By John Raby
AP Sports
West Virginia coach Bob Huggins has had his way against Kentucky's John Calipari over the years.
Huggins is 8-2 all-time against his close friend. Meeting No. 11 will be Huggins' greatest challenge against a Calipari-coached team when West Virginia takes on the NCAA Tournament's top overall seed in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night in Cleveland.
''We're going to have fun trying,'' Huggins said. ''He'll have them ready. He always has them ready.''
Whether fifth-seeded West Virginia (25-9) will be ready for double-digit favorite Kentucky (36-0) may be another matter, but Huggins insists his players won't give in to the pressure.
He noted that when senior guards Juwan Staten and Gary Browne were out with injuries late in the regular season, freshmen Javon Carter and Daxter Miles Jr. embraced the opportunity to lead the team into Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas, where the Mountaineers took the Jayhawks to overtime before losing 76-69.
''These guys are different,'' Huggins said. ''They kind of relish the moment. They love to play, and that's what's fun about them. They love to play. They love being around each other.''
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This post was edited on 3/24 4:36 PM by WVBlue
Associated Press
AP Sports
West Virginia coach Bob Huggins has had his way against Kentucky's John Calipari over the years.
Huggins is 8-2 all-time against his close friend. Meeting No. 11 will be Huggins' greatest challenge against a Calipari-coached team when West Virginia takes on the NCAA Tournament's top overall seed in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night in Cleveland.
''We're going to have fun trying,'' Huggins said. ''He'll have them ready. He always has them ready.''
Whether fifth-seeded West Virginia (25-9) will be ready for double-digit favorite Kentucky (36-0) may be another matter, but Huggins insists his players won't give in to the pressure.
He noted that when senior guards Juwan Staten and Gary Browne were out with injuries late in the regular season, freshmen Javon Carter and Daxter Miles Jr. embraced the opportunity to lead the team into Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas, where the Mountaineers took the Jayhawks to overtime before losing 76-69.
''These guys are different,'' Huggins said. ''They kind of relish the moment. They love to play, and that's what's fun about them. They love to play. They love being around each other.''
LINK To continue
This post was edited on 3/24 4:36 PM by WVBlue
Associated Press