MORGANTOWN —
The West Virginia University men’s basketball team (8-9, 1-3 Big 12) is headed for the school’s worst record since 2001-02.
It was so pitiful in last Saturday’s 79-52 blowout at Purdue (10-8, 3-2 Big 10) that coach Bob Huggins called it “totally unacceptable” in his postgame radio interview.
What’s more, he apologized to WVU fans and to the people of the state of West Virginia.
With few exceptions, the Mountaineers have lacked consistency and the season is more than half gone. And all the remaining 14 games are in the Big 12 Conference.
Huggins has tried a variety of changes and twists to put this team on a winning track. But little seems to work.
He doesn’t think his players perform hard enough competitively. He hints strongly that they don’t grasp what they’re told to do at times.
It is not what you can call a good shooting team. Defense is good, but at times there are lapses.
Huggins certainly is a great coach. He ranks No. 3 among the nation’s active winningest mentors.
Meanwhile, there are some observers who question West Virginia’s recent recruiting classes. They think that’s a problem.
I don’t know. I’m most certainly not a coach. But one critic said, “I’ve been blaming the recruiting all along.”
Poor shooting admittedly has been a problem. WVU shot only 29 percent from the field (17 of 58) against Purdue, which made 49.2 percent of its field goal attempts (29 of 59).
The Boilermakers had four scorers in double figures (17, 16, 11, 10). West Virginia’s only one was Eron Harris, with just 10 points.
The Mountaineers did connect on 15 of 20 free throws, but were outrebounded 44-34 and committed 17 turnovers.
“I never saw this coming,” Huggins said. “I honestly didn’t.”
Last year’s record was 19-14 and 9-9 in the Big East.
“We will be better this year, a lot better,” the veteran coach told me last fall.
The Mountaineers return home to play TCU (9-9, 0-5 Big 12) Wednesday night and they visit Oklahoma State (12-4, 2-2) on Saturday.
Following the loss at Purdue, Huggins said, “I’ve never had a guy in my (31-year) career that wouldn’t compete. Our shooting was terrible. It shouldn’t stop us from rebounding.
“And we threw the ball away. We turned the ball over to them. All I’m asking them to do is block out on rebounds. And we make stupid fouls.”
He told the squad that he was going out to the broadcast crew to apologize to WVU fans and West Virginia residents “that this is totally unacceptable.”
“This is not what we are supposed to represent.”
Huggins expressed hope that those who support his program have enough faith in him that he’ll fix the problems eventually.
“I don’t know that I can this year, but we will fix it.
“That was as worthless an effort as anyone could possibly give.
“I saw things that were unexplainable. Unexplainable.”
Sports
Is recruiting WVU’s problem?
- Sports
-
-
Greening’s goal in second OT lifts Sens over Pens
Colin Greening scored 7:39 into double overtime, and the Ottawa Senators rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins that cut their series deficit to 2-1 on Sunday night.
-
Locke, Pirates shut down Astros, 1-0
Jeff Locke didn’t have his best stuff Sunday. He didn’t need it to shut down the majors’ worst team.
-
Sansalone finishes career with four goals
Fairmont Senior High School’s Ali Sansalone ended her career with four goals in the state championship game against Morgantown on Saturday.
-
HERTZEL COLUMN- Major delivers message: ‘Roll with the punches’
On graduation day, four or five or who knows how many years into one’s college days, you expect to put on your cap and gown and listen to words of wisdom from a commencement speaker more along the lines of Henry Kissinger or Bill Clinton, but that is not to say it is only a day for an academic elitist.
-
Polar Bears fall to Morgantown in state championship
The streak ends while Morgantown prevails.
Fairmont Senior’s five-year state championship streak in lacrosse came to an abrupt end against an undefeated (15-0) Mohigan team on Saturday afternoon, 12-9. -
North girls take home two titles
Add more state titles to the North Marion girls’ track team.
This time, it was the 4 x 100- and 4 x 200-meter relay teams that brought home the gold at the state meet Saturday in Charleston. -
WVU wins regular-season finale
The West Virginia University baseball team guaranteed itself a Top 4 finish in the Big 12 Conference standings with a 5-4 victory at No. 16 Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.
-
HERTZEL COLUMN: Irvin’s dreads are gone now he must rebuild reputation
A couple of days back Bruce Irvin sat down in a barber’s chair — stylist’s chair, if you prefer — and made a dramatic and what had to be traumatic move.
He had his dreadlocks removed. -
FURFARI COLUMN: Harrick greatest WVU two-sport coach
The late Steve Harrick was the longest-serving, most-successful two-sport head coach in West Virginia University’s athletic history.
-
Astros edge Pirates 4-2 in 11 innings
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ bullpen had been automatic with late-inning leads. Until Saturday night.
Jason Castro led off the 11th inning with a double and scored the go-ahead run on a close play at the plate as the Houston Astros topped the Pirates 4-2. - More Sports Headlines
-
