Hypothetical - If Huggins Hadn't Left

[WildcatEngineer]

Would you trade the Huggins record at WVU for what Martin, Weber, and Tang did over the same period? It would be close, but I wouldn't.

West Virginia Mountaineers (Big East Conference) (2007–2012)
2007–08 West Virginia 26–11 11–7 T–5th NCAA Division I Sweet 16
2008–09 West Virginia 23–12 10–8 T–7th NCAA Division I Round of 64
2009–10 West Virginia 31–7 13–5 T–2nd NCAA Division I Final Four
2010–11 West Virginia 21–12 11–7 T–6th NCAA Division I Round of 32
2011–12 West Virginia 19–14 9–9 8th NCAA Division I Round of 64
West Virginia Mountaineers (Big 12 Conference) (2012–present)
2012–13 West Virginia 13–19 6–12 8th
2013–14 West Virginia 17–16 9–9 . T–6th NIT First Round
2014–15 West Virginia 25–10 11–7 T–3rd NCAA Division I Sweet 16
2015–16 West Virginia 26–9 13–5 2nd NCAA Division I Round of 64
2016–17 West Virginia 28–9 12–6 T–2nd NCAA Division I Sweet 16
2017–18 West Virginia 26–11 11–7 T–2nd NCAA Division I Sweet 16
2018–19 West Virginia 15–21 4–14 10th CBI Quarterfinal
2019–20 West Virginia 21–10 9–9 . T–3rd No postseason held
2020–21 West Virginia 19–10 11–6 T–3rd NCAA Division I Round of 32
2021–22 West Virginia 16–17 4–14 10th
2022–23 West Virginia 19–15 7–11 8th NCAA Division I Round of 64

[stlcatfan]

Would you trade the Huggins record at WVU for what Martin, Weber, and Tang did over the same period? It would be close, but I wouldn't.

West Virginia Mountaineers (Big East Conference) (2007–2012)
2007–08 West Virginia 26–11 11–7 T–5th NCAA Division I Sweet 16
2008–09 West Virginia 23–12 10–8 T–7th NCAA Division I Round of 64
2009–10 West Virginia 31–7 13–5 T–2nd NCAA Division I Final Four
2010–11 West Virginia 21–12 11–7 T–6th NCAA Division I Round of 32
2011–12 West Virginia 19–14 9–9 8th NCAA Division I Round of 64
West Virginia Mountaineers (Big 12 Conference) (2012–present)
2012–13 West Virginia 13–19 6–12 8th
2013–14 West Virginia 17–16 9–9 . T–6th NIT First Round
2014–15 West Virginia 25–10 11–7 T–3rd NCAA Division I Sweet 16
2015–16 West Virginia 26–9 13–5 2nd NCAA Division I Round of 64
2016–17 West Virginia 28–9 12–6 T–2nd NCAA Division I Sweet 16
2017–18 West Virginia 26–11 11–7 T–2nd NCAA Division I Sweet 16
2018–19 West Virginia 15–21 4–14 10th CBI Quarterfinal
2019–20 West Virginia 21–10 9–9 . T–3rd No postseason held
2020–21 West Virginia 19–10 11–6 T–3rd NCAA Division I Round of 32
2021–22 West Virginia 16–17 4–14 10th
2022–23 West Virginia 19–15 7–11 8th NCAA Division I Round of 64

I feel the same way. I will always be grateful for what Huggins did for the program. He basically got this program off of the mat and helped to bring it back to respectability. If he would have stayed, great. But I'm happy with how things turned out after he left.

[learnin]

Since the Big XII went to a round robin, his record in the Big XII hasn't been that good. No championships. Poss. recruiting violations if he had stayed. Probably fortunate that he left.

[Kralicek]

I do not enjoy watching a slugfest and calling it basketball, that is what WV basketball under Huggs is all about. That said, he did a lot for our program, and at the time he was exactly what KSU needed.

[tmcats]

hard telling what huggs would have done with beasley and walker as opposed to rookie frank at the helm. from there, huggs might have built something special here. so hypothetical, it's unanswerable with confidence.

[SCKSCat]

I think if he would have coached Beasley we would have been in the Final 4

[02Cat]

I think the blast of enthusiasm that came to the program with Huggs would have continued for a little while at a minimum. With Walker, Pullen, Beas, etc. that 2008 team would have been probably better than they were with Huggs as the head coach. In short, I think Huggs jolted some energy into the program, but we (and he) would have seen better results in Manhattan in the years since.

Leaving for WV hurt us and hurt him, IMO.

[SCKSCat]

He is making a good living do what he likes in a place where he likes it.
Has done well enough not to get fired.
Lifetime job for going to the final four.
They like his surely act.

[learnin]

Dakich says Huggins was a big cheater at Cincy. He began by cheating here. Probably hasn't cheated as much down at his alma mater. Probably best that he left.

[SCKSCat]

Dakich says Huggins was a big cheater at Cincy. He began by cheating here. Probably hasn't cheated as much down at his alma mater. Probably best that he left.

The job for Momma Beas!
I guess he could of done a Larry Brown number on us.
He about recruited OJ Mayo here. I seem to recall the school that he went to got in trouble with the NCAA.
Huggins protégé left under shady terms.
It must of been pretty bad behind the scenes.

Wikipedia about Mayo....
However, he was retroactively declared ineligible when it was discovered that he had received improper benefits in violation of NCAA rules before he even played a game, and the Trojans vacated all of their 21 wins from the 2007–08 season.[1] In July 2016, Mayo was banned from the NBA for violating the league's anti-drug program.[2] After a two-year hiatus, he resumed his career with Atléticos de San Germán of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) in Puerto Rico.