Photo by: Big 12 Conference
Huggins, Mountaineers to Adjust to Rules Changes
October 24, 2017 02:53 PM | Men's Basketball
Each year, Big 12 Conference coordinator of officials Curtis Shaw gives a presentation to the media on new rule changes taking place in college basketball before the season.
Many of the changes Shaw reviewed seem to favor the offense, so naturally that was the first question West Virginia's Bob Huggins was asked during the moderated portion of Big 12 media day, taking place this morning at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.
Huggins, sporting a bright gold vest and a gold and blue bow tie that makes him look more like an English professor than one of the winningest coaches in college basketball history, took on the question the same way his guys put on a trap in their 'Press Virginia' defense - coming right out of the blue.
"I'm all for offense," he said. "I just don't think you ought to be able to walk out of traps, which hopefully, that gets addressed."
There is no question, West Virginia's resurgence the last three years has been fueled by a smothering, unrelenting, full-court trapping defense that makes it nearly impossible for other teams to get into any rhythm offensively.
Since adopting this style, the Mountaineers have won 79 games, lost just 28, and have been in the national rankings 57 consecutive weeks dating all the way back to Nov. 24, 2014.
It's WVU's longest sustained period of success since the late 1950s when All-Americans Hot Rod Hundley and Jerry West were playing for the Mountaineers.
This year, the national coaches have Huggins' Mountaineers ranked 10th to begin the season, primarily on the basis of that press and West Virginia's rough and tough style of play.
"I think the only thing that is a little bit alarming to me is we act like there's never going to be contact," Huggins said. "They're too big. They're too strong. They're too fast and the court is too small for there not to be any contact."
He paused to collect his thoughts, before continuing.
"I wish we could kinda go back, to a degree, of letting the guys officiate the game," Huggins said. "If it has no effect on the play, why call it? But that's not the direction that we're headed."
The good thing about Huggins, and what makes him the eighth winningest coach in Division I history with 819 victories heading into this season, is that he will figure things out and adjust. He always does.
"We're going to adjust; we've done it for years," he pointed out. "My dad told me one time - I was at Walsh College and we played Urbana and I think they shot like 52 free throws, something ridiculous like that, and obviously I'm not happy, and my dad calls me the next day and he said, 'What happened?' I said, 'They shot 52 free throws, that's what happened.' He said, 'Well, you didn't do a very good job.' I'm like, 'What was I supposed to do? I didn't foul 'em.' He said, 'You know, there is a game within the game.' And the more I do this, I think the truer that becomes."
He added, "Everybody doesn't see the game the same way. It's going to vary from game to game just because of the way different people perceive the game should be played, officiated, coached or whatever. I'm going to try and be a little smarter - probably won't be, but I'm going to try."
He will.
Briefly:
* Huggins was asked about suspended forward Esa Ahmad, out for at least half of the season while serving a suspension for not meeting NCAA eligibility requirements. The earliest Ahmad will be available is West Virginia's Tuesday, Jan. 9 game at home against Baylor.
"We can't replace him," Huggins said. "He's been really, really good in practice. I was a little concerned that he would have a hard time being motivated, but at least to this point he's been terrific."
Although not playing Ahmad's position, some of the offense close to the basket normally taken care of by Ahmad could come from sophomore forward Sagaba Konate, who continues to improve that facet of his game.
"He's worked really hard on his jump shot," Huggins said. "I feel really comfortable letting him shoot 15, 16 feet. He thinks he can shoot 3s, and he does make some once in a while, but I don't think that's the direction we want him to go quite yet.
"But I feel confident him shooting 16, 17 feet. (He) shoots it really well on the baseline and he's so much more comfortable. He's playing with so much more confidence."
* Huggins was also asked about TCU coach Jamie Dixon, whose Horned Frogs were picked to finish third behind Kansas and West Virginia in the preseason coaches' poll announced last week. Huggins and Dixon used to match wits when Dixon coached at Pitt and the two schools were in the Big East.
"Jamie is a really good end-of-game coach and that's what our league is," Huggins said. "Nobody blows anybody out in this league. It's all so highly contested. There are really good players. There are really, really good players in this league and incredible coaching in this league."
Huggins and WVU players Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles Jr. will return to Morgantown later today in time for an evening practice.
The team will play Albany in a charity exhibition game on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the WVU Coliseum instead of its normal Gold-Blue Debut scrimmage. All proceeds from the game will be donated to the American Red Cross' hurricane relief efforts.
The Mountaineers also have a closed scrimmage against Purdue coming up before opening their season on Friday, Nov. 10 against Texas A&M at Ramstein-Miesenbach Air Force Base in Germany. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
Many of the changes Shaw reviewed seem to favor the offense, so naturally that was the first question West Virginia's Bob Huggins was asked during the moderated portion of Big 12 media day, taking place this morning at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.
Huggins, sporting a bright gold vest and a gold and blue bow tie that makes him look more like an English professor than one of the winningest coaches in college basketball history, took on the question the same way his guys put on a trap in their 'Press Virginia' defense - coming right out of the blue.
"I'm all for offense," he said. "I just don't think you ought to be able to walk out of traps, which hopefully, that gets addressed."
There is no question, West Virginia's resurgence the last three years has been fueled by a smothering, unrelenting, full-court trapping defense that makes it nearly impossible for other teams to get into any rhythm offensively.
Since adopting this style, the Mountaineers have won 79 games, lost just 28, and have been in the national rankings 57 consecutive weeks dating all the way back to Nov. 24, 2014.
It's WVU's longest sustained period of success since the late 1950s when All-Americans Hot Rod Hundley and Jerry West were playing for the Mountaineers.
This year, the national coaches have Huggins' Mountaineers ranked 10th to begin the season, primarily on the basis of that press and West Virginia's rough and tough style of play.
"I think the only thing that is a little bit alarming to me is we act like there's never going to be contact," Huggins said. "They're too big. They're too strong. They're too fast and the court is too small for there not to be any contact."
He paused to collect his thoughts, before continuing.
"I wish we could kinda go back, to a degree, of letting the guys officiate the game," Huggins said. "If it has no effect on the play, why call it? But that's not the direction that we're headed."
The good thing about Huggins, and what makes him the eighth winningest coach in Division I history with 819 victories heading into this season, is that he will figure things out and adjust. He always does.
"We're going to adjust; we've done it for years," he pointed out. "My dad told me one time - I was at Walsh College and we played Urbana and I think they shot like 52 free throws, something ridiculous like that, and obviously I'm not happy, and my dad calls me the next day and he said, 'What happened?' I said, 'They shot 52 free throws, that's what happened.' He said, 'Well, you didn't do a very good job.' I'm like, 'What was I supposed to do? I didn't foul 'em.' He said, 'You know, there is a game within the game.' And the more I do this, I think the truer that becomes."
He added, "Everybody doesn't see the game the same way. It's going to vary from game to game just because of the way different people perceive the game should be played, officiated, coached or whatever. I'm going to try and be a little smarter - probably won't be, but I'm going to try."
He will.
Briefly:
* Huggins was asked about suspended forward Esa Ahmad, out for at least half of the season while serving a suspension for not meeting NCAA eligibility requirements. The earliest Ahmad will be available is West Virginia's Tuesday, Jan. 9 game at home against Baylor.
"We can't replace him," Huggins said. "He's been really, really good in practice. I was a little concerned that he would have a hard time being motivated, but at least to this point he's been terrific."
Although not playing Ahmad's position, some of the offense close to the basket normally taken care of by Ahmad could come from sophomore forward Sagaba Konate, who continues to improve that facet of his game.
"He's worked really hard on his jump shot," Huggins said. "I feel really comfortable letting him shoot 15, 16 feet. He thinks he can shoot 3s, and he does make some once in a while, but I don't think that's the direction we want him to go quite yet.
"But I feel confident him shooting 16, 17 feet. (He) shoots it really well on the baseline and he's so much more comfortable. He's playing with so much more confidence."
* Huggins was also asked about TCU coach Jamie Dixon, whose Horned Frogs were picked to finish third behind Kansas and West Virginia in the preseason coaches' poll announced last week. Huggins and Dixon used to match wits when Dixon coached at Pitt and the two schools were in the Big East.
"Jamie is a really good end-of-game coach and that's what our league is," Huggins said. "Nobody blows anybody out in this league. It's all so highly contested. There are really good players. There are really, really good players in this league and incredible coaching in this league."
Huggins and WVU players Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles Jr. will return to Morgantown later today in time for an evening practice.
The team will play Albany in a charity exhibition game on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the WVU Coliseum instead of its normal Gold-Blue Debut scrimmage. All proceeds from the game will be donated to the American Red Cross' hurricane relief efforts.
The Mountaineers also have a closed scrimmage against Purdue coming up before opening their season on Friday, Nov. 10 against Texas A&M at Ramstein-Miesenbach Air Force Base in Germany. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballRoss Hodge & Honor Huff | Stanford Postgame
Thursday, April 02
Ross Hodge | College Basketball Crown Preview
Monday, March 30
Honor Huff | College Basketball Crown Preview
Monday, March 30
Ross Hodge | BYU Postgame
Wednesday, March 11
