Big East 2009-2010: The Year of the 'Eer Is Upon Us

Not everyone loves Stew, but everyone loves Huggs.

With midnight madness behind us, practice underway, and the first public scrimmage passed, it is basketball time in Morgantown. 

West Virginia University has always been considered a football school.  No doubt for many years the football team was a better draw, and a better team, and was far more exciting than the basketball team. 

The Gale Catlett years, despite a few bright spots, brought little more than pain, despair and underachieving. 

In recent years, heroes with names like Pittsnogle and Gansey have made the most casual ‘Eer hoop fans turn and pay attention.  Over the last several years, the Mountaineers have played the role of a cinderella and been an underdog making their way to the Sweet 16 numerous times.

The Mountaineers are the underdog no more.

After two seasons of great success with players he did not recruit, Bob Huggins has a team of his choosing on the floor for this season.  Tall, long, athletic, and lanky are all words that can be used to describe many of the players on the WVU roster, exactly what is called for when it comes to playing Huggy-ball.  Fastbreak and press will be two things that Mountaineer fans will be very familiar with by season’s end.

Picked by the Big East coaches to finish second this season, expectations are high that this team will be one to rival the great 1959 Jerry West-led team that made it to the final four and national championship game.  Ideas that this could be one of the best teams ever to don the old gold and blue are swirling. 

The Mountaineers sport a roster that boasts only two seniors, but they are two seniors that pack a powerful, experience-laden punch.

Da' Sean Butler returns as the leading scorer from last season at 17.1 points per clip.  Add to that almost six rebounds, two assists, and a steal per game and it is no wonder Butler, who spent the summer playing for USA basketball, is among those considered for the Naismith Award, given to the best player in the land.

Also returning for his senior season is Wellington Smith, a gritty 6’7” post player who adds hustle and will help add to the depth of the front line.

Expected to be Butler's right hand man is Devin Ebanks.  The sophomore showed great rebounding prowess last season but lacked production on the offensive end.  Reports from Morgantown suggest Ebanks has out on 30 pounds of muscle, which should help him on the boards and scoring inside.  Ebanks' coming out party was last season's Big East Tournament—where he scored 20 points against Pittsburgh and 22 points against Syracuse. 

In the backcourt for the Mountaineers will be Joe Mazzulla and Darryl Bryant at the point and two new comers.

Casey Mitchell, last years junior college player of the year, is expected to start with true freshman Dalton Pepper backing him up.  Big things are expected from Mitchell who could be the best scoring guard that has been seen in Morgantown for some time.  Pepper is a big two guard from Pennsylvania at 6’5”.  A sweet stroke and the ability to get to the basket should be keys to making him a solid backup.

Also being heavily relied upon this season will be sophomore Kevin Jones.  The New York native showed a solid mid range game last season and flashes of greatness as one of the leading sixth men in the Big East. 

Freshman Deniz Kilicli is expected to contribute up front as well.  The 6’9” Turk played at Mountain State Academy in Beckley, West Virginia last season.  Due to complications from a team he previously played on, the promising forward with good hands and a soft touch will be ineligible for the first 20 games of the season. 

All in all, this should be a season that lives up to hype for Mountaineer fans ending with a deep tournament run and a Big East Championship along the way.

See more of Major's work at CollegeHoopsDaily.com and WVFan.com.