Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports
FORT WORTH, Texas — After West Virginia disposed of another Big 12 bottom-feeder, Bob Huggins planned to feed on brisket.
“We’re going to get us some barbecue, get on that plane and head back” to Morgantown, said a grinning and gratified Huggins after Saturday’s 63-50 win at TCU.
His placated tone portrayed a stark contrast to 17 days ago at the WVU Coliseum and the first time the Mountaineers defeated TCU. The season seemed a little more hopeless back then, and Huggins’ team far more unsettled, to a degree where the coach lamented after that win, “I’m not very happy.”
So how, between then and now, did Huggins happen upon his happy place?
“You know what I decided? I decided I’ve never been through a year like this and I’m not going to be unhappy with any win,” he said.
Well, if by any win he means those that come at the expense of aimless, gaffe-prone, confidence-poor teams, then WVU is on a three-game any streak. By beating Texas Tech, Texas and TCU in the last eight days (teams with a combined league record of 5-23), West Virginia didn’t salvage its season so much as stabilize it. Those three victories netted the Mountaineers merely a 10-spot bump in the RPI to No. 87, which as precedent reminds us, sits barely inside NIT territory.
“There were a lot of people who kinda gave us up for dead,” said Huggins, no doubt becoming the first coach this season to lend resurrection status to a win over TCU.
Now some will argue here how the Terrible Tadpoles suddenly sprang into Fearless Frogs within the span of one hellacious upset of Kansas on Wednesday night. And to those believers in overnight evolution, I recommend they absorb the postgame comments of brutally frank TCU coach Trent Johnson: “Obviously, (Kansas) helped us, a lot, because they didn’t shoot the ball very well and they didn’t play very well. Let’s not kid ourselves.”
Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports
Nor should we kid ourselves about West Virginia’s progress, which has been more incremental than monumental. What WVU has accomplished in crunch time against the bottom three teams in the Big 12 hasn’t translated against better opponents. Even the happy Huggins still anguishes a bit over the missed opportunities WVU squandered in home losses to Oklahoma, K-State and Kansas.
While you can’t fault Huggins for saying “I’m happy with the resiliency we have now that we’re back at 5-5″ in the league, the breakdown of that record — 5-0 against the worst three teams, 0-5 against the top six — clearly reflects the lower middle-class station WVU occupies.
(Of course, that station looks pretty good from the perspective of TCU’s Johnson: “I’m all about what West Virginia’s about — being physical and tough. I just can’t wait until we get there.”)
West Virginia’s final eight regular-season games include seven against teams ESPN’s Joe Lunardi projects to make the NCAA tournament. Huggins, before departing for his team’s barbecue dinner at 30,000 feet, offered a forecast about those teams stacked ahead of seventh-place WVU in the Big 12: “There are going to be some other (teams) who lose and fall to us.”
With apologies to the wise, old coach, he was mistaken on that parting point. Those elite teams will not fall to WVU, but rather WVU must rise to them.
Gold and Blue Now Friday, May 24 
Gold and Blue Now Thursday, May 23 
Sportsline: Randy Mazey and Kyle Wiggs 
Sportsline: Dana Holgerson 
Randy Mazey 5-20-2013 
33
Comments
tony
who is the best, alan? sure, we can hang with any of these teams. there is not a dominant team in the b12.
February 10, 2013 at 8:55 am | Report comment
Allan Taylor
WVU certainly hung with three of the Big 12's top teams at home, but it must play even better to have a chance of beating OU, KU and K-State on the road. Iowa State at home looks winnable, as does Baylor, and who knows which Okie State team will come to Morgantown.
February 10, 2013 at 1:21 pm | Report comment
John
This article is about as Negative Nancy as it gets. The team is clearly playing better. Bob Huggins was winning basketball games when you were still soiling your diaper Taylor. Don't jump his case for being optimistic about the rest of the season. I think he knows more about his team than you.
February 10, 2013 at 8:59 am | Report comment
Allan Taylor
John, the team is clearly playing better — just wondering how much of that is helped by WVU rolling through the weakest stretch of its Big 12 schedule.
February 10, 2013 at 1:25 pm | Report comment
Mac
Same here Allan! We'll find out after the Baylor game.
February 11, 2013 at 4:33 am | Report comment
Huggs4Prez
You're right, this has been a weak stretch in the schedule. But conference road wins are conference road wins - and they're not easy. Just ask Kansas. WVU has had heartbreaking losses against the two top teams in the conference and was dominating OU into the 2nd half. Not to mention the 18-point comeback at ISU to lose in the final seconds. With more freshmen and transfers than juniors and seniors, it's clearly a rebuilding year. But to say WVU can't compete with the top teams - it seems like you're going out of your way to run your mouth. Four of the five losses were competitive; the Mountaineers were within one score in the final 2 minutes of each. Two came down to the final play of the game. Yet you act like the team isn't on the same level. Again, pretty clear you're looking for anything to complain about.
February 12, 2013 at 5:11 pm | Report comment
shawn
Allan is a writer and this is what they do. Huggs has everybody against him and its a shame but I promise if he reads this he'll probably chuckle and say...who's Allan Taylor again and what does he know about basketball. If you haven't earned Huggs respect then he'll probably dismiss you before you can blink.
February 10, 2013 at 9:19 am | Report comment
Allan Taylor
Thanks for commenting, Shawn. Most coaches give little notion to what columnists write about their teams. We cover, they coach.
February 10, 2013 at 1:29 pm | Report comment
shawn
I think Allan does a good job for the most part but he does focus on what WVU won't be able to do rather than what they need to be doing or how they've improved. I'll be the first to tell you that WVU has a tough stretch ahead of them but I want them to finish strong for next season. I'm proud of this team for learning to play together. They will be tons better next year and hopefully Larry and Big Tom will find another hobby next season.
February 10, 2013 at 10:50 pm | Report comment
Larry
This is a great article which tells it like it is. Thank you Allan…
The truth is the league overall really isn’t that good and the top team Kansas is highly overrated (losers of 3 straight). The talent level of the 4 bottom feeders is about equal. WVU has the edge in coaching. That is when Huggins is not snoozing and then remembers that his top scorer is on the bench.
“Oh…my bad….sorry Henderson …get back in there son…I forgot that you wasn’t in the game…I guess I was dreaming about eating Barbecue after we get out of here…”
The snooze fest of Billy Hahn is contagious I guess…
Look for the Mountaineers to win a few more games against the Big 12 elite. That is Huggins can remember to leave his top scorers in the game…
February 10, 2013 at 9:48 am | Report comment
shawn
Larry who do you root for honestly?
February 10, 2013 at 10:51 pm | Report comment
kevin
I agree with the first 3 comments. Allan, I like you and I understand as a writer you are supposed to paint both pictures but it seems that all the articles I read from you paint the bad. There is some good to be painted. I don't think anyone is accounting for the huge affect the change in conferences plays along with all the other distractions that both the f-ball and b-ball teams have had to deal with. I believe good things are ahead for the Mountaineers! Face it, we have been spoiled as far as success for the past decade.
Let's goo Mountaineeers!
February 10, 2013 at 10:02 am | Report comment
Larry
Kevin,
Is this the first article you have read written by Allan Taylor? If anything he is too kind and too "laid back" in his coveage of WVU.
We need more articles like this to wake everyone up. Huggins has brought WVU basketball down to the depths of mediocrity.
And everyone including the WVU Athletic Department is giving the great one a free pass because of his greatness.
Then when a sports writer tries to tell it like it is, the week-minded fans have a tizzy.
Allan, we need more Articles like this one. Your Journalism is always fair and honest.
What are all these half-wits thinking?
February 10, 2013 at 2:36 pm | Report comment
shawn
Larry from now on i'm gonna get the athletic department to send you flowers after each loss because I can see it really brings you down. And I really think Allan should do a special with you each week because you would be a big hit week in and out!
February 10, 2013 at 10:58 pm | Report comment
Alum
Kevin,
Ignore larry, he's one member of the trifecta of negativity here.
February 11, 2013 at 6:54 pm | Report comment
Fred Noah
Allan writes a lot of articles from a more broad, "national perspective". But what he fails to understand is, if I wanted a national perspective, I wouldn't be going to WV MetroNews. The only reason I come here is for a completely biased, WVU perspective. Allan is just passing through the night. Waiting for the next big thing to come along. He's looking for resume material.
February 10, 2013 at 10:56 am | Report comment
Allan Taylor
Fred, I'm not sure what's "national" about this column — the angle is completely focused on WVU, as are most of the pieces in our WVU section. But it's nice to know you're available as a career coach.
February 10, 2013 at 1:17 pm | Report comment
WVWho
You want Biased Pro WVU news all the time? Would you prefer it blown up your rear or cascaded down in pixie dust?? Allan is a straight shooter who covers the team and reports it..period. Not enough journalists like him. Reminds me a lot of Rucker from 247 covering UT sports.
February 10, 2013 at 7:47 pm | Report comment
Hoffy
Allan made some salient points about what WVU is facing in the final 8 games. Whether they are up to the task remains to be seen, and Wednesday's game against Baylor should give us an idea of how improved the Mountaineers are.
Regarding Coach Huggins' remarks about other teams losing and falling, I have no problem with it. He's certainly more qualified to make statements like that, as opposed to those of us who aren't experienced coaches.
But I regress, as I opined on that subject with my comments last night.
Oh, Allan, thanks to you and your colleagues at MetroNews for letting us share our opinions in this forum. I honestly appreciate the opportunity.
February 10, 2013 at 11:29 am | Report comment
Wemakerain
Well to link it by Daisy Chain, we almost beat Iowa State at their place, and had Kansas on the ropes. If we can play a solid 2 halves we can hang with any team in conference. It will be a fun ride regardless
February 10, 2013 at 12:37 pm | Report comment
Jethro
Whether the horned frogs are any good doesn't matter as much as the fact that wvu played as a team yesterday. I smell me some chicken salad
February 10, 2013 at 12:53 pm | Report comment
Derek
It seems to me the team is coming together at the right time. Naysayers beware. I like how our guards are playing and the birth of our shooters. The bigs are playing better. This is classic Huggs beware in March. We can play with Kansas Michigan KSU or better yet they are lucky to have beaten us.
February 10, 2013 at 1:23 pm | Report comment
Pghmountaineer
Let's be honest with ourselves, the team appears to be coming together and showing signs of improvement but please, the talent level is average at best. Our freshmen and sophmores will be much better next year with a year or two of experience under their belts, but our bigs don't stack up. We need much more production out of them than just 12 to 15 points a game and their usual 10 to 15 fouls per game. Hopefully the new recruits coming in will correct that part of our team and provide points andball handling skills.
That being said, it will be fun seeing if these guys can make some noise going down the stretch. I still don't think the NCAA dance is in the picture. Hope I'm wrong!
February 10, 2013 at 1:40 pm | Report comment
Jim Moltzer
I think that Allen made some points. Looking at the Big 12 Standings, we are the only team at 500.
We have squandered missed opportunities in home losses to Oklahoma, K-State and Kansas that are above us in the standings. But, there are three teams (Baylor, Iowa State and Oklahoma) that are only one game ahead of us at this time.
Looking at replays of our old games, I see a team that is coming together and playing as a team. So, we are one game back of moving up in the standings.
I also say take it one game at a time but this time, I looking at the next three games for us and teams that are one game ahead of us.
We play Baylor (away), Texas Tech (home) and K-State (away).
Baylor play us (home), K-State (away) and Iowa State (home).
Iowa State play Texas (away), TCU (home) and Baylor (away).
Oklahoma play TCU (home), Oklahoma State (away) and Texas Tech (away).
From above schedule, I think that we have some opportunities to gain (us vs Baylor, us vs K-State, Baylor vs K-State, Baylor vs Iowa State, and Oklahoma vs Oklahoma State) and move up in the standings. Baylor has loss home games, Iowa State losses have been away from home, and Oklahoma has a tough time playing at Oklahoma State.
But I am getting ahead of myself or am I, our team needs to continue of getting better and taking it one game at a time.
Lets GO Mountaineers!
February 10, 2013 at 2:02 pm | Report comment
Jethro
Hey dont forget to vote!! For huggs charity at infinity coaches challenge on espn
February 10, 2013 at 2:47 pm | Report comment
Jay
I see incremental improvement in this team, and I'm proud of them. However, the fact is WVU must indeed rise to the upper echelon of the conference. It's time to prove they're better than seventh place status. In other words, it's time to beat a good team.
I wish them the best, and I'll be rooting for them - as always, regardless of outcome. Go Mountaineers!
February 10, 2013 at 2:54 pm | Report comment
J!
Does Alan Taylor ever say anything positive about WVU? If so I don't think I have ever seen it
February 10, 2013 at 4:39 pm | Report comment