His run at Cincinnati was pretty incredible. I still remember KMart snapping his leg right before the tournament during our best season in 99-00. That was probably Huggys best chance at a championship.
Huggins, after the game.
- Thread starter SCarolinaCy
- Start date
It's hard to imagine but yet again you have no clue what you're talking about. Huggins teams KenPom rankings since joining the Big 12 have been 123, 58, 25, 8, 7, 12, 95, 10, 23, 67(this year). So maybe there has been regression in the last 3 years but certainly not a downward trend over the last decade. Then again you'd have to actually pay attention to what's going on rather than look at a person, listen to them hold their players accountable, and determine they are some sort of tyrant. There are zero successful coaches who aren't hard on their players at times but since Huggins will do it publicly at times, people think he's the bad guy.
He was mad at someoneShortly after the game, head coach Bob Huggins sat courtside with Tony Caridi and Jay Jacobs for a postgame radio interview on the Mountaineer Sports Network.
Below are a few quotes from the head coach.
"We didn't do what I asked them to do twice. I told them not to run the corner and get trapped. They never did anything I've asked them to do. I've tried to cover and cover and cover for guys. I'm tired of...My guys before were afraid of not doing what I asked them to do because they knew they would never play again."
"I don't know what to say. The truth of the matter is, you let your team down by not doing of the right thing. You let the thousands of Mountaineer fans down that wanted to see us win."
Maybe it's a West Virginia thing. I remember Holgerson calling his players "Pop Warner Level" when they bit on a Purdy pump fake.
That said, while I hate to play against his teams I have a ton of respect for Huggins.
That said, while I hate to play against his teams I have a ton of respect for Huggins.
- Mar 27, 2006
- 42,744
- 33,765
- 113
I'm not discounting that he's been a good coach, but he's not been the same since WV joined the Big 12. He's a little over .500 in conference, and has made the tournament 5 times in 10 years, and hasn't made it past the sweet 16. To be fair, one of those years the tournament was cancelled, but he never missed the tournament when WV was in the Big East.
He's still successful, but I don't think he's elite anymore. He's less consistent than he used to be.
Reminds me of this story about Larry Bird --
https://grantland.com/features/god-loves-cleveland/
Collins told me a fantastic Bird story once. In Chicago, Bird was feeling ornery because the Bulls had screwed up his complimentary tickets. He noticed Collins on the sideline, complained about the tickets and asked him what the “house record” was. Then he vowed to break it. Uh-oh. Collins started the game by defending Bird with Ben Poquette, an awkward backup forward who happened to be white. Strike two — Bird always took it personally when someone defended him with a white guy. And as Collins tells the story, Bird derisively said to him something like “Ben Poquette? Are you f’ing kidding me?” and proceeded to score the game’s first five baskets. So much for Ben Poquette.
That's the first thing I think of when I think of Huggy and his players. I still don't like the public shaming of players, though.
I think you're thinking of Kevin Ware for Louisville.
You're right. Watched it happen, and just about threw up.
I'd say it's worse than authoritarian. I say it's shirking one's responsibility as well as having no class or decency. Nothing honorable about trashing your players after a defeat.
Huggins' players LOVE him, past and present.
Throwing guys under the bus with comments? Maybe. But if I was busting my butt doing my job and another guy was faffing off, then yeah, I'd want coach to get in that guys shorts and I don't care if it's public or not. He is direct, and that is good management.
I really want to like Huggins, but I absolutely hate how his teams play. I want him GONE, I never want to deal with UFC basketball again.
Throwing guys under the bus with comments? Maybe. But if I was busting my butt doing my job and another guy was faffing off, then yeah, I'd want coach to get in that guys shorts and I don't care if it's public or not. He is direct, and that is good management.
I really want to like Huggins, but I absolutely hate how his teams play. I want him GONE, I never want to deal with UFC basketball again.
Disagree. Good managers learn that you always praise your employees in public and correct them in private. Hell he could even ride certain players in practice so teammates who are doing it right know that the guy who isn't getting it done isn't skating by. But don't do it in the media.
Can't discount the B12 as a conference and the level of increased travel WVU has to deal with.
I could look but did you have anything to say a couple weeks ago when TJ talked about guys not being physical enough?
When did it become not-okay to hold people accountable? It's not like he said they were huge pieces of **** or worthless people. He said they practiced something, he drew it up twice, and they screwed it up, which they did...massively. They made 6th sixth grade mistakes and there is no reason they shouldn't be held accountable.
That approach is probably ideal, but it doesn't work all the time. Good managers also know that "always" is not necessarily always...
Last edited:
Based on angles and how the defense is playing, teams often have to inbounds it into the corner in those situations... "don't get trapped in the corner" is easier said then done.
Also, the STEAL happened when they tried to force a pass into the middle of the court.
Also, the STEAL happened when they tried to force a pass into the middle of the court.
Yea that is a pretty common move by coaches in the game today at all levels- take advantages of mismatches.
With the common defensive philosophy of "switching all" screens a good coach will get his best offensive player matched up with the opposing team's worst defender or create a physical mismatch. Then clear out for the offensive player. Huggy was doing it to ISU last night.
