.
Bob Bolen has built a highly successful program at MSU. He has said this obviously will be his team’s toughest game of the year.
“But the great thing about it is we get to face that competition, and when we get on the bus to come home, no matter what the outcome, we’re still 3-0,” he told Dave Morrison, sports editor of The Register-Herald.
“We know what kind of mountain we face up there. But we’re going to try and climb it.”
Da’Sean Butler, 6-7, 225-pound junior forward, said, “We’re definitely ready to play a game after last week’s scrimmage at Virginia. We want to play against somebody else. They’ll throw things at us which will help.
“That also should be beneficial to our young guys. (Mountain State) is very, very quick. Last year they got to the ball quick. They played good defense, too.”
“Hopefully, we’ll have a good turnout of fans, we’ll win the game and make the coach happy.”
- Mickey Furfari
-
-
FURFARI COLUMN - Huggins: Decision is ‘totally’ up to Ebanks
Speculation continues to circulate on whether West Virginia sophomore Devin Ebanks will return next season or turn professional.
-
FURFARI COLUMN - Interest in WVU basketball is at peak pitch
Interest in men’s basketball was never higher than it has been this year.
So it certainly is not surprising that the Mountaineers, 24-6 for the regular season and nationally ranked in the Top 10, set an all-time attendance record at the Coliseum turnstiles.
-
FURFARI COLUMN - Huggins isn’t for old late-game foul rule
There was a rule in men’s basketball many years ago giving a team fouled during the final two minutes of the game the choice to shoot free throws or take the ball out of bounds.
-
FURFARI COLUMN - Miles has dream of WVU Final Four
If the West Virginia University women’s basketball team reaches the NCAA Final Four this year, it would be a “dream come true” for Sarah Miles.
-
FURFARI COLUMN - Fred Schaus was ‘One in a million’
The late Adolph Rupp, legendary basketball coach at Kentucky, told West Virginia University superstar Jerry West “son, you’re one in a million,” some years ago.
-
FURFARI COLUMN - WVU football cashes in on TV revenue
West Virginia University will receive slightly more than $3.5 million from the Big East Conference for football television revenue in the 2009 season.
-
FURFARI COLUMN - WVU’s Bryant stepping up of late
Darryl “Truck” Bryant has been one of the most consistent performers on the nationally 11th-ranked West Virginia University men’s basketball team (15-3) recently.
-
FURFARI COLUMN:Jones developing nicely for WVU
Kevin Jones, a sparkling 6-8, 250-pound sophomore, possesses all anyone could ask in one of the “Big Three” of the West Virginia University men’s basketball team.
The Mount Vernon, N.Y., native is second in both scoring (15.8 points) and rebounding (7.9 rebounds) per game.
-
FURFARI COLUMN: Gentleman Gene Corum will be missed
Most folks called him Gentleman Gene Corum.
No other description could have been more appropriate for West Virginia University’s head football coach from 1960-65. I cannot think of anyone being more gentle in my 65 years of sports coverage.
-
FURFARI COLUMN - WVU men have world of potential
It is downright difficult to compare athletic teams of different eras.
- More Mickey Furfari Headlines
-
FURFARI COLUMN - Huggins: Decision is ‘totally’ up to Ebanks
