Road Tripping
January 28, 2003 02:38 PM | General
The “Change Oil” light came on today when I pulled my pull-along suitcase out of the closet: again.
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| West Virginia coach John Beilein must take his young team out on the road for four of his team's next five games. (All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks) |
Perhaps the wheel tracks from the closet to my bed should have served as a tip-off that the Mountaineer basketball team is in the midst of a schedule that delivers home games like Dr. Atkins deals out doughnuts.
If meat and protein are the road games and the carbs are the home games, then we should resemble Whitney Houston anytime now (the current Whitney, not the sparkly one we knew before Bobby B got involved).
Could someone phone the Big East home office in Providence and start chanting B-A-L-A-N-C-E …We need some P-L-E-A-S-E.
Johnny Beilein’s youthful squad travels with seven scholarship players and a case of Pampers. I don’t want to exaggerate their youth, but replacing the tops of the Gatorade bottles with binkys says it all. Since January 12th, WVU’s three freshmen and two sophomore starters are in the midst of playing seven of 10 games on the road.
Throw in the fact that three teams in your own division are currently rated in the Top 25, and that means you get to play them twice each.
What’s that number in Providence?
Dear Johannes:
I think you’ll really like coming to America and playing in the Big East. Besides being one of the best conferences in the country, our travel will also allow you to see most of the North American Continent in about 23 days.
Yours truly,
John Beilein.
Now before you use up all your daytime minutes chewing on someone’s ear -- because after all Providence is not on your local plan -- keep this in mind: This unwanted absentia from the Beehive may not be all that bad after all.
SAY WHAT?
After playing seven of 10 games away from Le’ Coliseau de Mon Blvd, the Mountaineers do close the season by playing four of their final six at home. The four home dates come against Notre Dame, Seton Hall, Georgetown, and Virginia Tech. Those are four games that the Mountaineers could very well win.
John Beilien’s record of success in the month of February at Richmond was outstanding. There just may be some value to this current Coliseum exile after all.
So hold all calls to Providence, we just may have a winner. This current road overload could be planting the seeds for a late-season harvest.
Time will tell.
In the meantime, I’m changing the oil on my pull-along suitcase and hitting the road: again.
