Coach Huggs
March 21, 2008 11:55 PM | General
March 22, 2008
WASHINGTON, D.C. – About midway through his Friday afternoon news conference West Virginia coach Bob Huggins was asked a question about Mike Krzyzewski’s pristine reputation and his reaction to some of the hits Huggins has taken from the media in the past.
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| West Virginia coach Bob Huggins talks to reporters Friday afternoon at the Verizon Center.
AP photo |
The implication was that good was being pitted against evil when Krzyzewski’s Duke Blue Devils play Huggins’ West Virginia team Saturday afternoon in an NCAA Tournament second-round game.
Huggins simply smiled and shrugged.
“It is what it is,” Huggins said. “In 1992 we went to the Final Four with Duke, Indiana and Michigan – with all of the blue bloods. And I had whatever – 10 junior college guys. What nobody really cared to find out was that they were double transfers. They were guys who started someplace else and the coach got fired or left or whatever and so they went somewhere else.”
Huggins says many of his Cincinnati players were misunderstood then and that has carried over into the present.
“Even though my guys were the most articulate guys in the whole tournament – they were funny – they were absolutely terrific, people still wrote that we didn’t do the right thing,” Huggins said. “Now, Corey Blount just got his degree after 12 years in the NBA because it’s important to him.
“But people don’t care about that because the convenient thing to do is look at numbers and not look at people … and what people have accomplished and what people do.”
In reality, there are probably more similarities between Bob Huggins and Mike Krzyzewski than most people believe - or are willing to believe.
“Bob’s a guy’s guy,” Krzyzewski said. “He knows how to coach. But as a friend he’ll tell you the truth and this is definitely no good and evil or whatever.”
Krzyzewski says he has known Huggins for many years working Michael Jordan’s fantasy camps for Nike.
“I really like him a lot,” Krzyzewski said. “He’s got a coaching background. His dad was a coach. He’s just been a basketball guy his whole life. He’s done a great job everywhere he’s been.
“I was really happy to see him get the opportunity to coach at his alma mater,” Krzyzewski added. “He had that one other time and I think his allegiance to Cincinnati stopped him from doing it. But this time it just kind of worked out. He’s done a great job in taking over from John (Beilein).”
Huggins was asked about occasionally being a guest on Krzyzewski’s radio show.
“Well, he’s so dry and boring that he needs somebody to kind of give it a little bit of life so I try to help him every chance I get,” Huggins joked. “That’s just the kind of guy I am. Can you imagine listening to him for an hour? It would be brutal, that’s why he has guests.”
Huggins says Krzyzewski is essentially the same guy that went to Weber High School in Chicago.
“He hasn’t changed,” Huggins said. “He still has the same friends. Those guys that he grew up with at Weber are still his friends. They still come and hang out. To me that’s very admirable.
“I grew up in a town of 500 people – two stoplights and nine bars and those people are still my friends,” Huggins said. “So I admire people who kind of stick to their roots and stay grounded. And Mike has stayed totally grounded.”
Bob Huggins has also remained grounded.
The two coaches have a commanding presence in any arena they walk into. Cameras will be focused on them as much as the game itself.
“It will be an honor playing against Bob and his kids and the West Virginia fans – good people,” Krzyzewski said. “I just hope they don’t shoot that musket right near our bench too much.”
Tip off for today’s game is 2:10 pm.
