A few years back Bob Huggins was quoted as saying that the media decides who the good guys are and who the bad guys are in college basketball. He has always relished the idea that he has been given the “black hat.” However, after deciding to return to his alma mater and then leading them to the Sweet Sixteen the question is can he switch hats?
Today his Mountaineers beat the ultimate “white hats” of college basketball. Duke and Coach K has always been treated as royalty by the media, but on this day Huggins get to wear the white hat. West Virginia flat out hustled and beat up the Blue Devils. They outrebounded the Blue Devils 47-27 and exposed Duke as a one dimensional team. When they make three’s there good, but on this day they did not. Realistically, they should have been beaten the first night by Belmont.
Huggins has taken over a finesse team (under John Beilein) and reshaped them in his own image. They play with a ruggedness and swagger that might just get them over the hump and into the Final Four. Joe Alexander came back from an opening game aberation to record a double-double. Not bad for a guy who played very little last year.
I always thought the Purdue was a year away and Xavier’s senior Drew Lavender proved it. But before you shed a tear for Matt Painter, realize that he has everyone back and they will challenge for the Big Ten title for the next three years. Lavender was outstanding in closing out the game at the free throw line by going 8-8. The win sets up a grudge match between West Virginia and Xavier.
Wisconsin proved why it won the Big Ten. They play smothering defense. They made Beasley work for every point and they held Kansas State to a goose egg behind the three point line. When you play Wisconsin you have to make jump shots. They do a great job of shutting off the inside and are too big to push around. Trevon Hughes scored 25 and Wisconsin’s guards outscored the Wildcats guards by 30. If the Badgers can shoot the way they did today they can make Bo Ryan’s first Final Four appearance a reality.
Washington State’s defense clmped down on Notre Dame so hard that they were only able to shoot 24% from the field. Meanwhile, Derrick Low led three Cougars in double figures with 18 points. They look so much like Wisconsin it is scary. I guess the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. This team looks just like the Badger team that his father took to the Final Four. If defense wins championships, then mark it down for Washington State.
