Tender Moments….. From BOB HUGGINS?????

Yes, that’s right. Probably two phrases I never thought I would ever say in reference to each other. But if you watched the Men’s Final Four game on Saturday night between Duke and West Virginia, you know what I mean.

Of course, I am a bit biased. I have adopted WVU senior Da’Sean Butler as my favorite “non-Memphis Tiger” basketball player and he has certainly not disappointed. Butler is an exceptional student and a mature, smart basketball player. (God help me if he disappoints and ever gets into any serious troubles--say with hookers.) He is active in the community and has helped bring West Virginia to the national prominence it experienced in the 50s when Jerry West (“The logo”) played as a Mountaineer. Butler has scored 2,095 points becoming the 3rd highest scorer in WVU history. Even if you hate Huggins, you gotta love that.



So when he came down hard on a play involving Duke’s big man Brian Zoubek, buckling his knee with 8 minutes left in the game, my heart sank. He was writhing in pain. He was beating the floor with his hands. He was in tears. I am sure he was hurt, but I am betting he felt he had let his team down. WVU had the game within 5 points at one time, but Duke just outplayed them. Being the leader that he is, Butler likely felt defeated. He likely felt he had let his team down. So many times before, he had been Mr. Clutch, always there when his team and state depended on him. He likely knew it was over.



Then, it happened. After immediately yelling at the refs for the call, Coach Huggins makes his way to his player, the team leader, and displays one of the most touching and tender moments I have ever seen in sports. He kneels down over him, cradling his face, and talks to him like a father to a son. One can only imagine what he said, but he was trying to calm Butler down. Reassuring him, comforting him, being compassionate. He spoke nose to nose with Butler. It was a scene etched into my brain forever.

And all of this from Bob Huggins. A man with a shady past in college basketball, a very public DUI, a “resignation” from Cincinnati after the university’s president called for him to be fired. A coach who went for years with a 0.0 percent graduation rate (sound familiar Tiger fans? Remember the Dana Kirk days?) A man who recruited hard hitting thugs to his basketball program. A coach who yells obscenities at his players and doesn’t really display one gentle bone in his body.

I was shocked. I was in disbelief. I was touched. Coach Huggins and another WVU player helped Butler off the court. And you know the rest of the story. The Duke Blue Devils went on to beat the Mountaineers by 21 points, securing their place in the championship game with underdog Butler University.

It was announced yesterday Da’Sean Butler suffered an ACL injury, now with his NBA career somewhat questionable. But he will also be one of the best players to ever play the game in my mind.

Never before...

Never before have I been so pleased and thrilled to see 2 teams lose. If you know me pretty well, you know I despise the Univ. of Tennessee. Equally so, I don't like that coach of theirs, Bruce Pearl. (To give him some accolades, he has done a tremendous job at UT, even in the face of some legal troubles of his players on New Year's Day.) Of course, you know I loathe John Calipari (I actually loathe the fact that I let him dupe me and so many other Tiger fans with his "chip on the shoulder" snake oil, but I digress.)

This weekend, Tiger fans all across the country rejoiced when Kentucky was beaten by West Virginia. And if you have been a Tiger fan for long, you know how difficult it is to root for West Virginia. Not because of their players, or the Mountaineers' Jerry West history, but because of their coach, Bob Huggins. The fact that Memphis fans are rooting for Bob Huggins just shows how much we feel we were wronged by Coach Cal.

You see, we've always hated Bob Huggins. He was the Cincinnati coach for a while and Memphis and Cincy were fierce rivals. He recruited thugs to play on his team and he even called the Memphis fans "obnoxious." Which started a t-shirt and sign campaign about being an OBNOXIOUS TIGER FAN. Anyone still have one of those shirts??

So, for us to actually ROOT for Huggins says a lot. I've actually been watching WVU a lot this season and have really grown fond of their team. I picked them to win it all! (granted they are the only team in the final four that I have picked in my bracket, but still.) Huggins' players make mature and strategic decisions while on the court, and don't seem to have any issues off the court. And Da'Sean Butler. Just call him Mr. Clutch. He has hit the game winning shot within the last few seconds for 6 of their games. Expect great things from this kid!

Seeing Coach Cal with that look of disappointment on his face was a thing of beatuy. Is it wrong to revel in someone else's misery? If so, then I am wrong...

For Tennessee to lose the very next day was also a joy to watch. Credit to Bruce Pearl and his team for making it to the Elite Eight for the first time in the school's history. I'm just hoping this means Pearl gets a better offer at another school and takes it. That way, we won't have to see him in that God-awful day-glo orange blazer, and we will be rid of him. (yes, a tad bitter becuase they have beaten Memphis since he became Coach. I can admit to that.)

Anyway, the Final Four is set and there is a #1 seed, a #2 seed, and 2 #5 seeds. Should be an interesting tournament.