| DePaul vs West Virginia: Abysmal State | ||||
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It was an abysmal half of basketball. The only two solaces I had was my press credential put me behind the DePaul “dance” team, so at least I had some shaking "T" and "A"llstate Arena is one of the few NCAA venues that serves booze. I wasn't drinking, please i'm a professional, I save the partying for after the game, but it made the fans that much more belligerent to distract me from the disgraceful performance on center stage. I mean, the Blue Demons barely made a third of their shots. The most painful part about the whole thing for DePaul was that West Virginia didn't even play that great. They committed more fouls than DePaul in the first half, sending the Blue Demons to the line 16 times. Depaul made 4 of those “free” throws. If they'd even made a slightly better than Shaquille O'Neal 60%, they'd be within ten. Before I get to the second half, though, given I am a freelance writer writing a sports column, I'd like to include a moment from the post-game press conference that resonates with anyone who either writes or reads sports journalists. In the postgame press-conference, Bob Huggins walked in with very quietly, with an air of authority due to his stature as one of the legendary coaches of the game. The NBA Logo, AKA Hall of Famer and WVU alum Jerry West, described him as, “There are good coaches and there are great coaches - Bob is one of the greats.” But, suprisingly to me at least, did not come off as arrogant or self-indulgent. In all the basketball post-game press conferences i've been to, the coach always starts with an opening statement, to express his views on what happened and sort of shape the questions to follow. After his team's game against DePaul, Rick Pitino walked into the room and talked about how that's just about the best his team could play. Huggins sat down and didn't say a word. Questions obviosuly came from the small group of reporters gathered, including one commending him on yet another 20 win season. To take credit for such a feat wouldn't of been arrogance by the coach, I mean, only four active coaches have won more games; yet, his response was modest, perhaps suggesting his West Virginia, roots. “Well I'm old.” He then continued on how, given they're playing 31 games this year, 20 wins doesn't mean what it used to. His only praise was for former WVU coach, Lee Patton. “When he won 20, it meant he only lost two or three.” Taking my chance to pick the brain of one of the legendary basketball minds of the modern era, I came up with, what I thought was at least a halfway decent question, “So where does Ruoff rank in terms of all the shooters you've coached?” Adam has the highest FG% on the team, a scorching 61.1% [a], #51 out of roughly over 3,500 players nationally. Tonight, he was 4-7 from distance, and made six out of his seven free throws. He has a pure stroke, finishing with the “goose” that #1 NBA shooting consultant Chip Engelland, who coached the NBA's all time best three point shooter Steve Kerr, and turned Tony Parker from a field goal percentage of 41% to over 52% in 2006-07 would respect. Huggins responded with no expression, “He broke out of a slump today.” And it's true over the past four games, he's gone five of 27 from three. In my mind I was reminded of coach Wainwright's comment after a recent game, that “stats lie” and cursed Ken Pom and all engineered statistcal numbers. A question or two later, not wanting to leave with my tail between my legs I tried again, asking “what does your team need to work on heading into the Big East and NCAA tournamnets?” He started his response mentioning how Andy Katz had just asked him that question recently. Wow, Andy Katz, now I really am not a big fan of any company that employs Dick Vitale, and I especially despise nearly all of their supposed “analysts,” but Andy Katz is alright by ESPN standards, so I felt my question had to be at least passable, considering a professional like him asked. Huggins quickly destroyed any chance I had to rationlize my genius. He recalled how he responded to Andy, “we just need to keep winning.” Adding that “it's not as complicated as people make it out... it's just something to talk about.” Well, now that I had pushed him to the point of condemning the entire sports journalistic profession to utter worthlessness, I decided it was probably just about time to keep my mouth shut. Considering how popular Huggins is, and how his 6 figure salary wouldn't exist without sportswriters, it's slightly more complicated than he is acknowledging. But, it was a dumb question, the type of insightless, asking a question solely for a question's sake, that I usually criticize other reporters for. Back to the game, though ... That individual at ESPN whose career had sadly ended following the first half, may have at least gotten to leave with two weeks salary following the clinic Senior Draelon Burns put on to start the second period. The unquestioned Senior leader of the squad, Burns had started all 26 Blue Demon games heading into Wenesday night's tilt, but, without disciplinary implications, coach Wainwright had him on the bench when the starters were announced prior to the game. Previously, the coach has commented on how Draelon nearly “hyperventilates” when he's out there early in a game, because he tries to do everything for his team. After a few minutes have passed and he gets into a rhythm, he usually plays much better. Against USF, he scored twenty of his 22 points in the second half. Maybe Burns has a little of another undersized shoot-first-ask-questions-later shooting guard in Chicagoland, Ben Gordon, who always plays better for the Bulls coming off the bench. He dropped an A-Bomb on Allstate Arena to begin the last twenty minutes, making back to back threes, and didn't stop there. The next WVU possession, he rebounded the ball, then raced down the court, slowing at the 3-point line, teasing the fans as if he were gonna take another three, before blowing past his man, drawing the WVU defenders under the paint out to contest his shot, as he smoothly passed to the spot where they were just a second before, into the hands Cliff Clinkscales for an easy 3-foot shot. Over the first five minutes, he had 11 total points, including another three, two asssists and a steal and rebound, playing exactly as would be expected of any senior leader, bringing the Blue Demons within seven, after being down as much as 24 in the opening period. Following a Will Walker running bank shot over a defender a couple minutes later, the Demons got within five. To explain what happen next, I will use an analogy borrowed from the world of purposley convoluted financial jargon, “consolidation.” To better explain, I will turn to the Southern Financial Sleuth of Derivatives, Dennis Gartman, author of the famed “Gartman Letter.” [b] In today's letter, he was discussing the recent move in Euro, US Dollar cross, “Thus, as we write, the EUR has moved upward through the psychologically charged 1.5000 level and is trading confidently above there. Judging from the chart of the EUR at the immediate left, we are left to wonder if the huge consolidation pattern that has evolved since early October of last year proves to be a massive “mid-point“ consolidation, arguing for an eventual run, over the course of the next several months, of the EUR toward 1.5700-1.5800? " Whether you understand what he's talking about or not, the DePaul, West Virginia score reached a “'mid-point' consolidation” with DePaul down five, there was to be no “eventual run.” West Virginia took over after that, turning to an excellent senior leader in his own right, point guard Darris Nichols. The incredibly efficient Nichols, who only had an insanely low 33 turnovers in 27 games heading into the night, despite playing over 34 minutes per contest, smoothly brought the ball up the floor. First he assisted Joe Alexander on a jumper, putting his foot on DePaul's throat. After a tough miss by Walker on the defensive end, he ruthlessly pushed with that foot, and gave junior markman Alex Ruoff [more on his impressive stroke later] a perfect pass, and Ruoff calmly put WVU back up by double digits. The Demon's tragic protagnist Burns fearlessly took another three in response, looking for his fourth in a row, but as it clanked off the rim, all the air left from the throat under Nichols' shoe and their comeback died. At the end, despite the terrific game by Draelon, who finished with 31 points, including making 7 of 9 threes, it was all about missed opportunites for the Demons, who went 14-33 from the charity stripe in defeat. Afterwards, I asked Burns about not starting, and his response was fitting for a tragic protagonist. He was brutally honest, saying, he wasn't “mad at it” adding, “I'm not playing up to my abilities.” Coach Wainwright said he made the switch to try and change Draelon's rhythm, commenting that he'd been practicing well with the second unit all week. In the past, I've been hard on Burns for forcing a lot of shots, but looking around the roster and given its diminutive stature, there's really no one better than him to be taking those shots. He certainly proved that Wednesday evening. With Hopefully Sunday, in his last home game as a Blue Demon, his teammates can find a way to send him off with a victory. When asked what he thought about his upcoming final appearance in Rosemont, he responded like a true warrior. “It's just another game” and that he “doesn't have any regrets.” Given the courage he showed his younger teammates Wednesday, in my book he certainly shouldn't have any. FINAL SCORE: DePaul 73 - West Virginia 85
Photography by James Waysnauskas References used in this article
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ROSEMONT, IL -- It was the kind of first half Wednesday at All State that makes the career for the person who got the directors of ESPN to broadcast it live on ESPN2. And by “makes their career,” I mean whomever that person was, their career was over by the end of the first half Wednesday night.
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