Who is One of the Best College Football Players of 2006?

I must say I agree wholeheartedly with Sports Illustrated's opinion that Steve Slaton is one of the best returning players in college football.

SI.com - Photo Gallery - Best College Football Players of 2006

But where is the love for QB Pat White?

Memory Lane: Basketball 04-05

Courtesy of MSNsports.net

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talk about a basketball hangover...just don't do it too loudly.

last night, sadly, ends the two-year pleasant surprise that we have come to know as the latest incarnation of mountaineer basketball. and they went out with a truly valiant effort.

but i won't dwell on the second wvu-texas hoops matchup to be decided at the buzzer this season...and both unfavorably for the 'eer faithful. i'll take a paragraph or two in tribute to a class of outgoing seniors i can't compare with anything morgantown has ever seen before:

patrick beilein
j.d. collins
mike gansey
johannes herber
kevin pittsnoggle

...as if you needed help remembering their names.

this is a team who might have had a brief sniff of their potential as they knocked off 8th-ranked florida in their 4th game under new coach, john beilein. that was back in late 2002. the 'eers would finish just under .500 (14-15) as they lost their first-round game in the big east tourney.

as sophomores, they were only slightly improved at 17-14, and were again bounced after the opening round at the garden. they enjoyed a few exciting wins over maryland and georgetown that year, but ranked opponents would not fall victim to a group of sophomores still trying to find their legs.

but then the junior year came around...and so did a transfer named mike gansey. and it seems as though he was the last piece of the puzzle. (or maybe it was pittsnoggle's confidence a few months later...as he was-reinserted into the starting lineup over d'or fischer.) this team took wvu fans on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, expectations, and excitement. the team supposed to dwell at the bottom of the big east was 10-0 out of the gate and wound up ranked #21 in the ap poll. jinx? maybe...then they lost six of seven. after this, the mountaineers finished the regular season a surprising 18-9. respectable, by most counts...especially with good wins at lsu, vs. #16 pitt (and again at #18 pitt).

...until the big east tournament. the mountaineers went on a tear. playing four days in a row, and seeming like a team with a calculated mission, the 'eers defeated providence, #7 bc, and #19 villanova before falling to a tough 'cuse team. the word had been spread, however...and the mountaineers were invited to the famed field of 64 as an improbable 7-seed...for the first time since 1992 (where are chris leonard and p.g. green now, anyway?)

in the tourney, they made a run to the elite eight, defeating creighton, and upsetting #5 wake forest (in double-overtime) and #24 texas tech before falling to #4 louisville in overtime. their final record settled at 24-11.

but the college basketball world was awoken to wvu basketball. and expectations were high as kevin pittsnoggle decided against testing the nba waters and returned for his senior year. but tyrone sally had graduated and junior frank young stepped into the lineup.

the newly-huge and newly deep big east conference would prove a challenge. as well as would the high expectations, as the mountaineers began the season ranked at #14. and they would drift in and out, high and low in the polls as the season progressed...peaking at #9 and spending a total of 15 weeks among the top-25.

a last-second loss vs. #2 texas was followed by two more losses to tough kentucky and lsu squads. but the mountaineers rebounded and convincingly so three weeks later with a shellacking at #7 oklahoma. they began to roll again, with wins at #3 villanova and at #18 ucla...the win streak would reach 12 and be tops in the country at that point. neither a sloppy loss vs. intrastate rival marshall nor their first big east loss (after running up an 8-0 conference record) to hated #14 pitt would derail the season's hopes. the mountaineers finished the regular season with wins over #15 georgetown, #8 pitt.

the mountaineers clinched the third slot in the big east regular season standings and a bye for the wednesday session at the garden. but even with the extra rest, the blue and gold matched up against pitt for the third time...and did not come out victorious. (insert curse words here.)

however, they were able to secure a 6-seed in a return trip to the ncaa tourney. despite being a "likely upset", wvu rolled over southern illinois and handily defeated northwestern state to roll back into the sweet 16 for the second straight year.

and last night's game is too vivid, and to painful to discuss right now.

it was a great run for these players and the coach. a pair of seasons that won't be soon forgotten by the morgantown faithful...a piece of west virginia sports history that will be difficult to match...and with the swish of the net...it was over.

Round One is Done.

Today, WVU easily defeated the Salukis of Southern Illinois. In a tournament that has been defined by close scores and upsets, it was refreshing, as a Mountaineer fan, not to have to endure yet another nail-biter.

Looking on to Round Two, one can't help but smile. Rather than facing the 3 seed Iowa team from the Big Ten, the Mountaineers will face off against the Demons of Northwestern State.

I know what your thinking, "Who is Northwestern State?" Well, the better question is "Where is Northwestern State?"

If you guessed somewhere in the northwest, you are wrong. But if you guessed Louisiana, you are correct. Thanks to Google, I visited the Official Nortwestern State webpage. (http://www.nsudemons.com) With that said, I give you the following driving directions to the campus of Nortwestern State:

You'll pass McDonald's, Shoney's and Wendy's restaurants... down a hill to a major four-way intersection... Turn right (note the purple welcome sign)... Go 1 mile on the winding road... don't worry, the next four right turns will funnel you through campus...

In all seriousness, this is the NCAA Tournament, the so-called greatest of all sporting spectacles. Therefore, no team can be overlooked. Just ask Kansas, who as I type are 8.8 seconds from being knocked off by Bradley. Point being, WVU had better come to play on Sunday.

If WVU gets it done against the Demons, the Mountaineers ticket will punched to this year's Sweet Sixteen. Oh Yea.

The Silence is Over.

I must admit that the loss to Pitt last week at Madison Square Garden sent BeatPitt into hibernation. A mourning period, if you will.

This year's Mountaineers had hoped to reach the Big East championship game again. Unfortunately, it was just not meant to happen.

Now, the Big Dance is upon us.

Let's Go Mountaineers!

Why not West Virginia?

ESPN.com - NCW - Hays: Why not West Virginia?

It's only Tuesday, the Big East Tournament hasn't even started yet and I'm going to watch some Mountaineer basketball tonight? What What What???

Looks like our women's team is trying to emulate our men of last year. In an improbable run, our Lady Mountaineers have managed to become the lowest seeded team to ever make it to the Women's Big East Championship Game. By knocking off the top-seeded Scarlet Nights, WVU is just one more miracle from an NCAA berth.

Why not West Virginia?

On the Road Again

 

Now that the carpet has been rolled up and the lights at the Coliseum have been turned off, our Mountaineers head back out onto the road.

On Saturday at noon, WVU faces off against the the Bearcats of Cincinnatti. Let's hope the Mountaineers are firing on all cylinders and are able to spoil the Cincy senior's last game much like Seton Hall did against Pitt.

One more game... that's all we have. 

Feel the Love

The guys over at SportsIllustrated.com have Gansey ranked as the #3 ranked senior in college basketball. Not to Shabby.
SI.com - Photo Gallery - Top 15 Seniors

Meanwhile, Pittnogle is ranked as #10.
SI.com - Photo Gallery - Top 15 Seniors

In other news, ESPN.com is reporting that Gansey is among the 10 finalists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, given to the national college player of the year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

It sure is nice to see our boys receiving so much positive attention.