WVU Will Welcome VMI Today
MORGANTOWN — The countdown continues for Bob Huggins and West Virginia. After performing a capital punishment in a 90-37 victory against Western Carolina at the Charleston Civic Center on Wednesday, No. 15 West Virginia (7-1) looks to hand its longtime leader career win No. 799 when it plays host to a one-win VMI (1-6) squad that includes former Parkersburg South standout Garrett Gilkeson.
“I think I was here when he (Huggins) got his 700th win,” junior guard Jevon Carter said. “Being here for that 800th would be great.”
Coming into his 35th season as a head coach the former Mountaineers player that came back to take over the reins of his alma mater prior to the 2007-08 campaign, Huggins’ mark stood at 791-321 (.711 percent). The list of coaches reaching the 800-win plateau is a short one and includes Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski (1,043), Indiana’s Bob Knight (902), Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim (888), North Carolina’s Dean Smith (879), Adolph Rupp of Kentucky (876), Connecticut’s Jim Calhoun (873), Jim Phelan of Mount St. Marys (830) and Eddie Sutton — Arkansas, Kentucky, and Oklahoma State — with 806.
Only Krzyzewski, Boeheim and Huggins remain active.
“You guys (the media) are the only ones making a big deal about it,” Huggins said prior to the start of the 2016-17 season. “It’s just another number to me.”
These days the only numbers Huggins concerns himself with revolve around the turnovers his ‘Press’ Virginia team forces and how many it commits.
“I thought we did a pretty good job,” the coach said after the Mountaineers forced 37 turnovers against the Catamounts. “Our more experienced guys did a good job of rotating to the ball, but we played six freshmen and they still have a lot to learn before we get into conference play.”
That next learning experience will occur at 2 p.m. in the Coliseum against the Keydets of coach Dan Earl.
“It’s just our style,” said Carter, who had a game-high six steals Wednesday. “We like making people feel uncomfortable.”
That’s something the Keydets have feeling on a regular basis after a 78-47 victory against Southern Virginia on Nov. 15. VMI enters Saturday’s 50th meeting between the two schools on a five-game losing streak after dropping an 86-68 decision at home to Gardner Webb. WVU leads the all-time series, 44-5. The last meeting ended with a 103-72 WVU win at the Charleston Civic Center on Nov. 26, 2014.
“It really doesn’t matter who we are playing or what their record is,” said sophomore Esa Ahmad, who tallied a game-high 14 points against Western Carolina. “We are playing to get better for conference play. Every game, every team gives us an opportunity to work on those things we need to improve before we get into Big 12 play.”
VMI is led in scoring by a trio of seniors. Six-foot guard Q.J. Peterson, a former star at Hedgesville, leads the way with 20.6 points per contest. He is joined in double digits by guard Julian Eleby (13.0 ppg) and forward Trey Chapman (10.9). Rounding out the expected starting five will be junior forward Fred Iruafemi (3.6) and sophomore guard Adrian Rich (6.0).
In his first season with the Keydets, Gilkeson has seen action in all seven contests, averaging 13.1 minutes per game. The 6-4 guard is averaging 3.3 points per game and his made good on 5 of 16 shots from beyond the 3-point arc.
West Virginia is expected to counter with a starting five that includes Ahmad (12.8 ppg) and Carter (9.8) as well as senior Nathan Adrian (11.6) at forward and juniors Elijah Macon (5.4) and Daxter Miles Jr. (7.2) at forward and guard respectively.
Depth will continue to be key for the hosts as fans can expect to see seniors Teyvon Myers (9.5), Tarik Phillips (8.3), Brandon Watkins (6.3) and James Long (2.7) as well as freshmen Lamont West (7.5), James Bolden (5.0), Sagaba Konate (4.8) Maciej Bender (4.2), Chase Harler (2.8) and Logan Routt (1.0) on the court.
A victory would set up a shot at win No. 800 the following Saturday when Kareem Richardson’s UMKC Roos come to Morgantown.
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