More on the Roundball

(15-5) This team looks more and more like a 20+ win team. I had us at 21 at my last review and we're 1 ahead of that mark at this point. You never know in the Big East, particularly on the road. Notre Dame over Syracuse. I didn't see than one coming. Pitt continues to act like Pitt should. But every team, including Depaul, has at least one player that can go off on a given night. I didn't think we could beat Cinci with Truck throwing up bricks, but that is testament to the character of this team. They work hard and find ways to win. Jabari Hinds and Kevin Noreen had exceptionally good weeks. Noreen playing a key role. Hinds has "fantastic" buried inside just bursting to get out. I think he's going to be special. I think G Brown is channeling a little De'sean. He now has 2 last second 3's to send the game into overtime. Both of which we won. Damn, I just love watching these guys. Their chemistry is something special.

So, here my latest run down of what's left:

at St Johns - W (8-12) Their only impressive victory was a 57-55 over Cinci

at Syracuse - L (20-1) The key phrase is the @. They are still the class of the conference

Pitt - W (11-9) 8 game losing streak. Unbelievable! Still have dangerous talent but NO chemistry

at Providence - W (12-8) Cotton can score, but WVU plays defense!

Notre Dame - W (12-8) Most Schizo team in the league with Big wins and BIG loses

Louisville - W (15-5) Haven't really won any BIG games. Under performing, and its @WVU

at Pitt - W (11-9) they're playing bad enough that i can see a sweep this year

at ND - L ND tough at home, I'm flipping because i know we can't win them all. Still HATE ND

Marquette - L (16-4) they seam like a legit top #25 team. Should be a good game at home!

Depaul - W (10-9) Stop Melvin, you stop Depaul. WVU is good at shutting down 1 man teams

at USF - W (12-8) Cant underestimate this team. The can win some games. have to stop Gilchrist

Yeah, that's now 23 wins. I expect we'll lose a couple I have as W's and still end up with 21-22 wins.

Note: We're standing at #26 in the AP and #28 in the coaches but Lunardi has us penciled in as a #3 seed. Not a misprint, #3 seed. Maybe he has us at 23 wins as well!

Go Eers!

Tourney Birth On The Horizon

Barring a major injury or total meltdown, the Mountaineers are well on their way to a NCAA tournament invite. Kevin Jones again led the squad to an exciting and fortunate victory over a very good Cincinnati team yesterday. KJ could earn POTW honors this week and is still well on his way to POTY in the Big East. Along with Kilicli, a couple of freshman also came up big. G. Brown and Hinds did a tremendous job of picking up the backcourt given the freshman-like performance of Truck. It's quite a testament to beat a good team when one of the leaders doesn't show up to play.

And the rest of the schedule looks manageable for an invitation. UConn and Georgetown are in the mirror and with Pitt playing terrible and Marquette and Louisville at home, the 'Eers have a fair chance of winning every game left except possibly at Syracuse. That should easily get them the 6 or so wins in 11 games to be tournament worthy. I commented a few weeks ago that 21 wins seemed optimistic. I was happily mistaken and now that forecast seems a little conservative. Let's Go Mountaineers!

Keep Smiling Eer Fans!!!

The truth is that WVU athletics is moving along quite nicely.  How can we not be excited about the future in all of our sports.  The football team just won the Orange Bowl for crying out loud.  Think about that for a second.  We just won an elite bowl, again.  Six years go by and we have participated in, and won 3 major bowl games.  That places us, once again, in elite company.  Since 2005 we have been to a final four an elite eight 2 times and the sweet sixteen several times as well in hoops.  We are closer and closer to closing the deal with the Big XII and closing the book on the Big East.  As a fan who has followed this team religiously for 30 + years I just needed and wanted to reflect on that for a moment.  WVU sports is on a very sweet path. 

Lambert Honors to Morgantown again!!!

The ECAC placed WVU atop the final Poll Otherwise known as the Beast of the East!
Division I - Bowl Subdivision Record Points Prev.
1. West Virginia 10-3 240 1
2. Cincinnati 10-3 208 3
3. Rutgers 9-4 180 5
4. Penn State 9-4 172 2
5. Louisville 7-6 140 4
6. Temple 9-4 136 7
7. Pittsburgh 6-6 96 6
8. Connecticut 5-7 44 8
9. Navy 5-7 40 NR
10. Syracuse 5-7 28 NR
Also Receiving Votes: South Florida, Boston College

Da Geek's (individual) Final Poll

1. Oklahoma State
2. LSU
3. Alabama
4. Oregon
5. USC
6. Boise State
7. West Virginia
8. Michigan
9. Arkansas
10. Houston
11. South Carolina
12. Wisconsin
13. Michigan State
14. TCU
15. Baylor
16. Kansas State
17. Oklahoma
18. Clemson
19. Southern Mississippi
20. Cincinatti
21. Georgia
22. Florida State
23. Nebraska
24. Virginia Tech
25. Rutgers

This poll was just Da Geek's final poll.  I am certain that the other authors on this blog will differ in there outlook.  I am curious to see where everyone comes out.

Da Geek

Not On KJ's Watch

Not here. Not now. Kevin Jones didn't care about Georgetown's 11 game winning streak. He wasn't about to let something happen that hasn't happened since he's been in Morgantown. He wasn't going to let the Hoyas take down WVU.

If you haven't been watching Mountaineer hoops, you need to check them out before Kevin Jones is gone. Yeah it's true. Everyone expects next years team to be special as the young talent on the current team develops. But Kevin Jones is playing inspired basketball that could lead him to be player of the year in the Big East and possibly a national candidate as well. I think of names like Tyrone Sally, Frank Young, Darris Nichols, and Da'Sean Butler. Senior leaders who defined the personality of their teams.

Additionally, the new guys continue to gel. I don't think we're going to see any consistency from the scoring numbers out of any of these guys. But last week, the mistakes were very limited. 32 turnovers in the last two games doesn't sound very impressive, but 18 of them were from our trio of veterans.

Right now, KJ and company have themselves looking like a tourney team. With loads of inexperience and tons of hiccup potential ahead, it's still to early to say they'll cruise on to a successful resume. But we can certainly enjoy and appreciate some magnificent basketball that was played this week and hope that it continues next week against UConn and the rematch with Rutgers.

Orange Bowl GAME DAY IS UPON US... Da Geek's Prediction

So at the beginning of the season I said that WVU would be playing in a BCS Bowl.  WVU is in fact in the Orange Bowl.  The season began with excitement and anticipation to see just what Coach Holgorsen and this team could do. WVU had a few bumps in the road that would eventually arrive in Miami, but the fact is that the Eers have arrived and are ready to mix it up with Clemson.

There have been very few locations where WVU is even mentioned throughout the bowl season.  ESPN "experts" have all but written the Eers off in this game. The same can be said for the Orange Bowl itself.  I have watched just about all of the "pregame" shows.  I simply haven't seen a lot of love for the Eers or this game.  In fact, I learned today from Brad Nessler that WVU is actually in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  (That brought to you by the same network that hired Craig James.)  But negative energy seems to be a positive when it comes to Bowl Game outcomes for WVU.  I would note that UGA and Oklahoma both remember how they were going to dominate WVU.  Well that didn't happen.  Tonight's game promises to be entertaining.   Regardless of the outcome, I am damn proud to be a Mountaineer!!!

Yes, I am going to make my ever bold prediction:  WVU 38 Clemson 35. 

I plan on doing a seasons end recap following tonight's game with the Tigers.  But in the meantime go Eers!


Da Geek

(I have been waiting to make this post so that I could give a shout out to my good buddy Orangefan who so diligently pointed out that Syracuse nation would be laughing at WVU playing in the Beef O'Brady's Bowl while they enjoyed their BCS fun.  As it turns out my wonderful friend your team is going to get to watch all of the games from good ole New York. Please laugh it up.)