A trip to the Sweet Sixteen is on the line when the Big East meets the SEC in a re-match of last year’s East Regional final.

The Mountaineers tamed the Wildcats a year ago.

Some names on the backs of the shirts have changed.

Bob Huggins vs. John Calipari.

West Virginia vs. Kentucky

The Logo vs. The Program

West Virginia’s probable starters:

No. Name……………………. Pos…. Ht… Wt. …Cl……….. Statistics
5 Kevin Jones …………………F …..6-8..260 …Jr. 13.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg
2 Cam Thoroughman ……….F….. 6-7. 235.. r-Sr. 2.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg
41 John Flowers…………….. F….. 6-7.. 215…. Sr. 9.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg
25 Darryl Bryant……………. G ……6-2 195….. Jr. 11.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg
21 Joe Mazzulla……………… G ……6-2.200.. r-Sr. 7.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg

Kentucky’s probable starters:

P # Name…………………… Pts….. Rebs……. Assts
G 1 Darius Miller ………….11.4…. 4.7………. 1.7
F 3 Terrence Jones……… 16.3…. 8.7………. 1.9
G 12 Brandon Knight ……17.0…. 3.9………. 4.2
G 20 Doron Lamb ………..12.8…. 2.1………. 1.8
F 55 Josh Harrellson …….7.0 ….8.8 ……….1.5

West Virginia is making its 24th appearance in the NCAA championship, dating back to 1955.
• The Mountaineers are 25-23 all-time in NCAA championship play.
• The Mountaineers made their second Final Four appearance in 2010. The other was in 1959, led by the great Jerry West.
WVU advanced to the national championship game, falling to California, 71-70.
• WVU has reached the Sweet 16 in five of its last six NCAA tournament appearances (2010, 2008, 2006, 2005 and 1998).
• West Virginia is 19-6 in postseason games (6 NCAA and 2 NIT appearances) in the last eight seasons.
• Last year, WVU defeated No. 15 Morgan State, No. 10 Missouri, No. 11 Washington and No. 1 Kentucky to win the East
Region. The Mountaineers fell to Duke in the Final Four.
• Combining the NCAA championship and the NIT, WVU is 45-38 all-time in 39 postseason appearances.

Kentucky in the NCAA tournament
Overall Record: ……………………………………………………….102-45
Championships: ………………..7 (1948, ‘49, ‘51, ‘58, ‘78, ‘96, ‘98)
In Tampa: ……………………………………………………………………5-1
Third (Second) Round Record: ……………………………………..12-5
Record as No. 4 Seed: ………………………………………………….3-1

TEAM STATISTICS ………………………WVU………………………. OPP
SCORING ………………………………………….2240…………………….. 2063
Points per game ………………………………..70.0 ……………………….64.5
Scoring margin ………………………………….+5.5 -
FIELD GOALS-ATT …………………………761-1773……………….. 728-1777
Field goal pct ……………………………………. 4 2 9 …………………….. 4 1 0
3 POINT FG-ATT …………………………….199-592 ……………………166-574
3-point FG pct ………………………………….. 3 3 6 ………………………. 2 8 9
3-pt FG made per game ………………………..6.2 …………………………..5.2
FREE THROWS-ATT ………………………….519-731 …………………..441-634
Free throw pct ………………………………….. 7 1 0 ………………………. 6 9 6
F-Throws made per game ………………………16.2 ………………………..13.8
REBOUNDS …………………………………………1197 ………………………..1082
Rebounds per game ……………………………..37.4 …………………………33.8
Rebounding margin ……………………………..+3.6 -
ASSISTS ………………………………………………482 ………………………….355
Assists per game …………………………………..15.1 ………………………….11.1
TURNOVERS………………………………………… 386 …………………………..383
Turnovers per game ……………………………….12.1 …………………………12.0
Turnover margin ……………………………………-0.1 -
Assist/turnover ratio ……………………………….1.2 …………………………..0.9
STEALS ………………………………………………….149 …………………………..211
Steals per game ……………………………………….4.7 ……………………………6.6
BLOCKS ………………………………………………….134 ……………………………96
Blocks per game ……………………………………….4.2 …………………………..3.0

TEAM STATISTICS……………………………… UK ………………………OPP
SCORING ………………………………………………..2581……………………….. 2164
Points per game ……………………………………….75.9………………………… 63.6
Scoring margin ……………………………………….+12.3 -
FIELD GOALS-ATT ………………………………908-1967………………….. 772-1966
Field goal pct …………………………………………. 4 6 2……………………….. . 3 9 3
3 POINT FG-ATT …………………………………..248-623 ………………………193-586
3-point FG pct ……………………………………….. 3 9 8 ………………………….. 3 2 9
3-pt FG made per game ………………………………7.3…………………………….. 5.7
FREE THROWS-ATT ……………………………….517-723……………………… 427-594
Free throw pct ……………………………………….. 7 1 5 ………………………….. 7 1 9
F-Throws made per game …………………………..15.2 …………………………….12.6
REBOUNDS ………………………………………………1283 …………………………….1145
Rebounds per game …………………………………..37.7 ……………………………..33.7
Rebounding margin …………………………………..+4.1 -
ASSISTS ……………………………………………………431………………………………. 374
Assists per game ……………………………………….12.7 ……………………………….11.0
TURNOVERS ……………………………………………..361 ………………………………..412
Turnovers per game …………………………………..10.6 ……………………………….12.1
Turnover margin ……………………………………….+1.5 -
Assist/turnover ratio ……………………………………1.2 ………………………………..0.9
STEALS ……………………………………………………..186 ………………………………..176
Steals per game …………………………………………..5.5 ………………………………….5.2
BLOCKS ……………………………………………………..214 …………………………………121
Blocks per game …………………………………………..6.3 …………………………………3.6

A year ago, the Mountaineers used a 1-3-1 to pinch the lane and forct the Wildcats to shoot jumpers. This year’s version of Kentucky blue can connect from long range.

What is a “huggy bear” to do?

Notes courtesy of msnsportsnet.com and ukathletics.com.

Kentucky Wildcats-West Virginia Mountaineers matchup features John Calipari vs. Bob Huggins

West Virginia and Kentucky open third round of NCAA Tournament

MSN’s Tony Caridi and Jay Jacobs preview the game.

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

By Paul Gotham

Setting: Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana is the stage when Bob Huggins and his No. 2 seed West Virginia Mountaineers (31-6) take on Mike Krzyzewski and the No. 1 seed Duke Blue Devils (33-5).

Plot: Big East meets Atlantic Coast Conference for a spot in Monday night’s national championship.

Sub-plot: The status of  WVU’s Darryl “Truck” Bryant looms over the result of this national semi-final. Will the sophomore point guard play despite a foot injury?

Flashback: Joe Alexander scored a game-high 22, Alex Ruoff added 17, and Joe Mazzulla chipped in 13 off the bench as the Mountaineers upended the Blue Devils 73-67 in the second round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament.  Duke leads 17-7 in a series that began in 1951. The teams have split 4-4 on neutral floors. Tonight’s game marks just the third meeting in the past 32 years.

West Virginia is making its 23rd appearance in the NCAA Tournament and second trip to the Final Four. This is Duke’s 34th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and 15th time in the Final Four.

Foreshadowing: Thirteen Mountaineers have played in the NBA. Joe Alexander is the only current alum of West Virginia basketball in the Association.  Fifty-one former Blue Devils have made their way to the NBA. Fourteen of those alums currently dot NBA rosters: Shane Battier, Carlos Boozer, Elton Brand, Luol Deng, Chris Duhon, Mike Dunleavy, Gerald Henderson, Grant Hill, Dahntay Jones, Corey Maggette, Josh McRoberts, Shavlik Randolph, J.J. Redick, and Shelden Williams.

Conflict: Duke’s rebound margin is 6.5. WVU’s advantage on the glass is 6.6. The margin on the boards is as slim as tonight’s result.

A quick glance might lead someone to believe the Mountaineers are a one-man team. Da’Sean Butler leads WVU in points per game (17.4), assists (3.2), 3-pointers made (70), free throws made (162), free throws attempted (207), and free throw percentage (78.3), and game-winning shots (6).

But the Mountaineers are much more than that. Butler’s success is the result of a team effort. WVU has held their last two opponents well under their season average. Kentucky entered play last weekend averaging almost 80 a game. The Mountaineers won 73-66. Washington’s Huskies averaged 79 points. They lost to West Virginia 69-56.

Huggins deploys seven of his troops for double digit minutes.

Kevin Jones and Devin Ebanks combine for 25 points and 15 and a half rebounds for the Mountaineers.  Jones has 131 offensive rebounds.

Joe Mazzulla has taken over at point since Bryant’s injury. The junior scored 17 and handed out three assists in the victory over Kentucky.

The emergence of Brian Zoubek and freshman Mason Plumlee gives Duke a well-rounded attack. Zoubek grabbed 13 rebounds to go with 14 points in Duke’s victory over California.

Make no mistake though, WVU must slow down Duke’s big three: Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith, and Kyle Singler. The trio combine for 53 points and 13 rebounds per game.

Scheyer scores 18 a game to go with an assist to turnover ratio of 2.9:1. If Duke holds a late lead, Scheyer is deadly from the line – 186-211 (88.2).

Singler’s offensive production dropped as he drew the assignment of staying with Baylor’s LaceDarius Dunn. Still, Singler has 22 double-digit performances in Duke’s last 23 games.

Smith averages 17. The junior guard mixes a long-range game (55-139) from behind the arc) with a quick first step that allows him to get into the paint.

Lance Thomas scores slightly below five a game and grabs 4.8 rebounds.

Resolution: West Virginia used a 1-3-1 zone to slow a young Kentucky team. The Mountaineers will need more against Duke. The Blue Devils will not be confused by any defenses. The common criticism of Duke is that the Blue Devils can not handle athletic teams. Duke dispelled that theory in their victory over Baylor.

Both teams average 18.2 fouls per game. In a game sure to be decided in the paint, WVU and Duke will more than likely each commit at least 20 fouls. WVU finishes 70.3 percent from the free throw line. Duke scores 75.8 percent of the time from the stripe. Duke will advance.

Got any comments about the game? Post them here.

By Paul Gotham

Coaching through adversity

To get to the Elite Eight or Final Four a team has to confront its fair share of hurdles. Some teams have more than others. Tom Izzo, Bruce Pearl, and Bob Huggins deserve a tip of the hat. Each of these guys guided their squads through some trying times.

New Years was not a time of celebration for Pearl. Four of his guys were in a car when it was pulled over by police. Guns, dope, and open container were the news du jour in Knoxville.

Instead of panicking, Pearl circled the wagons.  He suspended Tyler Smith, Brian Williams, Melvin Goins, and Cameron Tatum while the legal process took place. In the mean time, the Vols knocked off then No. 1 Kansas. Eventually, Williams, Tatum, and Goins were reinstated. Smith, the Vols’ leading scorer, was removed from the team.  Tennessee’s run ended this past weekend. What could have been a disaster turned into the Vols reaching the Elite Eight for the first time in school history.

Huggins could have fallen back on excuses. Reasons were there for the taking. He was preparing for arguably the best team in the country, with the most explosive offense, and the most explosive combination of players. To make matters worse, the Mountaineers losing “Truck” Bryant seemed the end of the season for West Virginia. Instead, Huggins got a great performance out of his squad for the win.

What can be said about Tom Izzo, that has not already been stated? While others recruit, Izzo coaches. Add to that, the guy does not air his dirty laundry in public. Everyone knew there were problems in the Spartan program this year. A few benchings and suspensions indicated motivation was an issue for the Green. Rest assured, Izzo confronted each and every one of those problems. If MSU is going to win, they are going to do it the right way. Add to all of that the untimely injury to Kalin Lucas, and it looked like the Spartans would return to East Lansing after advancing to the Sweet Sixteen. To no real surprise, Izzo figured out how to get it done, and the Spartans moved on to Indianapolis. Six Final Fours since 1999 – the guy can coach.

Was it a charge?

No! Brian Zoubek did not have his feet set. Quincy Acy should not have been called for a charge. Zoubek should have fouled out. That’s the extent of that one play. Baylor was whistled for 21 fouls yesterday. In the Bears’ other losses this year they were called for 24, 23, 21, 20, 22, 21, and 25. The zebras did NOT cost Baylor the game. Baylor lost because of the 23 offensive rebounds Duke pulled down. 23?!?

And, had Scheyer knocked down those three WIDE open looks, that game might have been a blowout.

As for Baylor – Wow! What a team. Tweety Carter and Josh Lomers are the only seniors. Here’s hoping Coach Drew can keep LaceDarius and Epke Udoh around for another year. They could be fun to watch.

Has there been a shift in the Big 12?

Could the top of the Big 12 take on a new look next year? Sherrod Collins is a senior. Cole Aldrich is foregoing his senior season. Xavier Henry is not far behind. The Jayhawks should lose a step. The Texas Longhorns don’t seem to be able to get out of their own way.

The Bears have just the two seniors previously mentioned. Kansas State loses one starter – Denis Clemente.  Next year, Baylor and Kansas State might be battling for the top of the conference.

The cautionary tale of Todd Lickliter

Three years ago, Todd Lickliter led Butler to the Sweet 16. It was the team’s and coach’s second trip to the regional semi-finals in four years. The time seemed right for Lickliter to make a career advancement. He took the head position at Iowa State.

Fast forward. Butler is the talk of American basketball community. Lickliter is looking for a job.

Now, is the time for the coaching merry-go-round to pick up speed. Fran McCaffery left Siena for Iowa. Kevin Willard moved from Iona to Seton Hall. Financially, these jobs make sense. Just as Lickliter’s advancement made sense.

If allowed, ambition can shackle the unsuspecting.

Another coaching vacancy

In 1985, three Big East teams made the Final Four. Can you name them? I’ll give you a minute.

If you guessed Villanova, you are right. That was the year the Wildcats surprised everyone. Rollie Massimino and his squad tripped the heavily-favored Georgetown Hoyas. The third Big East team? The long forgotten St. John’s (at the time) Redmen. That was one of 15 NCAA Tournament appearances in 17 years for the Johnnies. Hoops fans knew well the sweaters of Lou Carnesecca.

Currently, St. John’s hasn’t won a tournament game since 2000. Who is going to bring back the pride to St. John’s?

No love for Cinderella?

A few radio personalities commented about the onset of schools from outside the “power” conferences advancing in the tournament. The suggestion was that these teams cheapen the importance of the tournament. References were made to those unlikely teams getting badly beaten in later rounds.

Baylor HAMMERING St. Mary’s reinforced this idea.

Just in case people think this makes sense, a few reminders: Louisville 103 Arizona 64 (Sweet 16 2009), Villanova 77 Duke 54 (Sweet 16 2009), Kansas 94 Marquette 61 (Final Four 2003). Teams from “power” conferences can get whacked too.

Just desserts

When you roll the dice, you take what you get. How is John Calipari feeling about his recruiting efforts over the last year or so? Especially, when you consider the actions of DeMarcus Cousins in the latter part of  Saturday night’s game.  At least twice the camera caught Cousins snapping at his coach. Why would any NBA GM want Cousins in his locker room? What does that say for Calipari? Cousins can be thankful he is not a football player. Mike Singletary might have some fun with Cousins on his roster.

Ranking the tournament

This might be a fruitless exercise, but here goes anyway. I am trying to remember a more competitive all-around NCAA Men’s Division I basketball tournament. There have been so many games that have gone down to the last minute. Is this the best tournament ever?

With that in mind, why would the NCAA consider expanding the field to 96? Instead of making drastic changes, how about getting better coverage for the conference tournaments. That’s when the NCAA Tournament actually begins.

NIT anyone?

Two Atlantic 10 teams have made it to the little final four: Dayton and Rhode Island. Don’t laugh. Baylor played in last year’s NIT title game.

Coming this week

Capsules for the final four coming at you over the next few days.

1st Team All-Casey

PG Jon Scheyer – Duke

SG Jordan Crawford – Xavier

SF Gordon Hayward – Butler

PF Da’Sean Butler – West Virginia

C Epke Udoh – Baylor

2nd Team All-Casey

PG Denis Clemente – Kansas State

SG LaceDarius Dunn – Baylor

SF Wes Johnson – Syracuse

PF Chris Wright – Dayton

C JaJuan Johnson – Purdue

Got any college hoops splinters? Share them here.

By Paul Gotham

Setting: The Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York is the place for the East Regional final as Bob Huggins and his No.2 seed West Virginia Mountaineers (30-6) tip it off with John Calipari and the No. 1 seed Kentucky Wildcats (35-2).

Plot: Big East clashes with the SEC for a spot in the Final Four. The Mountaineers seek their first trip to the Final Four in 50 years. WVU lost the national championship in 1959. Kentucky won the national title in 1998. The Wildcats have not made it back to the Final Four since then.

Sub-plot: With a win, Calipari will take a third different school to the Final Four. WVU would be the second school Huggins has taken to the last weekend of the season. Huggins is 7-1 all-time against Calipari.  WVU will play without their starting point guard, Darryl Bryant who was injured in practice.

Flashback: Jodie Meeks dropped 19 and Patrick Patterson added 15 as the Wildcats trimmed the Mountaineers 54-43 in last year’s Las Vegas Invitational.

Kentucky holds a 13-4 advantage in a series that dates back to the 1923-24 season. The Wildcats have taken the previous seven games in the series. The last time WVU beat Kentucky was 1959 – a 79-70 triumph in the Kentucky Invitational.

West Virginia is making its 23rd appearance in the NCAA Tournament and third trip to the Elite Eight.  This is Kentucky’s 50th appearance in The Dance. The ‘Cats have 13 Final Four appearances and seven national championships.

Foreshadowing: Thirteen Mountaineers have played in the NBA. Joe Alexander is the only current alum of West Virginia basketball in the Association. Sixty-seven Wildcats have made their way into the NBA including current players Kelenna Azubuike, Keith Bogans, Chuck Hayes, Jamal Magloire, Jodie Meeks, Nazr Mohammed, Randolph Morris, Tayshaun Prince and Rajon Rondo.

Conflict:  Who will establish tempo, and which players will execute? Kentucky averages almost 79 a game while allowing 60.  West Virginia goes for almost 73 and keeps opponents to 63. Thursday night, they held Washington to 24 points under their average.

Huggins deploys seven of his troops for double digit minutes. Da’Sean Butler leads three Mountaineers in double figures.

Kevin Jones and Devin Ebanks combine for 25 points and 15 and a half rebounds for the Mountaineers. The Mountaineers hold a +7 advantage on the glass.

WVU will need to slow the ‘Cats in transition.

Freshman phenom, John Wall, leads four Wildcats in double figures with 16 and a half per game. Wall adds 6.6 assists, four rebounds, and just under two steals.

Eric Bledsoe averages 39.8 percent from long range. It is not so much that Bledsoe has hit from behind, but that he is threat from long range. West Virginia will need to stay close to Bledsoe which opens up more room for Wall to drive.

Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins combine for 17 boards per game. Cousins grabs almost four offensive rebounds per game. The front court tandem scores almost 30 a game.

Resolution: In the Regional semi-final Cornell held Kentucky to 62 points. The Wildcats did not break 40 until the game’s 32nd minute. Huggins had a front-row seat for the game. Can the Mountaineers execute a page or two from the Big Red’s play book? West Virginia will need to resist the temptation to get into a track meet with Kentucky.That would be an exercise in futility. The Mountaineers need to win the game in the paint.

Huggins’ troops will slow it down and give Butler another chance to finish one. WVU advances to the Final Four.

Got any comments on the game? Post them here.

Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

By Paul Gotham

Setting: The Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York is the place for the East Regional semi-final as Lorenzo Romar’s No.11 seed Washington Huskies (26-9) take on Bob Huggins and the No.2 seed West Virginia Mountaineers (29-6).

Plot: Pac 10 meets the Big East for a spot in the Regional finals. Both schools seek their first trip to the Final Four in over 50 years. The Mountaineers lost the national championship in 1959. The Huskies advanced to the national semi-final in 1953.

Sub-Plot: West Virginia is 1-9 all-time at the Dome. Thursday’s game marks Washington’s first visit to the Upstate New York indoor stadium. The game pits teams from a pair of conferences that have taken hits of late. The Pac 10 barely earned an at-large bid this year. Six Big East teams fell in the first weekend of the tournament.

Flashback: Washington won the only meeting between the two teams. In 1973, the Huskies downed the Mountaineers 96-79 in the Far West Classic.

The two coaches faced each other seven times in Conference USA when Romar led St. Louis and Huggins roamed the sidelines for Cincinnati. Huggins holds a 5-2 advantage, but Romar’s Billikens knocked off then No.1 Cincy to win the C-USA tournament and grab the automatic bid in 2000.

The teams share four common opponents from the season: Texas A&M, Portland, Georgetown, and Marquette. Washington went 3-1. WVU finished 5-0 against the quartet.

Foreshadowing:  Thirteen Mountaineers have played in the NBA. Joe Alexander is the only current alum of West Virginia basketball in the Association. Twenty-three Huskies have laced them up in the Association. Current players include Jon Brockman, Will Conroy, Spencer Hawes, Nate Robinson, and Brandon Roy.

Conflict: Who will establish tempo, and which players will execute? Washington averages almost 80 a game while allowing 70.  The Huskies opened the tournament scoring 80 on Marquette and 82 against New Mexico. The Lobos held opponents to 67.

West Virginia goes for almost 73 and keeps opponents to 63. They held Morgan State to 50 and Missouri to 59.

Huggins deploys seven of his troops for double digit minutes. Da’Sean Butler leads three Mountaineers in double figures.

Romar uses nine players for at least ten minutes a game. Quincy Pontdexter and Isaiah Thomas are the only two Huskies that score double figures, but combined they score less than half of Washington’s points. Can Romar exploit his team’s depth?

Kevin Jones and Devin Ebanks combine for 25 points and 15 and a half rebounds for the Mountaineers. The Mountaineers hold a +7 advantage on the glass.

WVU will need to slow the Huskies in transition. Thomas and Venoy Overton push the ball from foul line to foul line as quick as any tandem in the country.

Resolution: Strange as it may sound, the Carrier Dome provides some comfort for West Virginia. WVU’s frequent visits during Big East play will create some familiarity. They will need it. Led by Pondexter, the Huskies are playing like they have nothing to lose – because they don’t. Not much has been expected of Washington since some early season struggles. West Virginia shoulders the burden of expectation. Washington does its work in the paint. The Huskies have hit just 188 three-pointers this season. By comparison, Cornell has hit 321. Washington will keep this game close until late in the game where their bench will have chance to make the difference.

Got any comments on the game? Post them here.

By Paul Gotham

Setting: West Virginia and Villanova close their Big East regular seasons at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia Center when Bob Huggins brings in his No. 10 Mountaineers (23-6/ 12-5) for a clash with Jay Wright’s No. 8 Wildcats (24-5/ 13-4).

Plot: Both of these teams have clinched byes into the Big East quarter-finals.

Sub-plot: Neither of these teams are limping into the conference tournament, but they are not in full stride either. Of late, Villanova is four and four. West Virginia is four and three. Can these teams afford to rest? Or do they need to rediscover their momentum?

Flashback: A little more than a month ago, Scottie Reynolds hit a game-high 21, and Corey Fisher added 17 as the Wildcats stole one in Morgantown, 82-75.

Villanova leads the series 21-18. West Virginia has won four of the last six meetings in the series.

Villanova has earned 30 invitations to The Dance, including last year’s Final Four appearance and a National Championship in 1985. On twenty-two occasions, the Mountaineers punched tickets to The Dance. West Virginia played for the national title in 1959.

Foreshadowing: Thirteen Mountaineers have played in the NBA. Joe Alexander is the only current alum of West Virginia basketball in the Association. Thirty-eight Wildcats have moved on to the Association. Malik Allen, Dante Cunningham, Randy Foye, Kyle Lowry and Tim Thomas spent their college days playing for Villanova.

Conflict: West Virginia is 19-0 when holding opponents to 69 or fewer points. Villanova averages 83. Both teams have rebound margin of 5.3, but in recent losses Villanova has been exposed on the glass.

How big of a role will be played by Villanova’s 6′10″ Mouphtaou Yarou? The freshman averages almost 13 minutes off the bench. He scores three points and grabs three boards but gets called for 2.3 fouls per game.

Villanova’s offense starts with Scottie Reynolds. The senior guard is at his best when he can exploit open lanes to the basket. He is adept at drawing contact and finishing. Reynolds scores almost 19 a game with 3.4 assists and 2.6 turnovers.  Reynolds hits 41.6 percent from behind the three-point arc. He will need success from long range to spread out the West Virginia defense.

Corey Fisher adds almost 14 a game along with an assist to turnover ratio of 2 : 1. Most of Fisher’s assists come from drive and dish situations.

At 6′8″, Antonio Pena represents Villanova’s tallest starter. He scores 11 and grabs 7.4 boards. The junior’s biggest challenge Saturday will be staying out of foul trouble while limiting the WVU front court.

Reggie Redding chips in nearly eight points and five rebounds. Corey Stokes chips in nine and four.

Da’Sean Butler and Darryl Bryant lead the Mountaineers with 52 and 39 three pointers. Butler hits 34.9 percent of his shots from long range while Bryant knocks down 34.2 percent.  Butler leads four Mountaineers in double figures with 17.1 per game. Kevin Jones and Devin Ebanks score 13.7 and 12.4 respectively. Bryant adds 10. Ebanks leads the way with 8.4 rebounds.

Resolution: If nothing else, this should be a close game. That favors the home team, Villanova. The Wildcats hit over 75 percent from the line. West Virginia scores 69 percent from the charity stripe.

Got any comments on the game? Post them here.

West Virginia Notes

Villanova Notes

By Paul Gotham

Setting: The West Virginia University Coliseum is the site for a Big East Top Ten Battle as Jim Boeheim brings his No. 5 Syracuse Orange (16-1/3-1) to Morgantown for a tilt with Bob Huggins and his No.10 West Virginia Mountaineers (13-2/4-1).

Plot: Syracuse carries a three-game winning streak into the contest. West Virginia has split their last four after getting out of the gate with 11 consecutive wins. The loser of this game drops two games off the pace in the Big East with Villanova and Pittsburgh standing at 2-0.

Sub-Plot:  Saturday’s game is the only time the two rivals meet during the regular season. The Orange might still have something to prove. West Virginia earned a spot in the pre-season AP Poll at No. 10.  Syracuse fell into the category of others receiving votes.

The game is the second of three on the road for the Orange. Wednesday, Syracuse downed Rutgers, 81-65. The Orange travel to South Bend for a game with Notre Dame on Monday. After playing their last two on the road, West Virginia returns home. The Mountaineers take a break from conference play for games with Marshall and Ohio State next week.

Flashback: Madison Square Garden hosted the most recent matchup of these two as Syracuse continued on their ‘Marathon Men’ odyssey. One night after turning away UConn in a six OT thriller, the Orange downed WVU in overtime, 74-69. Eric Devendorf led the way with 23, and Jonny Flynn added 15 points and nine assists.

Jim Boeheim-coached Orange teams hold a 19-6 advantage over the Mountaineers.

Syracuse and West Virginia have combined for 10 NCAA Tournament appearances since 2001. The Orange won the title in ’03 and have a pair of Sweet Sixteen appearances. West Virginia reached the Elite Eight in ’05 and also have reached the Sweet Sixteen twice.

Go 'Cuse!

Foreshadowing: Thirty-four Orange have earned spots in the NBA. Carmelo Anthony, Jonny Flynn, Donte Green, Jason Hart, Etan Thomas and Hakim Warrick currently hold spots in the Association.  Thirteen Mountaineers have played in the NBA. Joe Alexander is the only current alum of West Virginia basketball in the Association.

Tone: Urgency will hang in the air as these thoroughbreds jockey for position. It’s only mid-January, but no team wants to dig a hole.

Conflict: Huggins uses six players 17 minutes or more. Boeheim deploys seven of his guys for 20 minutes or more.

Da’Sean Butler and Darryl Bryant lead the Mountaineers with 22 three pointers apiece. Butler hits 32.8 percent of his shots from long range while Bryant knocks down 39.3 percent. Will West Virginia need a long-range attack to combat the Syracuse zone? Can the Mountaineers have success inside with 6’9″ Devin Ebanks?

Syracuse’s rebound margin of 3.5 contributes to 85.2 points per game while holding opponents to 64.2. West Virginia holds a rebound margin of 8.5 leading to 75 points per game. Mountaineer opponents have scored 61.7 per outing.

West Virginia has played two fewer games than Syracuse but has grabbed 35 more offensive rebounds (241-206). The Mountaineers need success on the boards to win this game. Ebanks grabs 8.3 boards while Kevin Jones gets 7.8.

Butler leads three Mountaineers in double figures with 15.9 per game. Jones and Ebanks score 15.3 and 12.5 respectively.

Butler and Bryant also hand out three assists per game each.

Rick Jackson, Arinze Onuaku, and Wesley Johnson will have the charge of keeping the West Virginia front court off the glass. Johnson leads the way with nine boards. Jackson grabs 6.9 and Onuaku 4.1.

Johnson leads four Orange in double figures with 17 points. Onuaku adds 10 as do Andy Rautins and Brandon Triche.

Rautins’s contributions extend far beyond his raw numbers. The senior guard has an increased ball-handling role this year. Rautins hands out 5.5 assists per contests but has over two turnovers. His miscues have become somewhat conspicuous of late, but that is only representative of his increased role. With Jonny Flynn in the back court last season, Rautins rarely had to go beyond two or three dribbles. Now, he is frequently handling the ball from foul line to foul line. The result is an increased number of turnovers. Rautins’s average turnovers per game will decrease as the season continues.

The battle for transition points could tilt the balance in this game. Both teams are capable of prolific runs. At the same time, these combatants have shown they can slip into lulls. Will the importance of this game keep both teams at their peak? Can Syracuse take advantage of a deeper bench?

Triche has acclimated himself to keeping the Orange on the move. The freshman is adept at finding the open man up the floor and threading passes between defenders.

Both teams struggle from the free throw line. West Virginia hits 66.7 percent from the stripe. Syracuse finishes 69.2 percent.

Resolution: Last time Syracuse traveled to Morgantown, the Mountaineers put an 81-61 hurting on them. That was then, and this is now. The Orange are ready to show they can step up and win away from home. Johnson will prove too much for the Mountaineers to handle as Syracuse takes a one-possession game.

Got any comments about the game? Post them here.

‘08 – 09 Results: 23 – 12 (10 – 8 Big East). Lost to Dayton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 68 -60.

Coach: Bob Huggins 49 – 23 (2 seasons at WVU) 639 – 234 27 seasons.

Key Returners:

Da’Sean Butler – 17.1ppg, 5.9rpg

Devin Ebanks – 10.5ppg, 7.8rpg

Wellington Smith – 5.2ppg, 3.8rpg

Darryl Bryant – 9.8ppg, 1.8rpg

Notable Non-Conference Tilts: 11/26 vs. Long Beach State, 11/27 vs. Clemson or Texas A&M, 12/9 vs. Duquesne, 12/19 at Cleveland State, 12/23 vs. Ole Miss, 1/1 at Purdue, 1/23 vs. Ohio State

Stat of Identity: 30.2% Three point FG defense.

By Paul Gotham

It’s year three of the Bob Huggins reign in Morgantown, and it’s all systems go. While some of the Big East heavyweights will operate in rebuilding mode, the Mountaineers have reloaded and are ready to make a run. Will the Mountainneers have a sweet ending in 2010?

Naismith watch candidates, De’Sean Butler and Devin Ebanks lead a Mountaineer squad which returns four starters and plenty of depth on the bench.

The always dangerous Butler scored 20+ points in six consecutive conference games. Then the Newark, New Jersey native went off for 43 against Villanova. Butler hit 35% (62 -177) from behind the arc, but he can go off the dribble. Opponents need to ready themselves for Butler developing his mid range game.

Ebanks finished the Big East regular season with back-to-back 20 point games at Pittsburgh and at Syracuse. There is more where that came from.

What the Mountaineers don’t bring with size in the front court, they make up for with athleticism. Wellington Smith and Kevin Jones will pull down their share of rebounds.

Junior college transfer, Casey Mitchell should fit in well with the Mountaineers. Mitchell was the JUCO Player of the Year.

Joe Mazzulla returns to the lineup after suffering an injury last season.

West Virginia has made five Sweet Sixteen appearances – ’59, ’60, ’63, ’98, and ’06.

Can the A-10 return to legitimacy? Once was a time when Calipari coached UMass, Chaney prowled the Temple sidelines, Jarvis barked orders at GW, and Pete Gillen sweated through his suits at Xavier. The A-10 put four, count ‘em four teams in the ’95 Dance. Yeah, and three of ‘em followed suit in ’96. Since then it’s been hit or miss for the Atlantic Ten. St. Joe’s had a nice run. The Bonnies even played Kentucky to overtime a few years ago, but nothing like the mid 90’s.

That is until now. The A-10 is kinda throwin’ the Big East around. Xavier knocked off Cincy in the battle for Queen City bragging rights. Dayton turned away Louisville at Freedom Hall. Rhode Island leads the conference with ten wins including knocking off Syracuse at the Carrier Dome. The Rams have only one loss on the season: by four at Chestnut Hill to the ACC’s, Boston College. UMass also topped the Orange earlier this season.

Syracuse fans have to be wondering which team will show up from night to night. They beat Virginia at Charlottesville and then suffered the previously mentioned defeats. ‘Cuse fans should seek some solace in that their team is playing a more challenging pre-season schedule. Hopefully, this will help them come tournament selection time. The Orange are a young team. They will play without a conscience in March.

On a personal note – the ‘Cuse / Rhode Island game was of particular interest to me. I worked summer camp for Ram coach, Jimmy Baron, during his previous stint at St. Bonaventure. I can vividly remember Jimmy Baron Jr. running around with a ball attached to his hands at all times. Now to see him light up the Orange for six threes was pretty amusing. The last time I saw him he measured probably three feet in height.

One Big East team trying to maintain their end of the bargain is West Virginia. After playing John Beilein’s finesse game, the Mountaineers have become a rough ‘n’ tumble squad under Bob Huggins. Huggins is employing an open-post set on the offensive end that is rather enjoyable to watch. A lot of cutting and screening going on. Swing man, Joe Alexander, is a beast when finishing.

The Big East is not the only ‘Big’ struggling. The Big Ten is taking some early lumps. The ACC took eight of eleven in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. To add some salt to the wounds this past weekend Marquette beat Wisconsin in Badger Land, and Duke undressed Michigan. Only Michigan State saved the conference as they took down #22 BYU, 68-61.

I am not ready to bury the Big Ten. The last time I did that they put two teams in the Final Four: Illinois and MSU, 2005. As long as Tom Izzo coaches in Lansing the Big Ten will have a team ready to make a run in March. Come tournament time a couple statistics prove important: rebounding margin and field goal defense. Izzo’s teams always rank high in those categories. It’s not pretty, but it wins games.

Back to Marquette – they return an experienced team including guard Dominic James.
Experience and guard play could carry them late in the season. Their only loss thus far was to Duke in the Maui Classic.

Speaking of Duke, I am more cautious than optimistic. I like the athletes they have assembled. After last year’s first round exit to a gamey VCU squad, Duke’s obvious dearth of athleticism needed improving. They seem to be going in the right direction. With the barely athletic McRoberts leaving for the NBA, that made room for Gerald Henderson, and newcomers David McClure and Kyle Singler. While I’m thinking of McRoberts – what does his entering the NBA draft say about the league? I love the NBA – don’t get me wrong (Thank you again JD for opening my eyes), but when McRoberts has one of the 550 roster spots in the league, I gotta wonder. More on the Blue Devils – my concern rests with Paulus. I’m waiting for him to fulfill the hype. In the aforementioned victory over Marquette, Paulus showed little if any leadership in the game’s final moments. Marquette stepped up and pressed, and Paulus decided the time was right to play hot potato. I’m thinkin’ the point guard should be the one takin’ the heat at that point. Instead Paulus ducked the pressure. Every team in the ACC had to be watching and licking their chops. Paulus better be ready when Ty Lawson and the Heels come a calling.

Mentioning Lawson makes me think of the great point guards around the country. I like James from Marquette, Lawson, DJ Augustin of Texas, Drew Neitzel at Michigan State, and Darren Collison from UCLA.

I’m looking forward to conference play, but these December games are just what the doctor ordered.

On deck: Clipboard National Chan’ship begins Saturday.

In the hole: 2007 Clipboard Readers’ Choice Awards – start next Wednesday.