It’s a down year, so I cherish every solid out-of-conference victory. West Virginia whooped up on UCLA this weekend, making it two years in a row. Yes, Darren Collison, UCLA’s starting point guard, was out with an injury to his left shoulder, and yes, the game was played 10 am West Coast time, but those are just excuses. The real reason UCLA lost is they’re just not that good. It’s not as if they haven’t played WVU before — they played at UCLA last year and UCLA’s roster remains mainly the same. And it’s not like it was Ben Howland’s first time coaching against John Beilein — they shared a common year in the Big East before Howland moved over to UCLA in 2003. So Howland should know the unique gameplan the Mountaineers bring to the table fairly well.

This was just a wonderful game to watch. First, it was West Virginia — I never get tired of their insane devotion to the three, nor of the constant double-teaming that their 1-3-1 defense brings. Second, it was a classic underdog matchup — UCLA, a perennial power and a school associated with sunshine, beautiful women, and the good life, versus West Virginia, a state university whose state is used for punchlines about incest and rednecks. (Of course, it’s West Virginia who has the cosmopolitan Joe Alexander.) The game had everything that makes March Madness so dear to me and it’s getting me totally psyched for the tournament.

Cheers to West Virginia and the Big East!

Categories: Commentary, donald, West Virginia