It’s another Big Monday on the West Virginia campus, as Texas (10-11, 2-6 Big 12) continues the parade of Big 12 teams making their first sojourn to Morgantown. Both teams are treading water near the bottom of the conference standings and in desperation mode to turnaround their seasons.
Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
West Virginia (10-11, 3-5) has dropped three of four league games at the Coliseum, including a 61-56 loss to Kansas in last week’s Big Monday matchup. Tonight’s game features a 9 p.m. tip on ESPN, with radio coverage launching an hour earlier on MetroNews affiliates throughout the state. Until then, here’s a five-point primer on the game:
1. Longhorns, long memories
For WVU, tonight’s game is a rematch of the “Find a Way” comeback in Austin. Recall that quasi-magical night, the Mountaineers trailing 47-37 with 3:14 left in their first Big 12 road game, when Kevin Noreen sank a 3-pointer to spur a 13-0 run.
Though UT’s Jonathan Holmes sank a last-second 3-pointer to force overtime, WVU prevailed 57-53, delivering a gut-punch few saw coming. It remains one of the Longhorns’ most damaging discouraging losses of the season, which says a lot for a team that’s 0-3 in OT games and just 1-5 in games decided by six points or less
“They’re going to come back like they want some revenge,” surmised Gary Browne, “but we’re going to play at home and we have to protect our home floor.”
The Longhorns certainly haven’t forgotten that first meeting, as forward Ioannis Papapetrou noted just 36 hours ago: “They came here and won a tough game. So we have to go there and get one back.”
2. McClellan back on track
Sheldon McClellan has reached double-figures scoring 19 times in 21 games this season, and among the exceptions was his nine-point output against West Virginia. A putrid 2-of-13 from the floor that night in Austin, McClellan’s was 0-of-6 on 3-pointers, with struggles that extended to the free-throw line where the 79-percent foul shooter made only 5-of-10.
McClellan played only one minute in the ensuing 82-62 loss at Iowa State, as Rick Barnes showed that no player on the Texas roster is beyond benching. “He went in, first play of the game, gave up an offensive rebound,” Barnes said. “We’re not going to continue to talk about coaching effort.”
In the five-game span since his benching, McClellan has responded with 16.6 points on 43-percent shooting.
On Monday morning, Barnes said McClellan has superstar potential “when he’s dialed in,” but the guard’s season shooting accuracy — 37 percent overall and 29 percent from 3-point range — reveals that’s not always the case.
“His shot selection hasn’t been good because he hasn’t done his work early (in the possession), using screens,” Barnes said. “When he’s lazy, when he’s floating around, he’s not ready, and that’s when he struggles.”
3. Under the boards
Among the prominent takeaways from the first meeting, Barnes referenced West Virginia grabbing 17 offensive rebounds and out-rebounding Texas 45-39 overall. That wasn’t a fluke: WVU ranks 15th nationally in offensive rebounds per game (14.5) and 27th in offensive rebounding percentage, claiming 38.1 percent of its own missed shots.
In total rebounding percentage, West Virginia ranks 82nd in Division I (52.5) with Texas all the way down at 183rd (50 percent).
Only minutes after Texas defeated TCU 60-43 on Saturday, Barnes turned his team’s mindset toward the rebounding effort needed to compete in Morgantown.
“We need to get our hands up. We need to have all five guys ready to do it,” he said. “It’s going to be a rebounding game, just like it was here. It’s going to be a very physical game. There is no doubt about it.”
4. Shots falling
Both teams enter Big Monday coming off their season-best shooting performances: Texas made 52 percent against TCU and West Virginia sank 56 percent at Texas Tech.
You can imagine the simultaneous cases of film-study shock this created on Sunday, considering how neither team could “find a way” to make shots in Austin (WVU shot 30 percent, Texas 34 percent).
West Virginia freshman Eron Harris was 1-of-6 shooting in Austin, though his make was a memorable one. His 3 from the right corner with 16.4 seconds left gave WVU its first lead of the second half. Harris resisted the temptation to look back on that night as “a big game” in his development.
“It was more like a big couple of seconds for me, because the rest of that game wasn’t too good for me,” he said. “I hope I can have a better individual game this time, and therefor help the team have a better game.”
Harris, playing with added confidence and more minutes, is averaging a team-high 13.8 during the past six games.
Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports
5. Unsung recruit
The Longhorns typically bring in star-laden recruits — witness the signing classes from 2009 (No. 2 in the Rivals team rankings), 2010 (No. 8), 2011 (No. 8) and 2012 (No. 11). But a hidden gem of the most recent class, 6-foot-8 forward Ioannis Papapetrou, was nowhere to be found on national lists of elite recruits.
That lack of notice was attributable to the fact that Papapetrou, originally from Greece, played only two years of high school ball in the United States (at a military school in Florida) and avoided AAU the circuit all together.
Still, with Kansas and Florida lining up among the finalists for Papapetro, he wasn’t unknown to the coaches who matter. Now, along with being the most accurate 3-point shooter for Texas (42 percent), he can work in the low post and even play point forward. He threw up an 0-for-4 against WVU in the opening matchup, but has has averaged 11.2 points in the six-game aftermath.
Gold and Blue Now Wednesday, June 19 
Gold and Blue Now Monday, June 17 
Gold and Blue Now: Friday, June 14 
Sportsline: Jed Drenning 
Sportsline: Morgantown's Amanii Brown 
Sportsline: John Bowers 
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Comments
WILLIAM
5 Keys for win 1. IF HUGGINS WOULD WEAR A SUIT AND NOT HIS BLACK AND WHITE SWEATSUIT! 2. HUGGINS WOULD LOOK LIKE A MOUNTAINEER AND WEAR BLUE AND GOLD. 3. CALL JOHN BEILEIN FOR ADVICE. 4. IF HUGGINS WOULD STAY HOME AND LET SOMEONE ELSE COACH 5. Sneak Da'sean Butler in the game
February 4, 2013 at 7:27 am | Report comment
bandit1426
Grow up and get a life William. The only reason he posts this every week is because its what's saved to the paste button on the keyboard.
February 4, 2013 at 8:49 am | Report comment
Shawn
He posts the same thing because his mommy is out of town and hasn't written him new material. She'll be back in a few weeks and he'll have some new stuff for us. I look forward to his grade school humor. It makes my kids laugh when they read it.
February 4, 2013 at 12:32 pm | Report comment
Phil
Once again William (A.K.A. Calvin Klein)... Take your turd colored "M" t-shirt off and quit commenting. I promise you'll sound a lot smarter
February 4, 2013 at 8:52 am | Report comment
Wemakerain
You done yet?
February 4, 2013 at 8:07 am | Report comment
Matt
William is just about as disgraceful as Larry, what a joke you guys are. Huggs and the Eers will beat Texas.....again.
February 4, 2013 at 8:42 am | Report comment
larry
I'm not offended by what all you Huggins Trolls say...
I'm just glad to see that you're stringing words into sentences now.
February 4, 2013 at 9:09 am | Report comment
Phil
Now that Will has commented all we need is "Big Tom" on here dropping his daily moronic opinions...
February 4, 2013 at 8:56 am | Report comment
big tom
WVU will win, huggie grate coach, that is all
February 4, 2013 at 10:01 am | Report comment
tony
big tom??? hey now dont be talkin bout rick now......what is funny is that other teams see this page and immediately (from william's posts) know their state education systems rank higher. im gonna take the other tact, hey william, ever considered...can i get your number???
February 4, 2013 at 10:26 am | Report comment
tony
william is hot
February 4, 2013 at 10:26 am | Report comment
tony
dont you other guys think he's kinda hot, too?? come on now...
February 4, 2013 at 10:27 am | Report comment
Shawn
The bad thing is there are thousands of Larry's, William's and Big Toms out there that continually ruin the image of our team and state. If you think for one second that recruits dont get on here and look around then you're poorly mistaken. If you would back your team and its coach, maybe the recruits would see a different side to WVU sports and what it has to offer.
February 4, 2013 at 10:29 am | Report comment
Larry
This news forum is not the determining factor for potential recruits. They have probably never heard of West Virginia much less Metro News. Recruits do not want to come here Because of Bob Huggins…
1. They do not want to play his style of Basketball.
2. They do not want to be publicly degraded & cussed out on National Television.
3. They do not want to be ridiculed and “Thrown under the Bus” at each and every public news conference.
4. They do not want to play for a school that has a basketball program with no future.
5. They do not want to play for a coach that is “Over-rated, Over-paid & Over-weight”.
6. They do not want to play for a coach who will jerk them out every time they miss a shot or make a mistake.
7. They do not want to come to Morgantown
8. They want to win and not lose.
9 .They do not want to play for a bunch of wimpy fans who are afraid to speak their mind.
10. They would rather play for a coach wearing a $5,000.00 Alexander Amosu designer suit rather than one who wears a cheap Black smock pajama top pullover or a Penn State colored 2 piece monkey suit.
The list is endless…but I think you get where I’m diving this tour bus. Getting behind Huggins and the team is not going to change any of the above.
February 4, 2013 at 11:11 am | Report comment
Phil
You Sir are an idiot
February 4, 2013 at 11:22 am | Report comment
Shawn
And your ignorance shines brighter today than it ever has! Is William your brother or did you guys meet in grade school where you almost graduated?
February 4, 2013 at 12:30 pm | Report comment
Allan Taylor
You raise a few good points, Larry, though you counterbalance them with weak ones.
— I don't think a coach's attire really impacts recruits.
— As for Huggins' playing style, which favors athleticism, it has translated to 700-plus wins and isn't a recruiting deterrent. (Recall that Dean Smith signed Jordan and Worthy while running the four-corner offense.)
— Morgantown is no metropolis, but neither are Stillwater, Waco or Manhattan, Kan. For proof that a big market doesn't equate to better recruiting, just look to TCU.
February 4, 2013 at 3:49 pm | Report comment
Shawn
Well said Mr. Taylor.
February 4, 2013 at 4:10 pm | Report comment
WILLIAM
@Allan Taylor - Why don't you answer #2, #3 and #6 and tell us what you think of HUGGINS doing these things. YOUR ANSWER SHOULD BE INTERESTING!
February 4, 2013 at 4:47 pm | Report comment
Larry
Allan,
Ok everyone is entitled to his or her thoughts including the author which would be you Allan….and I am smart enough to know not to get on your “Bad Side”…because you’re the Man!
Some of the points may be "weak" but still true nonetheless.
Allan, you and I both know that If Huggins keeps recruiting players who cannot play and who occupy bench space– he's going to be losing more than he wins. Without talented players, even the greatest coach can't consistently win.
The only hope for this team is if Elijah Macon pans out next year. He is the real deal and without question Huggins top recruit in his 6 recruiting classes.
A lot can happen however between now and next year. The talent coming back next year along with Macon will not set the world on fire.
A 20 win season is about all we can hope for. Even that is stretching it. Nothing really to get excited about other than watching Macon…and the antics of Huggins of course.
Murray, Staten and Humphries have not lived up to expectations or all the hype that surrounded them although Murray has come on in the past two games. Harris and Henderson have showed promise but need time to develop. To say this team will win 15 games will be a stretch. They are just not very good. No chemistry, No leadership, No Shooters…
Thanks again for all the great articles. They are short, informative and to the point. Great style of Journalism…for all us "hillbillies".
February 4, 2013 at 5:10 pm | Report comment
WILLIAM
Any recruits out there STAY AWAY FROM WVU because HUGGINS throws his players under the bus all the time. He loves to put on a show at the games because he loves the ATTENTION! He is a embarrassment!
February 4, 2013 at 12:05 pm | Report comment
tony
i have a feeling that no matter what anyone says like Larry, etc. It aint gonna change. There are people that dont like Huggins, but guess what? He's not gonna be fired. He has more wins than all but 3 active coaches. That means a hell of a lot, it really does. It means that some of your points will probably not be points soon cause he will change. you dont win those games with being able to adapt and change. I am most happy with the two freshmen who really point to a bright future at WVU. You see all these negative negative posts. You are a bunch of spoiled brats. Youve never really had to struggle other then the Hargett fiasco. I find people who get on a soapbox, given our recent history of big success in football and basketball..akin to a public showing of your small gherkin..its pathetic..youd think we really had some problems here. you brats dont know what adversity is. be a rutgers fan, a miss state fan..etc..get real .......check where we've been recent and then dial down the drama a bit, ok???
February 4, 2013 at 11:38 am | Report comment
WVWho
WVU by 15+
February 4, 2013 at 12:05 pm | Report comment
Allan Taylor
That's a big spread, Who. Feeling the home-court effect, are you?
February 4, 2013 at 3:40 pm | Report comment
Shawn
Hey if WVU shoots 56 percent in this game then its lights out for Texas. Turnovers and the Offensive glass determines this one. Lets Go EERS!!!
February 4, 2013 at 3:49 pm | Report comment
WVWho
My spread is the same as the announced attendance tonight!
February 4, 2013 at 9:21 pm | Report comment
Hoffy
I like WVU in a close game tonight, and am looking to see if they can build on the confidence from their last win (and even the KU game) and get some initiative going their way.
Gents, while I, like some of you, don't care for some of the negativism coming from some folks on their posts, what good is it really doing to respond to them and continue fueling their appetites? I suggest taking the high road, ignoring them, and talking about the original subject - basketball.
It's very disappointing that the majority of the comments posted here so far have been personal in nature.
Is this the best you all can do? Really?
February 4, 2013 at 2:49 pm | Report comment
Shawn
I agree. I need to take the high road but these guys straight kill me. Anyways...I can see a close game tonight as well. If WVU hits the glass heavy then they pull away late in the 2nd. I'm saying WVU wins 67-60.
February 4, 2013 at 3:13 pm | Report comment
WILLIAM
Very easy to pick WVU to win when they play weak teams! All of WVU wins this year are against weak teams, BUT WAIT WVU FANS EAT THAT UP WHEN THEY PLAY CUP CAKE TEAMS AND THEN THINK THEIR GREAT!
February 4, 2013 at 4:53 pm | Report comment
WVWho
Well, "their" better than Marshall for sure.
February 4, 2013 at 9:23 pm | Report comment
Tim C
Huggins would wear a suit had not everybody made so much fun of the gold one he wore a couple of seasons ago. Just sayin'.......
February 4, 2013 at 6:06 pm | Report comment
Larry
I liked the gold suit...
February 4, 2013 at 6:20 pm | Report comment
Shawn
I agree...they made a big deal out of it and I dont blame him for wearing something comfortable. Who really cares what he wears during the game? I know when I was playing i could care less what the coach was wearing. Its a non issue and shouldnt even be discussed.
February 5, 2013 at 9:25 am | Report comment