Future looks brightfor WVU, Huggins

PARKERSBURG -When ESPN bracketology expert Joe Linardi released his brackets for the upcoming 2010 NCAA March Madness tournament, West Virginia was selected by the analyst as one of the four No. 2 seeds-to the surprise of many.

Not Mountaineer head coach Bobby Huggins.

"I hope he's right," said Huggins, who was in town as part of the Mountaineer Athletic Club's Coaches Caravan. "I don't know how anyone can tell, but I hope he's right."

Lunardi's predictions were based mainly on what teams had returning and with freshman Devin Ebanks' decision to stay at WVU, and a top 20 recruiting class lined up to step in and become the next group of freshmen to make an immediate impact in the gold and blue.

"The guys have been really good," continued the coach. "We are still waiting to see what happens with Joe Mazzulla. If he can come back and be at full strength, then we have the chance to be a pretty good team."

And with the loss of several 'high-profile' players to the upcoming NBA draft, Huggins could find himself in charge of the most talented team in the Big East.

"I think we had a really good recruiting class," said the coach. "We added size, which we really needed, and we added guys who can score."

A class which got even better with the addition of 2009 National Junior College Athletic Association Player of the Year, and first team NJCAA All-American, Casey Mitchell.

Mitchell shot 45 percent from the field as a sophomore, including 34 percent from 3-point range and 80 percent from the free throw line. He led Chipola (Fla.) to a 34-2 record and a third-place finish in the national tournament.

He joins a class which includes a pair of 6-foot-9 centers in Deniz Kilicli (Istanbul, Turkey) and Dan Jennings (Staten Island, N.Y.) as well as shooting guard Dalton Pepper (Levittown, Pa.).

"I think kids (who are looking for a school) see the Big East and that helps us with our recruiting," explained Huggins. "I think we, as a staff, have also had a bunch of guys drafted and kids look at that stuff."

That group will join a nucleus of veterans which will include seniors Da'Sean Butler, Wellington Smith, Josh Sowards and Mazulla-if he can overcome his legal woes-juniors John Flowers, Will Thomas, Cam Thoroughman and Jonnie West and sophomores Darryl 'Truck' Bryant, Devin Ebanks, Kevin Jones, Cam Payne and Dee Proby.

"It (the Big East) was as good as it's ever been and maybe as good as any conference has ever been," said Huggins. "When you have five teams in the Elite Eight, you have a pretty good league."

One which could very well see the gold and blue at its top in 2010.