WVU

[Cheriehoop]

What has happened to WVU and Huggins program? I know they are in a different conference but it certainly isn't tougher than the Big East. I assume he no longer recruits like he did - is that conference related or because of Huggins himself? His teams used to be tough - they sure don't look it anymore. Just shocked at how poorly they have done - they just got absolutely smoked by Missouri. I remember seeing them last year too and they were bad. Wikipedia stops after the 2011 season with even any updates for their basketball team. Anyone know what is up with that program?

 

[QManCuse]

I think it's because they're out of their element. They are perceived as an Eastern school playing in a Midwest/Southwest conference. Not many eastern kids want to play the majority of their games in Texas or Oklahoma.

 

[moqui]

It wasn't too long ago that Huggy was considered a lock to be the next coach to get to 800 wins ...

 

[JOC44]

I think it's because they're out of their element. They are perceived as an Eastern school playing in a Midwest/Southwest conference. Not many eastern kids want to play the majority of their games in Texas or Oklahoma.

I agree with this. In hoops, WVU got most of its kids from the eastern corridor. Even though WVU itself isn't really in that area, it could sell playing a ton of games in big cities up and down the east coast. Now, it's got no pitch to make to the east coast kids. Huggy Bear's going to have to plow some new ground in recruiting.

 

[PauliePeppas]

Lived off recruiting the tri-state, big 12 put the kaobsh on that...theyll be hurting for a while

 

[44PRIDE]

WVU is really in a bad position. They play all their games outside their recruiting grounds. They have no fan support outside of Morgantown. They've become completely irrelevant.

 

[LennX6]

WVU is really in a bad position. They play all their games outside their recruiting grounds. They have no fan support outside of Morgantown. They've become completely irrelevant.

_______________is really in a bad position. They play all their games outside their recruiting grounds. They have no fan support outside of Morgantown. They've become completely irrelevant.
Next year fill in the blank, Maryland, Rutgers,
You say, why doesn't Syracuse fit that mold? Because they can lay claim (arguably to some) to a major population area, and is almost the only game in town upstate.

 

[retro44]

I knew it, Oliver Luck has always had it for that program...The fix is in

 

[Cheriehoop]

.

_______________is really in a bad position. They play all their games outside their recruiting grounds. They have no fan support outside of Morgantown. They've become completely irrelevant.
Next year fill in the blank, Maryland, Rutgers,
You say, why doesn't Syracuse fit that mold? Because they can lay claim (arguably to some) to a major population area, and is almost the only game in town upstate.

Our recruiting area is pretty diverse too. I don't see any problem with recruits not coveting playing the eastern seaboard against the likes of Duke, UNC, Georgia Tech, Florida St, BC etc- all major flight and vacation destinies. In fact I wonder if there could be some positive effect with both Rutgers and Maryland's move to the Big 10 - I would think it would be a much harder sell for recruits and their families to travel that midwest circuit.
(probably more useful with football than basketball - since we usually didn't target the same level of talent in basketball)

 

[Madbiker]

WVU is really in a bad position. They play all their games outside their recruiting grounds. They have no fan support outside of Morgantown. They've become completely irrelevant.

WVU is really in a bad position. They play all their games outside their recruiting grounds. They have no fan support outside of Morgantown. They've become completely irrelevant.

Yep. Also many of the Big XII games are not on TV in the eastern cities that were WVU's main recruiting areas. So WVU and that conference get a lot less coverage in those areas like NYC , NJ, Philly. Has to be hurting them.

 

[2-3zone]

Always thought Huggy bear did a good job getting NYC kids but you have to believe it's hard to get them to want to play in the Midwest and Southern Plains

 

[zeekay]

WVU was never supposed to be a good basketball school, it's in the middle of nowhere and has little/no ties to big cities where all the bball talent is (opposite of football pretty much which feeds on suburbia where schools have good football fields). They were elevated by the Big East for years. The Big East conference made their basketball program. Without the Big East they are nothing. Which is what they wanted anyway, they're really only concerned with football which should be OK with their reputation.

 

[SoBeCuse]

They just brought in that idiot Gordon Gee as president too, I believe.

 

[bevosu]

They've had some pretty good college basketball players and some decent teams pre-Big East 1950's and 60's...Jerry West...Rod Thorn...and a blast from the past, Hot Rod Hundley.

 

[Oakland]

What has happened to WVU and Huggins program? I know they are in a different conference but it certainly isn't tougher than the Big East. I assume he no longer recruits like he did - is that conference related or because of Huggins himself? His teams used to be tough - they sure don't look it anymore. Just shocked at how poorly they have done - they just got absolutely smoked by Missouri. I remember seeing them last year too and they were bad. Wikipedia stops after the 2011 season with even any updates for their basketball team. Anyone know what is up with that program?

I don't know but I was thinking the same thing today - their FB program has also gone into the dumpster. Sad to see.

 

[Pitt_Fan_ACC]

They are on an Island in the Big 12 and it has to be hard for them to recruit because of this

 

[44PRIDE]

their FB program has also gone into the dumpster. Sad to see.

No its not. F them!

Since WVU burned every single bridge with every east coast team during conference expansion, NO ONE is interested in throwing them a lifeline. Their dispute with the exit fee spurned every Big East school...and the venom they spit during the move burned the ACC.

No one wants to schedule WVU.

I wonder how "The Dude" is doing right about now...

 

[OttoMets]

They've had some pretty good college basketball players and some decent teams pre-Big East 1950's and 60's...Jerry West...Rod Thorn...and a blast from the past, Hot Rod Hundley.

And Gale Catlett was an excellent and accomplished coach for two decades before they joined our league.

 

[Guinness]

Given the way their fans have acted all across the internet there won't be many people crying over their football and basketball teams falling into oblivion. Karma kicked their ass.

 

[stuckinbig11]

Kinda like Penn State moving to the Big Ten--they lost their recruiting base when half their games moved to the midwest.

 

[CaptainJ]

While Huggins being drunk during a speech might appeal to someone like me, I imagine it might have a different effect on other folks.

 

[cuseincincy]

And Gale Catlett was an excellent and accomplished coach for two decades before they joined our league.

But even then they played a predominant eastern schedule. This is just one example of how the conference realignment crap has really messed up a lot of schools athletic programs. All decisions were made based on football and TV. The vast majority of college athletics is based on regional rivalries. The reason SU is/willnot be as affected is they are still playing games in the same regions they have been and for the most part none of our rivals were really all that close to begin with. Still have Pitt. Lose Uconn & Rutgirls, pick back up BC. Lose St Johns, pick up annual games in NYC and will play the Johnnies non-conference as we will likely with GTown and Nova. Lose WVU, pick back up VPI, add Virginia and tobacco road. Lose USF pickback up Miami and add FSU. Those are far away rivalries but with so many NYers in Florida does it matter especuially socne everyone loves to visit Florida. WVU is on an island and its their own doing. It also may not help them that when I tried to access their schedule on Yahoo Sports it takes me to Washington State!

 

[Shermthegeneral]

They are in a similar situation to what Boston College was going through when they joined the ACC but worse! I'm slightly concerned being in a southern conference and would feel better if we had UConn with us to have 3 northern teams vs 2

 

[OttoinGrotto]

They are in a similar situation to what Boston College was going through when they joined the ACC but worse! I'm slightly concerned being in a southern conference and would feel better if we had UConn with us to have 3 northern teams vs 2

Eh. I consider Pitt a Northern team.

 

[jgeorge322]

_______________is really in a bad position. They play all their games outside their recruiting grounds. They have no fan support outside of Morgantown. They've become completely irrelevant.
Next year fill in the blank, Maryland, Rutgers,
You say, why doesn't Syracuse fit that mold? Because they can lay claim (arguably to some) to a major population area, and is almost the only game in town upstate.

dude, rutgers sucked for the past... well forever. not sure much changes there.