WC Manager

The news leapt off the cell phone screen this past Sunday.

Oscar Tshiebwe, said the press release, will be returning to WVU’s basketball team for his sophomore season.

You could almost hear Mountaineer fans first breathing a sigh of relief and then celebrating.

“I would like to thank the WVU basketball coaching staff, my family and the NBA Advisory Committee for the guidance and the information provided to me during the evaluation period,” Tshiebwe said via the release. “As I always mentioned, I would be at WVU for my sophomore season, but I wanted to gain knowledge from the NBA on the process and my standing with the NBA. I was very pleased to receive my evaluation, which was actually higher than my expectations but not at the level that meets my goal. I am confident with another year at WVU our goals as a team and as an individual will be achieved.”

WVU coach Bob Huggins said in the press release Tshiebwe went through the process in a “systematic and professional manner.”

Then today, Tuesday, he said this in a phone interview:

“We’re obviously excited Oscar is coming back for the sake of the program and, really, for Oscar’s sake,” said Huggins. “Another year in college, another year of playing 35-40 games, will only make him better.”

Was his return expected? Yes. Was it assured? Not after the Sagaba Konate saga. But now that Tshiebwe is back in the fold, West Virginia’s outlook is quite bright indeed – with a caveat.

I’ll get to the caveat shortly, but let’s first look at this Mountaineer roster. Huggins told me today he has “absolutely no idea” how college athletics will move forward, but that “we’ve been doing some Zoom calls” with the players to keep them engaged.

He added those players are all healthy. And, as for a possible addition, Huggins said, “I don’t know. It would have to be the right guy. We have really good chemistry right now.”

Even without a transfer, though, WVU has a roster that sparkles.

First, of course, there’s Oscar. He’s earned first name recognition after starting all 31 games as a freshman and leading the team, averaging 11.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. He was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team and was a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team.

Yet look around Tshiebwe, a former Rival 5-star recruit and McDonald’s All-America selection. What you’ll find is a vast wealth of talent.

Like…

Derek Culver – the 6-10 Youngstown, Ohio, product was second on the WVU team last season in scoring (10.4) and rebounding (8.6). In 2018-19, he was All-Big 12 Second Team and also a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team. He was a 4-star recruit and a Top 100 player, according to Rivals.

Emmitt Matthews – The junior from Tacoma, Wash., averaged 6.3 points last season after being a 4-star recruit, according to Rivals. Heading in, he was ranked the No. 125 player nationally, according to the service.

Jalen Bridges – The 6-7 Fairmont native joined the WVU team, redshirted and earned rave reviews from Huggins. He was considered a 4-star recruit by both Rivals and 247.

Isaiah Cottrell – Yep, another 4-star recruit, according to 247 and Rivals. Cottrell is a 6-10 forward from Las Vegas that attended Huntington Prep. He’ll immediately help WVU’s stacked front line.

Jordan McCabe – The point guard didn’t have the greatest season in 2019-20 (3.1 average), but he was still a 4-star land, according to 247, and Mr. Basketball in Wisconsin.

Oh, and that list doesn’t even include…

Miles McBride – The sophomore electrified Mountaineer fans at times, averaging 9.5 points. His mature play and deft touch showed he deserved more than a 3-star ranking coming out of Cincinnati.

Gabe Osabuohien – The Arkansas transfer wasn’t rated yet proved to be a Dennis Rodman-like fan favorite last year, averaging 4.1 rebounds with 34 steals.

Sean McNeil – WVU fans are still waiting for the 3-point sharp-shooter to explode. He converted 33 percent of his treys in 2019-20 while getting his feet wet at the Power 5 level. At a junior college in Dayton, though, McNeil led the circuit in scoring nationally at 29.7 points.

Taz Sherman – The 6-4 senior guard, who came from a junior college in Texas, was also not rated by services. But Mountaineer fans will agree Sherman is a gem after he scored 20 points – including five 3-point field goals – at Baylor, 16 points at TCU and 11 at Texas Tech.

Taj Thweatt – A 3-star recruit, the 6-7 Thweatt came on strong at the end of his season for Wildwood Catholic High in New Jersey.

Kedrian Johnson – A 3-star junior college recruit, Johnson is a 6-3 guard from Dallas who led the country in steals (3.7) and was fifth nationally in scoring at 25.6 points per game.

OK, so that caveat? Well, once again, WVU’s guard play will determine whether the Mountaineers are Final Four contenders or not.

In stats that point toward guards, West Virginia was No. 235 in assists (12.4 per game), No. 338 in 3-point field goal percentage (28.6 percent), No. 339 in 3-point field goals a game (5), No. 97 in turnover margin (1.2) and No. 286 in assists to turnover ratio (.86).

That said, WVU now has a senior guard in Sherman, two juniors in McCabe and McNeil and a sophomore in McBride. In addition, 6-4 Johnson hits Morgantown after dishing 162 assists (to 102 turnovers, a 1.6 ratio) for the Leopards of Temple College in Dallas.

So we’ll see. The Mountaineers will need improved guard play if and when they play next.

Yet the roster is certainly reason for excitement for WVU fans.

“We’re excited,” Huggins said Tuesday. “We’ve got to do a little better job of taking care of the ball, but at the end of last season we were guarding well. Offensively, our ball movement was much better — and we started making shots again.”

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Mitch Vingle covered sports in West Virginia for 38 years. Follow Mitch on Twitter at @MitchVingle and be sure to check out the rest of Wheelhouse Creative’s website for your marketing and advertising needs. If interested, call us at 304-905-6005.

If you’re a West Virginia native – especially if you’re a WVU fan – you had to feel some sort of pride from watching “The Last Dance” on Sunday evening.

The special on the Chicago Bulls – centering on Michael Jordan – featured Princeton native and former West Virginia University All-America basketball legend Rod Thorn.

No, not because of Thorn’s play. But because of his work after his NBA playing days. See, after being the NBA’s No. 2 overall pick in 1963 and playing through 1971, Thorn became a coach, general manager and league executive. He also put together the Olympic “Dream Team.”

Yet he’ll always be remembered for drafting Jordan in the 1984 draft as the GM of the Bulls.

In case you missed it, Thorn took Jordan third after the Houston Rockets selected the University of Houston’s Akeem Olajuwon (now Hakeem) and Portland selected Kentucky’s Sam Bowie.

“We’re lucky the draft was before the Olympics,” Thorn said on the ESPN show. “Michael became the most popular basketball player in the world because of the Olympics.”

So, yes, celebrate Thorn’s place in NBA history. Olajuwon was a star, but not on the same level as Jordan. Bowie, 7-1, became a bust because of numerous leg and feet injuries.

Yet here’s the rest of the story:

At the time, Thorn wouldn’t have taken Jordan No. 1 if he had the Rockets’ pick. In fact, one wonders if he too might have selected Bowie. Thorn even somewhat apologized after the draft for not getting one of the two big men.

Skeptical? Go ahead. Ask Thorn. Or go back to Bernie Lincicome’s column in the Chicago Tribune on June 20, 1984. The headline: “Apologetic Chicago Bulls ‘stuck’ with Michael Jordan in the 1984 NBA draft.”

“They got stuck with Michael Jordan of North Carolina, maybe the greatest natural basketball talent, inch for inch, in this young decade,” Lincicome wrote. “Nothing they could do. They want you to know that.

“They tried to avoid Jordan, tried hard. But nobody wanted to trade with them, swap some big fossil of a center for the third pick in the draft. It was like they were under quarantine or something.”

Yes, he wrote it was “like they were under quarantine.” Eerie, eh?

“So they were forced to do the intelligent thing Tuesday,” Lincicome continued. “They had to take Jordan, even though he is already famous, has had quality coaching, is not a social disgrace and may likely become the next Julius Erving before the old one is in the Hall of Fame.”

Lincicome quoted Thorn.

“We wish he were seven feet, but he isn’t,” said Thorn.

And…

“There just wasn’t a center available. What can you do?”

As Lincicome wrote, “Counting your blessings doesn’t seem inappropriate.”

If you watched the first part of “The Last Dance,” Thorn said any NBA executive would have selected Olajuwon No. 1.

“Including me,” he said. “Then Portland had Clyde Drexler, who played the same position as Michael. So they’re feeling is they needed a center… So I knew Jordan would be there for us.”

Understand that, at the time, big men were all the rage. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Bob McAdoo, Bill Walton, Robert Parish and Artis Gilmore were all still playing. Patrick Ewing was on deck to be drafted the next year.

Still, Thorn seemed to be tempering expectations of the Bulls’ fans.

“When you win only 55 games in two years,” Thorn said at the time, “you don’t get well all at once. Look when Isiah Thomas went to Detroit, he improved them but it took two years to make the playoffs. We’ve taken a step in the right direction. Jordan isn’t going to turn this franchise around. I wouldn’t ask him to. I wouldn’t put that kind of pressure on him.”

Perhaps Thorn’s plan was to indeed take pressure off Jordan.

“He’s a very good offensive player,” said Thorn. “But not an overpowering offensive player… Olajuwon was the big prize.”

He continued.

“We picked him because you can’t pass up a great player,” Thorn said at the time. “If we were a great team, we could have drafted for need. We need a center; we’re going to have to get one. There just wasn’t one there.”

Thorn admitted misgivings about Jordan to Adam Fluck of NBA.com in 2009.

“He was a tremendous athlete with a strong body that looked like it was going to get better,” Thorn said. “He was competitive, and a fair shooter. Good ball handler, though not a great one at that time, but a good one, and a good defensive player. His shooting was what we were concerned with. We didn’t know what kind of shooter he was going to turn out to be.”

Of course, it didn’t take long for Thorn or the rest of the world to find out. As the ESPN docuseries explained, Jordan led a Bulls comeback in the third game of the 1984-85 season against the Milwaukee Bucks before 9,356 at the Chicago Stadium. The guard single-handedly dismantled the Bucks, led by NBA Defensive Player of the Year Sidney Moncrief.

“They were double-teaming Michael every time he got the ball,” Thorn told Fluck. “In the fourth quarter, Michael had 15 or 16 points and I don’t care if they double- or triple-teamed him or whatever they did, he still scored. We ended up beating them and it was like, ‘Goodness gracious, I can’t believe what I just saw out there.’”

And you might have heard what Thorn said on the ESPN special.

“Everybody on that Bulls team, within a two-week period, knew he was the best player we had.”

Including that former Mountaineer from Princeton.

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Mitch Vingle covered sports in West Virginia for 38 years. Follow Mitch on Twitter at @MitchVingle and be sure to check out the rest of Wheelhouse Creative’s website for your marketing and advertising needs. If interested, call us at 304-905-6005.

Former WVU offensive line standout Colton McKivitz spent time today, Monday, on the phone with the Carolina Panthers.

It was the fourth such FaceTime or Zoom call – the others being from New England, New Orleans and the Los Angeles Rams – as McKivitz awaits the April 23 NFL Draft.

“Teams get an hour,” McKivitz said. “We’ll go over plays. They’ll install a protection or run scheme and I kind of spit information back to them.”

It’s an exciting time for the former Mountaineer. Although it’s a sparse draft in regard to former West Virginia players, McKivitz and ex-WVU defensive back Kenny Robinson, the latter of which played in the XFL, are expected to be selected.

Where? What round?

Throw a dart. Spin the wheel.

“My biggest hope is third, fourth round, but you never know where or when you’ll go,” McKivitz said. “No one really knows.”

Indeed, the 6-6, 306-pound native of Jacobsburg, Ohio, is rated a prospect for rounds four through eight. If you judge strictly by overall NFL Media player rankings, McKivitz should go in the middle of the fourth round. His grade is 5.99, which signifies a backup/special teamer. Draftsite.com has him going in the sixth round to the Green Bay Packers. DraftScout.com has him going anywhere from the fourth through seventh rounds.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com writes this:

“Tackle prospect with below-average arm length, average athleticism and above-average nasty. While he’s likely to be tagged as a right tackle, he may have the tools to fit into a swing tackle role if needed. He’s got good natural strength, but some lower body tightness hinders leverage both as a drive blocker and in his pass anchor. McKivitz can be a little tardy on backside cutoffs, but moves well enough to handle blocking duties in space. His dirt-dog mentality will be welcomed in offensive line rooms, but he will have to fight to be become an NFL starter.”

Zierlein then goes into detail about what he considers strengths and weaknesses.

Whatever the case, McKivitz is doing what he can to make the most of his opportunities. The former first-team Ohio all-state football and basketball standout is in Arizona working out.

“I’m in Chandler, Arizona, about 25-30 minutes south of Phoenix,” McKivitz said. “I’m still working out – taking precautions because of the whole coronavirus thing. But getting work in.”

He’s getting work in via invitation. McKivitz is working at L.Bentley O-line Performance center, which was the very first invitation-only training club specifically for offensive linemen.

And, yes, L. Bentley should ring a bell.

“My agent [Jonathan Feinsod] said he knew [former Ohio State All-America center and two-time NFL Pro Bowl player] LeCharles Bentley,” McKivitz said. “Obviously, I knew who LeCharles Bentley was. To be able to work out with him and some of the other performance guys here is pretty much every lineman’s dream.”

McKivitz, a third-team Associated Press All-America and second-team All-Big 12 player, was invited to OLP along with Wake Forest guard-tackle Justin Herron, Oregon linemen Shane Lemieux and Jake Hanson and Ohio State product Branden Bowen.

Feinsod, who is with Schwartz & Feinsod out of Brooklyn, N.Y., has a tie with Bentley.

Anyway, McKivitz is putting in the work. And soon the payoff will come.

“I kind of try not to get into it too deep,” McKivitz said. “Some people say stuff and you think, ‘Man, this guy knows nothing.’ But we’re 10 days out. It’s starting to get a little nerve-racking.

“I’m sure I’ll start thinking about it more.”

Oh, and he got a call the other day from the Cleveland Browns.

I automatically jokingly asked if he could really block for Baker Mayfield.

“I mean, I’d have to!” he laughed.

McKivitz said he plans to return to the Ohio Valley on April 22 to watch the draft.

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Mitch Vingle covered sports in West Virginia for 38 years. Follow Mitch on Twitter at @MitchVingle and be sure to check out the rest of Wheelhouse Creative’s website for your marketing and advertising needs. If interested, call us at 304-905-6005.

I forget exactly how John Antonik, WVU’s fine director of athletics content, phrased the question.

But the New Martinsville native asked via Twitter for the best WVU football play call of all time.

I didn’t have to ponder. I knew immediately.

Because the best WVU play call was also the best overall play call I’ve seen. That includes the NFL’s “Philly Special” and others.

See, the best play call I’ve seen caught everyone by surprise. And more importantly, it won a game. Specifically, the 2006 Nokia Sugar Bowl.

Yes, I’m referring to the punt fake by the Mountaineers’ Phil Brady. It sealed a 38-35 WVU victory over favored Georgia played in, basically, the Bulldog’s home, the Georgia Dome.

To refresh, here’s a quick rundown before the meat of this blog. Freshmen Pat While, Steve Slaton, Darius Reynaud and the rest of the Mountaineers shocked Georgia and the college football world by rolling to a 28-0 lead with a minute gone in the second quarter.

Yet the Bulldogs came storming back, first to within 31-21 at the half and then, as time was winding down, to within three points. WVU, though, had the ball with 5:13 left in the game and drained the clock with six straight runs to 1:45.

It was then the TV cameras pivoted to Georgia kicker Brandon Coutu. It seemed destiny was on the side of the Bulldogs as West Virginia faced a fourth-and-6 situation.

But WVU, with Rich Rodriguez as the head coach, lined up in a wide spread look with three blockers to the left of center – including fullback extraordinaire Owen Schmitt.

“I noticed this before,” said TV commentator Bob Griese. “And when West Virginia was punting, everyone was running down the field. Georgia was running with them.”

Except this time Brady took the snap, tucked the ball and ran – straight for a first down.

“And that might just sew up the Nokia Sugar Bowl for the Mountaineers!” said play-by-play man Brad Nessler.

Indeed it did.

“It’s a gutsy call by Rich Rodriguez,” said Griese.

Yet was it Rodriguez’s call? Antonik suggested via Twitter it might have been then-offensive line coach Herb Hand, now at Texas.

So I texted Hand. I’ve always wanted to know about that play. And the words came tumbling back on my phone.

“There’s a lot of mythology around that call,” Hand said. “Here is how I remember the entire sequence of events.

“After the third-down play, we let the play clock run down to :01 and we took a timeout. As the clock is winding down, I said to Rich, [Bill Stewart], Butch [Jones] and Calvin [Magee] — who are all on the headset – ‘What do you think about Hammer?’ That’s what the fake was called.”

At this point, Hand said, Rodriguez spoke up.

“Do you think it will be there?”

Stewart, who coordinated special teams, answered “it was there earlier.”

As Griese said, WVU indeed ran out of the same formation earlier in the game and the opening was there.

“So Butch Jones, who was in charge of Punt Team, says ‘Herb, go to Line 2,” Hand said.

Line 2 on the headset, he explained, was for coaches to discuss situations without a lot of background noise and chatter.

“I clicked to Line 2 quickly and Butch says ‘If it’s not there, you’ve got to get us out of it.’ I said, ‘I will.’ I then looked at Calvin, who was in the same coaching box with me, and said ‘If you don’t think it’s there, let’s get out of it.’  He answered back, ‘It’ll be there.’”

All the WVU coaches then switched back to Line 1.
“We are now all back on Line 1 and Rich says, ‘Ok. Let’s run it. Herb, if it’s there let me know; if not, we’ll kick it.’”

The Mountaineers lined up in the formation.

“It was the perfect look we wanted to run the fake against and I said ‘Hammer, Hammer!’” Hand said. “Bill Stewart signaled the call in, we snapped the ball and Phil Brady started toward the line of scrimmage.

“I said, ‘Run you sumbitch run!’ He got the first down and we moved the chains.”

It sealed the game because Georgia only had two timeouts left and but 1:34 remained.

“That’s the best I can recollect the situation,” Hand said. “Ultimately, Rich Rodriguez made the call because he was the head coach and it was an HCD (head coach decision). But the play itself was well executed by the men on the field and that’s what really matters.”

Indeed it sewed up the 2006 Nokia Sugar Bowl.

And provided some sweet memories for WVU fans.

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Mitch Vingle covered sports in West Virginia for 38 years. Follow Mitch on Twitter at @MitchVingle and be sure to check out the rest of Wheelhouse Creative’s website for your marketing and advertising needs. If interested, call us at 304-905-6005.

I realize with the coronavirus pandemic ongoing, there are more important topics than sports.

I texted a friend in Beckley to check on him the other day and he said he’s yet to flip on ESPN since the pandemic started.

Wish I could say that.

I turn on the Worldwide Leader in Sports daily, almost desperate, looking for any sports news nugget to chew on.

Like many, I pay close attention to what’s going on with the pandemic. Joni, my significant other, claims I watch too much.

But when I go looking for my beloved sports now, all I see are replays. And it saddens me.

See, I’m one of those people who reads a book then gives it away. I don’t keep it because I’ll never read it again. I’ve tried. But a few pages in, I’ll remember the plot, the ending. I don’t read books again. I don’t watch movies a second time.

I need the suspense. And now I need the suspense more than ever because I am staying in. I’m trying to follow the guidelines. My brother-in law is on the front lines. I see what’s happening.

Yet I know the sports world can’t resume.

Believe me, I’ve rolled it around this bald head a million times. Which sport could resume to give us respite?

The best I can come up with is golf, but only if there is no crowd. And why would you stage a tournament without patrons if you own the course? For the golfers? For the PGA Tour, which receives the television money?

Maybe tennis, if the balls are destroyed after every point. NASCAR? Certainly not baseball or basketball considering the contact involved.

Oh, and I tried, by the way, to contact WVU athletic director Shane Lyons about the situation. If you think he’s been kicking back on the sofa, well, guess again. He’s been swamped with conference calls. He’s been swamped with interview requests. In fact, he told me today he’s decided to hold a teleconference with the media on Wednesday to appease all the requests.

It’s been a whirlwind for Lyons within the hurricane that’s the coronavirus.

Yet give Lyons and those in the Big 12 credit. They’ve handled it responsibly.

Back on March 13, for instance, Lyons commented on the league’s decision to cancel the spring competition season.

“The announcement,” Lyons said, “is certainly disappointing but also a necessity. We must take all precautions to ensure the health and safety of the league’s universities, student-athletes and communities. All team activities have also been suspended until March 29 and then will be re-evaluated by the Big 12. The events of the past week have brought much sadness to our student-athletes, coaches and fans, but we must do our part to keep everyone safe.”

Of course, that was followed by the Big 12’s decision to extend its suspension from March 29 to May 31 of all team activities whether organized or voluntary. The suspension includes team and individual practices, meetings and other organized gatherings. The suspension will be re-evaluated regularly and revisited or adjusted as circumstances dictate.

Now the Big 12 is following suit with other Power 5 leagues in allowing virtual sessions with student-athletes. (Did anyone buy Zoom stock a few months back?) Film study, technical discussions, tactical sessions and other non-physical activities may take place virtually for two hours per week in all sports.

Then there was the dagger from Lyons: The Gold-Blue spring football game, slated for April 18 at Milan Puskar Stadium, is canceled.

“It’s disappointing for our players and fans that the Gold-Blue Spring Game is canceled. The game is the highlight of the spring for everyone,” said WVU coach Neal Brown. “These are very serious times, and this is the right decision. We need to do everything we can to protect our student-athletes, university, state and community. Last year’s spring game was a great day, and let’s work to bring the event back bigger and better next April.”

That’s the responsible response. And let’s hope normalcy is back next April.

Shoot, let’s hope it’s back in May.

Whatever the case, though, let’s mirror the Big 12, Lyons and Brown and act responsibly – so our sports can return at the earliest possible date.

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Mitch Vingle covered sports in West Virginia for 38 years. Follow Mitch on Twitter at @MitchVingle and be sure to check out the rest of Wheelhouse Creative’s website for your marketing and advertising needs. If interested, call us at 304-905-6005.

During this troubling time of the coronavirus pandemic, it can be tough to keep the ol’ spirits up.

There’s the uneasiness of going to the store or pharmacy. (“Hey bud, six feet!”) There’s the cabin fever of staying home. (I can only walk the dog so many times, folks.)

Yet we know what we must do. Physical distancing. (More accurate than social distancing, don’t you think?) Hand washing. Be smart.

But yeah, the head can drop.

Rather than allow it to stay so, though, today I called probably the best motivator I’ve ever had the pleasure of being around: College Football Hall of Fame coach Don Nehlen.

Now 84 years young, Nehlen lives in Morgantown. And he, like all of us, are wrestling with the pandemic.

“It just blows you away,” Nehlen said on Wednesday. “You don’t know what to do. And having no sports just kills ya.”

Spoken like a true ball coach.

Yet I asked the former WVU football coach what he said to the troops when it was gloomy. I asked what he’d say now to motivate us in this time of need.

As was always the case, Coach came through.

“I always told my team, ‘We’re never as good as we think and we’re never as bad as we think,’” Nehlen said. “This mess we’re in is bad, but it could be worse.”

He paused and then restarted.

“I always told my team if 100 guys get together and go in one direction – and no one cares who gets the credit – we can do anything,” Nehlen said.

“Same way with this country. If we all hang together and go in one direction – and don’t fight each other – we’ll come out the other end stronger.”

He continued.

“We can’t have half of the people saying this and the other half saying that and the young people running around and disobeying what the government says. Just do what they ask, wash your hands and do what you’re supposed to do.

“If we do that, we’ll whip this thing, the market will come back and we’ll have a great economy.”

Spoken like a true leader. And while on the subject, I asked how our president should handle the situation.

“Well,” he chuckled, “It’s a lot easier to motivate 100 than 340 million.”

Nehlen said he’s glad President Trump is making frequent televised appearances. That helps, he said. But he also offered this advice.

“One thing I know,” Nehlen said, “is whenever you lead, you’ve got to lead from a position of strength and positivity. If you get in front of your team and don’t know what you’re talking about and don’t have any enthusiasm, they know it in a minute. Same way with our country. If the president gets up and doesn’t know what he’s talking about, everybody knows it in a minute. That’s why he has to have good people around him.”

We can do this, Nehlen said.

We will do this.

“You’ve got to be optimistic,” said the coach. “There’s no question about it. The American people can handle this.”

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Mitch Vingle covered sports in West Virginia for 38 years. Follow Mitch on Twitter at @MitchVingle and be sure to check out the rest of Wheelhouse Creative’s website for your marketing and advertising needs. If interested, call us at 304-905-6005.

Last Monday, I wrote in this space about WVU’s basketball team.

Remember?

Just seven days ago, the Mountaineers were poised to take on Oklahoma in the first round of the Big 12 tournament. They stood at 21-10 and were a lock for the NCAA tournament.

Until, that is, the coronavirus put a headlock on our lives.

Of course, we’ll look back at that WVU season in wonderment. It was a success, that much we can agree on. After a faceplant in 2018-19, Bob Huggins led a resurgence that concluded at 21-10 and a No. 22 spot in the final Associated Press poll and No. 23 slot in the USA Today coaches poll.

Yes, it could have been better without the problems, the losses, in February.

Yet now that bitching, that carping of WVU fans during that stretch seems petty, doesn’t it?

Now our concern is the health of that team, our neighbors, our children, our elderly… heck, everyone around the world.

Gone for the foreseeable future are our beloved sports. And, yes, that puts a lot of us at a loss. What will we watch? What will we carp about? What will we celebrate?

Many of my friends COMMUNICATE via sports. I can’t tell you how many of my received phone calls through the years began either “How ‘bout them ‘eers!” or simply “Mitch, we suck.”

Even my gal Joni jokes we’re going to have to get a divorce (we’re not married) without sports to watch. It’s been a commonground, a passion.

We will, though, get through this.

We’ll all get through this.

Because we have no choice, friends.

Maybe, yes, we’ll have to watch marble racing on Twitter. Or a video of a mayor farting. I guess we can follow NFL free agent signings. (Sigh.)

But, aside from that, let’s agree to make these troubling times as safe and comfortable for each other as possible, OK?

Yes, I’ll continue to put forth my pithy comments on social media. Yet I’m talking overall. Be diligent with social distancing. Extend a hand (or perhaps elbow) to your elderly neighbor. Count to three before reacting to someone in the market.

Be there for each other.

Work hard, whether it has to be remotely or from the office.

If we do all that, if we keep our nose to the proverbial grindstone, maybe when we look up the virus outlook will be improved.

And one more plea.

Keep a sense of humor. Keep smiling.

We can do that from six feet, right?

Be good to each other, folks. And be safe out there.

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Mitch Vingle covered sports in West Virginia for 38 years. Follow Mitch on Twitter at @MitchVingle and be sure to check out the rest of Wheelhouse Creative’s website for your marketing and advertising needs. If interested, call us at 304-905-6005.

Ye olde notebook:

• Let’s face it, February was the lion and March the lamb – so far — for the WVU men’s basketball team.

In March, the Mountaineers have defeated Iowa State on the road and, Saturday, No. 4 Baylor at the Coliseum. Oh, and the latter was quite engaging, especially for Ohio Valley product Chase Harler, who got down on one knee and proposed to longtime girlfriend Lindsey Baker on Senior Day. (She said yes. “I think he’s marrying up,” joked WVU coach Bob Huggins. “So I thought he should grab it while he could.”)

So, heading into the Big 12 tournament (where WVU will first face Oklahoma on Thursday), all is good in Mountaineer Land.

Yet where exactly does West Virginia stand in the big picture? Yes, the Mountaineers are playing well again, but where are they with Selection Sunday six days away?

Well, let’s break it down. First, understand WVU is 21-10 overall and it finished 9-9 in the Big 12, recognized in rankings as this season’s second or third best conference. At home, West Virginia was 14-2. On the road it was 4-8. And, in a stat that should bode well for the rest of the season, it was 3-0 at neutral sites.

In the all-important NCAA NET ratings (NCAA Evaluation Tool, a results-oriented team-ranking metric that combines wins, scoring margin, efficiency and the location of games), WVU stands No. 17 on this Monday, March 9. The NET replaced the Rating Percentage Index as the primary sorting tool for the NCAA selection committee.

Playing off that alone, WVU would stand as a five seed in the NCAA tournament. Other metrics vary, like kenpom.com, which has the Mountaineers as the No. 10 team overall, and Sagarin, which has them at No. 20. The RPI, which still lends strength of schedule numbers to the committee, has West Virginia No. 15 with a 34 percent chance (its best percentage) as a No. 5 seed.

If you scout around, however, you’ll see the so-called “bracketologists” have WVU seeded less favorably. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has the Mountaineers as a seven seed playing 10-seed Utah State in St. Louis as part of the Midwest bracket. Jerry Palm of CBS Sports has West Virginia as a six seed playing 11-seed Cincinnati in Tampa as part of the East bracket.

If either of those scenarios are close, it would behoove the Mountaineers to win a couple games in the Big 12 tournament to improve their seeding.

• The story that is WVU wrestler Noah Adams continues to flourish. In case you missed my blog on him, Adams is a Mountain State native – from Coal City and an Independence High graduate – who is ranked No. 2 nationally at the 197-pound weight class.

Well, this past weekend, he scored a 5-1 victory against No. 2-seed Tanner Sloan from South Dakota State to become just the second Mountaineer in program history to win an individual Big 12 wrestling championship.

He’s now qualified for the NCAA tournament, which will be held March 19-21 in Minnesota.

• And finally…

I’ve enjoyed following former WVU quarterback/athletic director and current XFL commissioner Oliver Luck this year. It was especially fun on Sunday, when Luck added to a gigantic “beer snake” of empty cups to the delight of fans.

Then, Monday morning, Luck joined the “Golic and Wingo” radio show on ESPN. He discussed the league and the “beer snake” but also spoke of NFL scouts at the games. He actually encourages the potential opportunities for XFL players and pointed to former WVU player Kenny Robinson, who is having a great season for the St. Louis BattleHawks. On Sunday, Robinson had two interceptions – including an acrobatic one – against D.C. Defender quarterback Cardale Jones.

Luck pointed out Robinson, in fact, is eligible for the upcoming NFL Draft – and is rooting for the former Mountaineer in that regard.

Good stuff.

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Mitch Vingle covered sports in West Virginia for 38 years. Follow Mitch on Twitter at @MitchVingle and be sure to check out the rest of Wheelhouse Creative’s website for your marketing and advertising needs. If interested, call us at 304-905-6005.

The text hit my phone at 5:12 p.m. Tuesday.

“Mitch if we lose tonight – we’ll not win Saturday – we’ll not be in the [NCAA] tourney! Nor do we deserve to be!”

I can’t tell you how many messages like that I’ve received through my life, most before my move to Wheelhouse Creative.

My reply?

“Keep the faith. Because you have no choice.”

It’s the same with every WVU fan. I don’t know one that isn’t passionate about their Mountaineers. I don’t know one that doesn’t bask in the athletic teams’ successes. And, yes, I don’t know one that isn’t distressed over losses.

And, of course, the ongoing WVU basketball season is a jumble of all.

There was a wait-and-see approach at the beginning of the Mountaineer season, especially after the 15-21 clunker of 2018-19.

Then there was the joy for West Virginia fans as their team downed Pitt. And Wichita State in Mexico. And former-No. 2 Ohio State. And former-No. 22 Texas Tech. And Missouri in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.

Of course, there was also the mushroom cloud WVU left by nuking Texas, 97-59.

Then something inexplicable happened. The heart the Mountaineers were playing with seemed to shrink to Grinch-like proportions.

Heading into a Feb. 8 game against Oklahoma, WVU was 18-4 overall and 6-3 in Big 12 play. A No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament was all the talk.

Yet remember how the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes one day? Remember how he found the strength of 10 Grinches (plus two!)?

Well, WVU seemed to lose strength.

There were losses. Losses felt by every Mountaineer fan. Kicks to the stomach after defeats to Kansas and Baylor and TCU. There was another to Oklahoma. Then, stunningly, to Texas.

Yet today, Wednesday, guess what? The sun is shining again for Mountaineer fans. Their team is 20-10. It is coming off a victory – an away victory at that – over Iowa State. And it seems WVU has a firm grasp on an NCAA tournament bid. The Mountaineers are No. 19 in the important NCAA NET rankings. They are No. 13 in the kenpom.com rankings and No. 17 in the Rating Percentage Index.

“We’re an NCAA lock,” WVU1 tweeted at me this morning. “Now we need to beat Baylor and make some hay in Kansas City!”

Different tone from Tuesday at 5:12, eh?

Let’s face it, such is the life of Mountaineer fans. It will never, ever change.

WVU fans will be rooting on Saturday.

They will be rooting in the tournament. And next season. And every subsequent season. Through the victories. Through the losses. Through outrage.

It’s a Mountaineer fan’s lot in life.

Might as well make peace with it.

And enjoy the hell out of it.

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Mitch Vingle covered sports in West Virginia for 38 years. Follow Mitch on Twitter at @MitchVingle and be sure to check out the rest of Wheelhouse Creative’s website for your marketing and advertising needs. If interested, call us at 304-905-6005.

The communication from WVU brought forth a smile.

Redshirt sophomore Noah Adams of the Mountaineer wrestling team finished the regular season on Sunday with a 29-0 record, even though West Virginia’s team lost to Big 12 affiliate Utah Valley at the Coliseum.

Adams, you see, is a spark for WVU coach Tim Flynn. A much-needed spark in a 4-12 overall (1-7 Big 12) Mountaineer season.

Flynn, now in his second season in Morgantown, built Edinboro into a national power before taking over the Mountaineer program. Now, obviously, he has much work to do.

Yet let’s take a look at that spark, one Flynn can now sell to recruits.

See, Adams is a state native, hailing from tiny Coal City (population 1,815), who attended Independence High in Raleigh County. He was a three-time high school champ.

Now he’s ranked No. 2 nationally in the 197-pound weight class, according to the NCAA Coaches Poll, InterMat and TheOpenMat. He became the first Mountaineer since three-time NCAA champ Greg Jones to complete the season undefeated.

Which should spur good memories if you’re a Mountaineer fan.

See, college wrestling was quite a hot topic in the Mountain State for a while.

Remember some of the teams turned out by Craig Turnbull? Remember assistant coach Nate Carr, a former Iowa State great who migrated to Morgantown and helped Turnbull?

While a Mountaineer coach, Carr made the Olympic team and wrestled in Seoul in 1988. He won over the Mountain State with his enthusiasm and charisma.

West Virginia intently watched as Carr was then robbed. A judge made an obvious scoring error and Carr settled for a bronze medal. But the folks here knew. He was embraced.

In the same Olympics, we also had one of our own wrestle. Ken Chertow, who hailed from Huntington High, starred at Penn State before making the U.S. team as a junior. Chertow didn’t earn an Olympic medal, but his journey was certainly one we followed.

And then there were WVU’s national champions.

I remember well. For I covered two of the championships.

The first Mountaineer to win a title was Scott Collins in 1991. And to this day, it remains one of the most thrilling events I’ve covered.

In the finals, Collins, wrestling in the 149-pound weight class, scored a takedown in the final 30 seconds to defeat Iowa’s Troy Steiner 8-7 on his home mat. I remember Scott helped with coverage sending “postcards” back we printed in Morgantown’s Dominion Post.

I also remember covering Dean Morrison’s title in 1994 at North Carolina’s Carmichael Arena. I remember joking with Turnbull that only when I traveled to the championships did a Mountaineer win a national title. (Jones would later obliterate the thought.)

Anyway, Morrison, a 177-pound wrestler, entered the NCAA Championships with a seven-match win streak and finished the tournament with five-straight wins. He was ranked No. 2 heading into the tournament and defeated three ranked opponents to make the finals. He then defeated Wyoming’s Reese Andy 3-2.

Jones later became one of the most successful college wrestlers of all time, winning three titles. He also became the first wrestler from the Eastern Wrestling League to ever win the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler title.

Oh, and remember too his brother Vertus was an excellent WVU wrestler.

“Greg was given advice often that ‘You should probably go somewhere else because you don’t want to be in the shadow of your brother (Vertus),’” Turnbull once said. “’How are you going to match what he accomplished? He won four EWL titles, was in the NCAA finals twice and was third the other time.’ I think having an older brother was a tremendous help.”

So forgive the smile over a wrestling spark.

See, the sport has given the Mountain State quite a few thrills.

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Mitch Vingle covered sports in West Virginia for 38 years. Follow Mitch on Twitter at @MitchVingle and be sure to check out the rest of Wheelhouse Creative’s website for your marketing and advertising needs. If interested, call us at 304-905-6005.