MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – While watching West Virginia battle Baylor to the end last Saturday, you kind of got the feeling that it wasn't the end, nor even the beginning of the end, but perhaps it was the end of the beginning, to borrow a quote once made famous by Winston Churchill.
 
For the first time all year, going all the way back to November when West Virginia lost 99-94 in overtime to Buffalo, it looked like two basketball teams were playing each other out there instead of the opposition and maybe two or three different Mountaineer teams.
 
It was apparent, even from afar, that the young players veteran coach Bob Huggins put into the game last Saturday were finally playing for each other instead of simply with each other.
 
"I think when you go through what these guys have gone through, obviously, they're going to become closer knit," Huggins said about his 10-17 squad before Monday's practice. "They were pulling for each other and encouraging each other in the huddle. It wasn't them sitting there with their heads down. They were all very engaged."
 
Consequently, they were also in the game against the Bears - the first time that's happened in almost a month's time since West Virginia beat Oklahoma 79-71 at the Coliseum on Feb. 2.
 
Freshman point guard Jordan McCabe looked competent running the offense while scoring a season-high 14 points.
 
Junior college transfer Jermaine Haley looked more assertive on the floor and actually knocked down a couple of long jumpers after taking in some shooting tips that Huggins gave him.
 
Sophomore Andrew Gordon had by far his most productive day in a West Virginia uniform by scoring 13 points and grabbing four rebounds. Gordon, just a 40 percent free throw shooter going into last Saturday's game, made seven-of-nine including four straight during one stretch in the second half.
 
For 37 of the 40 minutes of last Saturday's game, Huggins' youthful Mountaineers were actually leading a Baylor team that has likely already done enough to get into the NCAA Tournament. 
 
So in those respects, Huggins finally has some things upon which to build, which is probably why he showed up 10 minutes early for his scheduled 1 p.m. visit with the media instead of arriving on time or even a little bit late.
 
"If we can continue to get these guys better and win some games at home - we've got a couple more games at home – and go on the road with some confidence, maybe we can move up in the standings a little bit," Huggins explained.
 
"We have opportunities," he continued. "That's the thing. As long as you have opportunities there is something to play for. And we also have an opportunity in the conference tournament."
 
West Virginia's four remaining regular season games, beginning with Tuesday night's tilt against 18-9 TCU (another team looking to solidify an NCAA Tournament resume), gives the Mountaineers 160 minute's-worth of court time together to get better, plus however long they can stick around in Kansas City.
 
There were three freshmen and two juniors in the starting lineup in last Saturday's loss at Baylor. Gordon is just a sophomore and two more freshmen got into the game – guards Trey Doomes and Taevon Horton.
 
And while freshman forward Derek Culver didn't have his best performance against Baylor, Huggins likes the way he continues to battle and compete despite facing double- and triple-teams each time he catches the ball near the basket.
 
"The positive of this is (Sunday) the last two guys to leave the gym were Derek and Drew," Huggins said. "Derek usually hangs around, but Drew doesn't hang around a lot. They see opportunity. It's kind of hard to work the way you need to work if you've never done it before, and Drew has never done it. This is really Drew's second year of playing basketball."
 
And Derek?
 
"I'm surprised that Derek has played as hard as he's played because he didn't do that much in high school; he just relied so much on being bigger, stronger and faster," Huggins noted. "He's been great to coach."
 
An overlooked benefit of having a smaller roster is more individual time for instruction. The coaches have fewer players to deal with now, and the ones out there seem to be more willing to listen to what they're being told instead of politely listening and turning around and doing what they've always done before.
 
"I've always worked with them, but it's a matter in Jermaine's case of seeing how much the team needs him right now. In Drew's case, this gives him an opportunity to play," Huggins explained. "They've been more diligent in the tweaks that we've tried to do with their shooting. Derek has been the same way, and I think it will pay off in the end.
 
"I just don't know when the end is, though," Huggins quickly added.
 
On Tuesday night, if the Mountaineers can build off of what it did at Baylor last Saturday, perhaps it is finally the end of the beginning.
 
For a guy who has won 855 career basketball games, it would certainly help his sanity.

"I've never found much good in losing," he said. "We need to win."
 
Tipoff for Tuesday's game, to be televised nationally on ESPNU, is set for 7 p.m. 
 
The Mountaineer Sports Network from Learfield IMG College's radio coverage will begin at 6 p.m. on affiliates throughout the Mountain State as well as online via WVUsports.com and the popular mobile app WVU Gameday.

Monday Sound