05-25-2006, 03:56 PM
Sugar Bowl success paying off for WVU
http://www.dailymail.com/news/Sports/2006052511/
Andrew J. Beckner
Charleston, WV Daily Mail Sportswriter
Thursday May 25, 2006
If you believe everything you read on the Internet, then West Virginia University's 2006 recruiting class wasn't among the nation's best.
Heck, it barely was in the top five of the Big East, according to online recruiting services.
And, OK, so that's probably fair -- it was a small group, after all, and there wasn't a sure-fire first-year starter among them.
It kind of defies logic because the Mountaineers were coming off their best season in nearly 20 years, one that saw WVU win its first Bowl Championship Series game, a stunner of a Sugar Bowl over Georgia.
But WVU Coach Rich Rodriguez said in signing the 2006 class back in January, just weeks after the Sugar Bowl, that the impact of that BCS win wouldn't be felt immediately.
It wasn't then.
It is now.
"People do know more about us now, judging from the response," Rodriguez said by phone Wednesday. "From the (high school) coaches we've talked to, a lot of them were able to watch the (Sugar Bowl) and learn more about our program.
"It's been building for the past couple of years, but we do think (the Sugar Bowl win) will help us with this year's recruiting class."
It already has.
Rodriguez has been out on the road a lot these past few weeks, judging high school talent. The NCAA's spring evaluation period, when coaches from across the country use their frequent-flier miles and see just how high gas prices are right now, ends next week.
By all accounts, it has been a fruitful month for Rodriguez. Six players reportedly have told him they'll be a part of that 2007 class, including Victor Anderson, a 5-foot-9, 170-pound highly touted running back from St. Xavier High in Louisville, Ky., and Bradley Starks, a 6-4, 180-pound Virginia speed demon from Orange County High, who would give WVU yet another mobile quarterback.
Anderson had offers from Kentucky, Louisville and Michigan. Starks was offered by Iowa State, Marshall, Temple and Tennessee.
In addition to those commitments, the Sugar Bowl success has manifested itself in other ways for WVU.
The school's first summer football camp starts June 17, and Rodriguez said he expects to break attendance records across the board.
"Usually we get about 550 (high school players) for both our individual camp and our team camps," Rodriguez said. "It looks like we may be 100 to 200 above that."
And he attributes that mostly to the program's success -- not to mention the expectation that the Mountaineers are on the short list of favorites for the national championship this upcoming season.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
IN THE wake of Adam Bednarik's second shoulder surgery -- and the news that he'll miss the upcoming season -- Rodriguez said there isn't any temptation to move rising senior Dwayne Thompson back to quarterback.
Thompson, you'll probably recall, battled Pat White two springs ago to replace Rasheed Marshall as the Mountaineers' quarterback.
White won the job, and Thompson moved to receiver and saw playing time in eight games last year.
Rodriguez said Thompson will stay there.
"I have confidence in Nate Sowers and Jarrett Brown," both of whom are in the running to back up White this year, Rodriguez said.
"They just have to go out and have a great (training camp) in August."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
FINALLY, IN the most recent mock draft from NBADraft.net released Wednesday, former WVU forward Mike Gansey is projected to go to the Portland Trail Blazers with the first pick in the second round. His Mountaineer teammate, center Kevin Pittsnogle, is picked to go two choices later to the Atlanta Hawks.
But that isn't the most interesting thing about the projections.
That Gansey and Pittsnogle both should be selected in the NBA draft on June 28 hardly is news.
Here's the amazing thing, and it illustrates just how difficult WVU's basketball schedule was this past season: Of the 60 players projected to go to pro teams next month in the draft, Gansey, Pittsnogle and Co. played against 23 of them.
That number includes five guys projected among the top 10 picks:
LaMarcus Aldridge (Texas; No. 1 to Toronto); Tyrus Thomas (LSU, No. 4 to Portland); Randy Foye (Villanova, No. 5 to Atlanta); Rudy Gay (Connecticut, No. 6 to Minnesota); and Marcus Williams (UConn, No. 8 to Houston.)
http://www.dailymail.com/news/Sports/2006052511/
Andrew J. Beckner
Charleston, WV Daily Mail Sportswriter
Thursday May 25, 2006
If you believe everything you read on the Internet, then West Virginia University's 2006 recruiting class wasn't among the nation's best.
Heck, it barely was in the top five of the Big East, according to online recruiting services.
And, OK, so that's probably fair -- it was a small group, after all, and there wasn't a sure-fire first-year starter among them.
It kind of defies logic because the Mountaineers were coming off their best season in nearly 20 years, one that saw WVU win its first Bowl Championship Series game, a stunner of a Sugar Bowl over Georgia.
But WVU Coach Rich Rodriguez said in signing the 2006 class back in January, just weeks after the Sugar Bowl, that the impact of that BCS win wouldn't be felt immediately.
It wasn't then.
It is now.
"People do know more about us now, judging from the response," Rodriguez said by phone Wednesday. "From the (high school) coaches we've talked to, a lot of them were able to watch the (Sugar Bowl) and learn more about our program.
"It's been building for the past couple of years, but we do think (the Sugar Bowl win) will help us with this year's recruiting class."
It already has.
Rodriguez has been out on the road a lot these past few weeks, judging high school talent. The NCAA's spring evaluation period, when coaches from across the country use their frequent-flier miles and see just how high gas prices are right now, ends next week.
By all accounts, it has been a fruitful month for Rodriguez. Six players reportedly have told him they'll be a part of that 2007 class, including Victor Anderson, a 5-foot-9, 170-pound highly touted running back from St. Xavier High in Louisville, Ky., and Bradley Starks, a 6-4, 180-pound Virginia speed demon from Orange County High, who would give WVU yet another mobile quarterback.
Anderson had offers from Kentucky, Louisville and Michigan. Starks was offered by Iowa State, Marshall, Temple and Tennessee.
In addition to those commitments, the Sugar Bowl success has manifested itself in other ways for WVU.
The school's first summer football camp starts June 17, and Rodriguez said he expects to break attendance records across the board.
"Usually we get about 550 (high school players) for both our individual camp and our team camps," Rodriguez said. "It looks like we may be 100 to 200 above that."
And he attributes that mostly to the program's success -- not to mention the expectation that the Mountaineers are on the short list of favorites for the national championship this upcoming season.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
IN THE wake of Adam Bednarik's second shoulder surgery -- and the news that he'll miss the upcoming season -- Rodriguez said there isn't any temptation to move rising senior Dwayne Thompson back to quarterback.
Thompson, you'll probably recall, battled Pat White two springs ago to replace Rasheed Marshall as the Mountaineers' quarterback.
White won the job, and Thompson moved to receiver and saw playing time in eight games last year.
Rodriguez said Thompson will stay there.
"I have confidence in Nate Sowers and Jarrett Brown," both of whom are in the running to back up White this year, Rodriguez said.
"They just have to go out and have a great (training camp) in August."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
FINALLY, IN the most recent mock draft from NBADraft.net released Wednesday, former WVU forward Mike Gansey is projected to go to the Portland Trail Blazers with the first pick in the second round. His Mountaineer teammate, center Kevin Pittsnogle, is picked to go two choices later to the Atlanta Hawks.
But that isn't the most interesting thing about the projections.
That Gansey and Pittsnogle both should be selected in the NBA draft on June 28 hardly is news.
Here's the amazing thing, and it illustrates just how difficult WVU's basketball schedule was this past season: Of the 60 players projected to go to pro teams next month in the draft, Gansey, Pittsnogle and Co. played against 23 of them.
That number includes five guys projected among the top 10 picks:
LaMarcus Aldridge (Texas; No. 1 to Toronto); Tyrus Thomas (LSU, No. 4 to Portland); Randy Foye (Villanova, No. 5 to Atlanta); Rudy Gay (Connecticut, No. 6 to Minnesota); and Marcus Williams (UConn, No. 8 to Houston.)