Hail WV
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Bob Huggins’ team makes the grade

By Matthew Peaslee

Feb 27, 2016; Stillwater, OK, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Bob Huggins (C) reacts fro the sidelines during a time out during the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the first half at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 27, 2016; Stillwater, OK, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Bob Huggins (C) reacts fro the sidelines during a time out during the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the first half at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Bob Huggins’ Mountaineers did not just find success on the court this season, they also found it in the classroom.

West Virginia checked in at the Top 10-percent of schools in Academic Progress Rate scores over the past few years.

This bucks the trend, or stereotypical views, of a program under the direction of Huggins. While at Cincinnati from  1989 to 2005, Huggins drew scorn from national pundits because of the notion that his teams were academically challenged.

While he didn’t have the best graduation rate among his Bearcats, that doesn’t seem to be a problem currently with the Mountaineers.

Huggins may be notoriously tough on his players, but that carries weight away from the court as well. Earning this recognition from the NCAA, which took into account years dating back to the 2011 season, shows the overall progress that the WVU basketball program has made under Huggins.

Under John Beilein, the Mountaineers touted smart players like Johannes Herber, a native of Germany, and Ted Talkington, from the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia.

With Huggins, a collective effort of players have been able to make the grade.

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The Mountaineers may have made some boneheaded mistakes that cost them games over the years, none more so than in the disappointing first round loss to Stephen F. Austin in the 2016 NCAA Tournament. However, they cannot be faulted for their decisions off the court. Aside from the suspension of Jonathan Holton this past season, most of the Mountaineers have been able to stay out of trouble.

A big reason for that is because of the respect that Huggins demands from his players. His stoic attitude and stern personality shouldn’t be feared by the players, but inspired.

Huggins has always tried to simplify the game for his players and he probably wants the players to carry that over to their life off of the basketball court.

Time management skills are paramount for a Division I college athlete to thrive academically, socially and in his or hers sport. The way Huggins has ran his program shows that WVU is doing things the right way.

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