Spring Football Quick Hits

With an illustrious basketball season finished, albeit with a Big East Conference member National Champion in UConn, it is time to take a look at the end of Spring football practices around the Big East. While a full Spring review/Fall preview will be published after each Big East affiliated team finishes their practices/scrimmages/Spring games, let’s take a glance around the conference and see what the Big East blogosphere has to say about the end of Spring football.

Cincinnati Bearcats

Bearcat nation is looking ahead to the Fall of 2011 after an extremely disappointing 2010 gridiron campaign, and the early returns look good for Butch Jones’s second season. However, some eyebrows in the Queen City have been raised after a look over the Bearcats’ roster showed some familiar faces are missing…but on the flip side, some familiar faces are sticking around for another year in the Black and Red.

Connecticut Huskies

Following the monumental BCS birth last Fall, Husky fans were hoping their reign at the top would last longer than one season..and according to the UConn Blog the conference champs are putting the pieces together for another run. While another Big East title will come with help from someone other than Jordan Todman, the Huskies are evaluating their talent for the upcoming Summer and Fall.

Louisville Cardinals

Charlie Strong strong-armed the Big East this offseason with a stellar recruiting class and that has Cards fans already excited about football’s opening weekend. But the real Louisville fans will be checking out the Spring game…and competing against each other at the same time.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Though the beginning of last season was on par for a Charlie Weis season, Brian Kelly was able to work his trademark magic and get things turned around. Now the Fighting Irish are looking for the next crop of skill superstars, and some of those offensive and defensive questions could be answered during their Blue-Gold Spring Game.

Pittsburgh Panthers

It’s the dawn of a new era in the Steel City and Panthers faithful are hoping Todd Graham’s traditionally explosive offense can take form with the help of former WVU O-Coordinator Calvin Magee, but not everyone is on board just yet. However some Pittsburgh players are looking ahead to an exciting Spring game, and an even better Summer and Fall.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Greg Schiano is surely searching for answers to patch up a weak offensive line that hindered his offenses production in 2010, but he says one Rutgers’ offense mainstay should be just fine at his new position. And supposedly the aura or ghost or some strange spirit of Barry Sanders was present at a recent Rutgers practice.

South Florida Bulls

This could be the big year Bulls fans have been waiting for, as the team’s talent may finally meet it’s Florida-speed. However, the biggest question heading into the offseason was “What is up with the quarterbacks?” It probably wasn’t phrased exactly like that to head man Skip Holtz, USF’s quarterbacks made some strides in their Spring game.

Syracuse Orange

The Orange had a surprising turnaround season under Coach Doug Marrone, capped by their thrilling Pinstripe Bowl victory over Kansas State. Now Syracuse nation is paying close attention to Spring football again, and their recent practices ended nicely…in fact, the coaches are so comfortable with the squad that the roster is set for the Spring game.

West Virginia Mountaineers

Like their Backyard Brawl rivals, there’s a new Sheriff (or Sheriffs) in town…err Morgantown. Offense guru Dana Holgerson has been pleased with his side of the ball so far, but is still a little unsure how things will shape up in the Fall. Yet it appears the injury bug is already hurting the Mountaineers, and it’s a senior leader too.

NCAA Tourney Rundown 3/18

The first day of the tournament is in the books and so far my bracket is looking pretty good. I don’t think anyone on the planet had Morehead State over Louisville (maybe some obscure animal on a remote island chose a coconut painted with Morehead’s logo on it over the Cardinals’ coconut, but I doubt it). I thought the loss of D.J. Kennedy would hinder St. John’s and it all but destroyed their season (literally, a blowout loss to the Zags is not what many had in mind). Cincy, WVU, UConn, and Pittsburgh all held serve in their games and for the most part looked impressive. As for the other teams waiting to play, I have continued the mini-synopsis of each team below.

On Upset Alert: Villanova – Ok, so technically it’s not an upset considering Nova is the 9 seed and George Mason is the 8, but any time an historic Big East powerhouse loses to a Colonial Athletic Association team it should be considered an upset (remember UConn – George Mason?). I’m still shocked that Jay Wright’s squad looks to have taken the second half of the season off with the Wildcats severely limping into the NCAAs. On the other hand, George Mason is riding high with a double-digit win streak and a thirst for Big East blood (and revenge from a heartbreaking loss to Nova in an early-season tourney a few years ago). Things could go easily for Villanova or they could be, well, upset.

One and Done?: Georgetown – There is some good news heading into the NCAA tournament for John Thompson III’s team, senior guard and team leader Chris Wright is going to play…but to what extent he is able to perform for the Hoyas will decide their tournament fate. G’town looked horrible after Wright broke his hand (literally, horrible, like Depaul bad) and if he isn’t able to go 100% it could be a disastrous loss to in-state foe Virginia Commonwealth. VCU believes they can play and beat the Hoyas and when the underdog has confidence and momentum heading into a tournament game, anything can happen. For Austin Freeman’s sake I want nothing more than the Hoyas to make it to the second round, but this could be a one and done deal.

Guts = Glory?: Marquette – No team in the Big East has more scrappiness and guts than the Marquette Golden Eagles, and their late-season push to make the tournament field shows that. Buzz William’s team has yet to suffer an abysmal loss on the season and their close performances against top competition show that it doesn’t always take talent and athleticism to win ball games. If Marquette is able to enforce their will on A-10 counterpart Xavier, then look for the Golden Eagles to pull the upset on the Musketeers. All they have to do is stick to their rough, in-your-face style of play and they should be fine.

Putting up a fight: Notre Dame –  Outside of Pittsburgh, Notre Dame has been the most consistent and complete in the Big East (and they beat the Panthers at The Pete too). Mike Brey has his senior-laden team firing on all cylinders and if not for a late-game hiccup against Louisville in the Big East Tournament then the Fighting Irish could have captured the crown and the coveted #1 seed. However, Hansbrough and Company received a #2 seed and now look to make a deep tourney run for the first time in years. I myself have several brackets with Notre Dame making the Final Four and if the team chemistry and smart play continues, there is little reason to believe it won’t happen (unless you are a Purdue or Kansas fan).

Don’t forget about us!: Syracuse – Usually every time March comes around the Orange are at the top of discussion list for the Big East’s NCAA tournament hopefuls. But this hasn’t been a usual year for Jim Boeheim’s team. However, after the midseason meltdown, the Orange have rallied magnificently and look to be one of the stronger teams in the field. Seeded as a #3, Syracuse could get a rematch with Marquette (who beat the Orange in the regular season) in the third round and then possibly move on to play a UNC team that has been on fire as of late in the ACC. If all goes as planned for Syracuse they should find themselves in familiar waters in the Elite Eight and at least the Sweet 16. If that is the case, then you can bet you will hear a lot more about the Orange over the coming week(s).

NCAA Tourney Rundown 3/17

Sure you may think that receiving a plethora of gifts (or buying them depending on your marital status) at Christmas is the best time of year, but if you are a diehard college sports fan there is little doubt your most blissful weeks on the calendar rest during March Madness. Year after year millions of Americans pick their tournament brackets, meet up at bars to root on the home team, or call off work for the rest of the week after an embarrassing loss…why you may ask? Because March is all about the excitement of the NCAA Tournament and here at the Big Beast we are all about the Big East.

As you know by now, the Big East proved to be the most dominate conference in the history of the world this year with a record 11 teams making the NCAA tournament field. Now it’s time to take a break from all the tough Big East competition and play some weaker competition…in the Big Dance of course! With games set to kickoff in just over an hour, let’s get right into the “NCAA Tourney Rundown.”

Men of Mystery: West Virginia –  All season long coach Bob Huggins and Mountaineer Nation have scratched their collective heads after mystifying performances. From the highs of beating Notre Dame, Purdue, Louisville, and Connecticut…to the lows of losing to Marshall, Miami, and Marquette (twice), this team is as inconsistent as they come. While lots of “basketball experts” are picking 5 seed WVU to bow out to 12 seed Clemson at 12:15 today, this is a team that could make a lengthy run into the tournament. However, don’t be surprised if the Mountaineers are one and done or are Elite Eight bound…simply no one knows what to expect.

Put on the “rally caps”: St. John’s –  After an impressive Big East run under first year coach Steve Lavin, the Johnnies looked like a dark horse favorite to win the Big East tournament and gain a high seed…then disaster struck. Like Georgetown, Lavin’s squad had to watch their senior point guard and play facilitator D.J. Kennedy go down on a season-ending injury and now must rebound in a hurry. Sure the Red Storm played admirably against Syracuse at the Garden to finish their season, but that was in front of the hometown crowd and the NCAA tournament is totally different. If St. John’s hopes to last past the first round, then they need to rally around their head coach and forget about the Kennedy loss…because March Madness Masters Gonzaga awaits in a scary 6 – 11 matchup.

Experience? Who needs experience?: Cincinnati – After a heart-wrenching past few seasons in the Queen City, the Bearcats are finally back in the NCAA tournament (that seems so odd to say since Cincy was consistently a high-seed under Bob Huggins). Cincinnati took care of business late in the season and quieted their critics in regards to tallying some quality wins (Louisville, Georgetown twice, Marquette). Now it’s time to put up or shut up. Mick Cronin’s first appearance in the NCAA tournament as a head coach could prove costly in terms of experience, but luckily his team is chuck full of upperclassmen and hard-nosed players who want nothing more than to win in the Big Dance. Let’s see how much experience means for the Bearcats against 11 seed Missouri.

The roof is on fire: UConn – Wow, who could have saw this coming? After a series of losses to finish the Big East regular season, UConn returned to early season form and ripped off five games in five days in New York to capture the Big East Tournament Championship and the hearts of Husky faithful every where. Kemba Walker looks like the national player-of-the-year candidate that he was for much of the season and with him on his A-game, this team is nearly impossible to stop. If Walker can get consistent production from his bigs down low and his freshman backcourt counterparts, look for the Huskies to make a deep tournament run…this team is on fire.

Now or never: Pittsburgh – Following years of having great seasons and then belly-flopping in the NCAA tournament, Jamie Dixon has his #1 seed Panthers as a Southeast Regional favorite. If there ever was a season for the Panthers to reach the elusive Final Four, this has to be it. The selection committee gave Pitt the easiest bracket out of the four and their complete and consistent play throughout the Big East regular season should prove invaluable against an on-slaught of less talented teams. However, if Dixon doesn’t make the Final Four (or at least the Elite Eight) with this talented and experienced group, then this season has to be looked at as a disappointment. Sadly for Panthers fans, they know the feeling all too well.

Follow me to victory: Louisville – Rick Pitino leads his Louisville Cardinals into the NCAA tournament fresh off a Big East Tournament runner-up finish and an impressive regular season. Pitino has been to the Final Four three times in his illustrious career (all with three different teams btw) and this team could follow in the footsteps of Pitino’s 2005 Cardinal squad. Peyton Siva has been the glue of the team all season and if he can rally the troops around their famed head coach, look for Louisville to at least make a Sweet 16 appearance…and with their coaches track record, the Final Four is always a real possibility.

Big East Football Spring Update

With the Big East Basketball Tournament just days away, it’s understandable if you have a hard time focusing on Big East football. However, this season promises to offer plenty of surprises with the conference boasting 2 new head coaches and the arrival of WVU’S head coach-in-waiting Dana Holgerson and 3 second year coaches looking to build off 2010. While the blog will feature team by team Spring updates in couple of weeks, the following list provides some useful information regarding the start of spring practices and each team’s Spring game date.

Cincinnati: Start of Spring practice: March 29

Spring Game: April 16

Connecticut: Start of Spring practice: March 15

Spring Game: April 16

Louisville: Start of Spring practice: March 23

Spring Game: April 15

Pittsburgh: Start of Spring practice: March 15

Spring Game: April 16

Rutgers: Start of Spring practice: March 29

Spring Game: April 30

South Florida: Start of Spring practice: March 3

Spring Game: April 30

Syracuse: Start of Spring practice: March 8

Spring Game: April 16

West Virginia: Start of Spring practice: March 28

Spring Game: April 29

Big East Bubble Season Part 3

 

Deniz Kilici slams home West Virginia's ticket to the Big Dance

Photo courtesy Charleston Gazette.

As we head into the regular season’s final weekend of basketball, the Big East is really starting to flex its collective muscle. Over the last two weeks, teams like West Virginia and Marquette have quieted any critics regarding their body of work by winning key games. While former bubble counterparts, St. John’s and Cincinnati, have captured surprising victories that have put them in serious contention for first and even second round byes. However, the season is not over yet and though it may seem that the Big East is going to “make it rain” at the Big Dance with a record 11 teams…anything can happen over the next two weeks. Below is the list of teams “locked” into an NCAA tournament birth.

BIG EAST LOCKS: Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Villanova, Syracuse, Georgetown, Louisville, Connecticut, St. John’s, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Marquette

Photo courtesy ESPN.

Cincy prevailed over Marquette last night, but don't worry, both teams are "locks" for the NCAA tourney.

 

Due to the fact that the Mountaineers don’t have any teams on the bubble, let’s take a look at where the Big East’s 11 teams will fall in terms of seeding for the NCAA tournament. Most college basketball analysts have Pittsburgh as a one seed (including self-proclaimed Bracketologist Joe Lunardi) and I would have to concur. The Panthers have really been the most consistent team in the toughest league in college basketball (and potentially all-time…then again isn’t that every year in the Big East?) and have not fell victim to letdown losses or a “bad loss” this season. As for the rest of the Big East NCAA tourney class, my predictions for seeding are as follows.

Cincinnati – 7 seed

Connecticut – 5 seed

Georgetown – 6 seed

Louisville – 4 seed

Marquette – 10 seed

Notre Dame – 2 seed

Pittsburgh – 1 seed

Syracuse – 3 seed

St. John’s – 4 seed

Villanova – 5 seed

West Virginia – 6 seed

Big East Bubble Season Part 2

 

Cincinnati's NCAA hopes are flying high after a critical win at Georgetown.

Photo courtesy ESPN.

This time last week there were several Big East teams who were looking to jump off the bubble and into the “lock” status for an NCAA tournament bid. At least one of those teams has accomplished this feat, as St. John’s heart-stopping last second victory over Pittsburgh surely put them over the top. West Virginia also recorded a much needed victory over streaking Notre Dame, and Cincinnati scored their first major road victory of the season. But where do these teams and another in Marquette fall in this week’s Bubble review? Let’s find out!

BIG EAST LOCKS: Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Villanova, Syracuse, Georgetown, Louisville, Connecticut, St. John’s

ON THE BUBBLE:

Cincinnati (22-6, 9-6) Current Big East standing: 8   Since start of February: (4-2) Last 10 games: (6-4)

RPI: 35  Strength of schedule: 83

Bubble Status: Almost a lock.

Just two weeks ago this was looking like another season all too familiar to Bearcat Nation. Cincinnati had performed admirably throughout the season and now were just going to close up shop and limp to the finish line…leaving their fans yearning for an elusive NCAA appearance. However, Mick Cronin has clearly instilled some energy in his group and the Bearcats have  a rather unusual three game winning streak in the Big East. Also, those wins aren’t just against the likes of Depaul or Providence (OK, one was against Providence in OT) but Cincinnati also took down Louisville at home and then absolutely stunned Georgetown in D.C. last night. Last evening’s road win is more than likely going to put this team in the Big Dance for the first time in years, but Cincy also has UConn and Georgetown coming to town. If the Bearcats can win either one of those games, or both, they will go from just getting in the tournament to a rather impressive seed (I’m thinking a 5 or 6) and that is all a Bearcat fan could ask for!

West Virginia (17-9, 8-6) Current Big East standing: T-8 Since start of February: (3-3) Last 10 games: (5-5)

RPI: 21  Strength of schedule: 4

Bubble Status: Almost a lock.

Following West Virginia’s loss at Syracuse, Coach Bob Huggins raged about his team’s inability to make shots. Who could blame him? The Mountaineers had reached 70 points only twice in their previous 10 games, but a return to Morgantown was all the struggling Eers would need. Huggins’ crew ousted No. 7 Notre Dame at home, 72-58, and nearly placed themselves in the NCAA tournament field. Like Cincinnati, the Mountaineers are currently “on the bubble” but if they make the tournament then expect a seed in the 5-7 range…it is the Big East after all. The last four games of the season will prove pivotal in the seeding process as WVU plays at Pittsburgh tonight, then travels to the scary RAC and finishes the season with home dates against UConn and Louisville. If the Mountaineers can go at least .500 in that stretch, look for this team to move into the “lock” status and staring down a high seed. Not bad for a “rebuilding” year.

Marquette (16-11, 7-7) Current Big East standing: 11   Since start of February: (2-3)  Last 10 games: (4-6)

RPI: 69  Strength of schedule: 31

Bubble Status: Squarely on the bubble.

This has been a frustrating year so far for the Marquette Golden Eagles. For one they don’t have a “bad loss” on their schedule (as we investigated last week), but they also have only two or three quality wins. Secondly, Marquette has found the sledding rather tough outside of Milwaukee as they have won only three games away from home (not exactly a figure the NCAA selection committee likes to look at). However, all is not lost, Marquette can still win a big road game tonight at UConn, and two of the last three are at home as well. I’m going to say that if the Golden Eagles can walk out of Connecticut with a victory, plus win at least two of their last three regular season games AND steal one game in the Big East Tourney…then Katy bar the door! The Big East sends 11 teams to the Big Dance!

Standings information courtesy ESPN.com, RPI and SOS courtesy WarrenNolan.com.

Big East Bubble Season

 

Steve Lavin has the Big Apple thinking Big Dance.

Photo credit New York Daily News.

It’s the time of seasonnnn for bub-bles…While that is a little play on the famous Zombies’ tune, this time of year in college basketball is the month of the bubble. Every team in the country is striving to gain an NCAA bid, be it by an auto-lock from a conference championship, spectacular play throughout the season, or an eye-opening February. ESPN and other networks talk a lot about mid-majors who are trying to impress the voters and NCAA Tournament selection committee, but one also has to look at middle-of-the-road BCS conference teams as well. And with that let’s jump right into the position(s) of several Big East teams who are looking to get off of, stay on, or get enough accomplished to be mentioned in the “Bubble Watch.”

BIG EAST LOCKS: Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Villanova, Connecticut, Louisville, Syracuse

ON THE BUBBLE:

St. John’s (16-9, 8-5) Current Big East standing: 7      Since the start of February: (4-1) Last 10 games: (6-4)

RPI: 16          Strength of Schedule: 2

Bubble Status: Almost a lock.

With the type of production and results from the Red Storm this year, one would think Steve Lavin was a seasoned coaching veteran who hasn’t missed a beat over the last decade. However, Lavin is just getting back to his former UCLA-self and has this senior-laden squad making noise in NYC for the first time in recent memory. Early season losses to St. Bonaventure and Fordham could have kept this team from the Big Dance, but over the last month and a half the Johnnies have scored major wins against Georgetown, Notre Dame, Duke (ranked #1 at the time), UConn, and two key road wins at West Virginia and Marquette. From having seen St. John’s in action myself this year, when this team is firing on all cylinders and is able to control tempo with their up-and-down pace, they are nearly impossible to beat. Now all St. John’s needs to cap off a rather surprising season is to hold steady in their last five games with matches against Seton Hall, USF, and lowly DePaul…plus there is room for another marquee victory with games against Pittsburgh and Villanova.

West Virginia (16-9, 7-6) Current Big East standing: T-9      Since the start of February: (2-3) Last 10 games: (5-5)

RPI: 23          Strength of schedule: 3

Bubble Status: High-bubble team.

This time last month West Virginia was celebrating a huge non-conference victory over Top 10 Purdue. But oh what a difference thirty days can make. The Mountaineers followed that Purdue win with a shocking loss to in-state rival Marshall (out-doing a loss at ACC bottom feeder Miami) and have looked out-of-sync offensively in recent Big East games. Troubled shooting guard Casey Mitchell returned to action recently and played exceptionally at Syracuse on Monday night, but it is his teammates that are having serious problems finding the net. While coach Bob Huggins can still rest on big victories against Vanderbilt, Georgetown, Purdue, and at Cincinnati; his Mountaineers probably wish they had sealed the deal in single-digit losses to Minnesota (-4), Pittsburgh (-5), at Marquette (-4), and at Louisville (-4) to give them a better profile for March. West Virginia boasts the toughest remaining schedule of any team in the Big East with four ranked teams remaining, plus an always strenuous trip to Rutgers.

Cincinnati (20-6, 7-6) Current Big East standing: T-9      Since the start of February: (2-2) Last 10 games: (5-5)

RPI: 47         Strength of schedule: 34

Bubble Status: High-bubble team.

Almost any time a Big East team has 20+ wins in a season (albeit with 5 games to play) it is a pretty good bet that team is a lock for the NCAA Tournament…almost. The only problem here is that Cincinnati played nearly no one out-of-conference, sans for a 20 point mauling of cross-town rival Xavier. Mick Cronin’s Bearcats started strong with a sterling 15-0 record, however since that time not much has gone right for Cincinnati in the Big East as the team has gone 5-6 over their last 11 games. Most of Cincy’s problems have come on the road against Top 25 teams, but every one of those losses came by double digits. Luckily the Bearcats defeated Louisville at home on Wednesday and own a two point victory at St. John’s as well. While I can’t imagine Cincy not making the Big Dance, they do need to get another quality W to really put them in contention…and that could come in a 2 games series with Georgetown or when UConn visits the Queen City.

Marquette (15-11, 6-7) Current Big East standing: 11      Since the start of February: (1-3) Last 10 games: (4-6)

RPI: 66        Strength of schedule: 9

Bubble Status: Squarely on the bubble.

Like West Virginia, Marquette has found the sledding a bit tougher over the last half of the season. Since an 18 point pummeling of Notre Dame, the Golden Eagles fell at Louisville by one (following a 15 point lead late in the game) and can only point to a home victory over struggling Syracuse as a meaningful victory. As in past seasons, Marquette has had their fair share of tough losses with single-digit setbacks against Duke (-5), Gonzaga (-3),  Wisconsin (-5), UConn (-8), at Vanderbilt (-1), at Pittsburgh (-8), at Villanova (-5), at Notre Dame (-5), and at Georgetown (-9). Though it may seem a bit ridiculous that I listed all of those losses, it goes to show that this team has been very close to winning a handful of these games and that they clearly have the talent and coaching to compete with nearly anyone. Marquette does boast wins of Notre Dame, Syracuse, and West Virginia (all in Milwaukee) but the chances to get another notable victory are running out with only an away game with UConn providing for NCAA resume material. Buzz William’s needs to get his squad to at least 19 wins by season’s end for his squad to go dancing and that could very well happen with two games remaining against Seton Hall and home dates with Providence and Cincinnati.

Rankings and standings courtesy ESPN.com, RPI Rankings from RealTimeRPI.com, and Strength of schedule from teamrankings.com.

National Signing Day is Among Us

One of the most common sayings in sports is “defense wins championships.” However, in college athletics that idiom should be changed to “recruiting wins championships.” Because it doesn’t matter what kind of performance you have on the practice field, if you don’t have the right players to execute the plan, a defense or an offense can’t win championships.

Thus, the recruiting trail for the 2011 Class comes to an unofficial end tomorrow with National Signing Day. While most media outlets will only linger on the Jimmys and Joes of recruiting, the Big Beast will keep you posted on who your team signs, what those recruits could mean for the future, and complete conference recruiting rankings. Be sure to check back throughout the upcoming week for the latest in recruiting, and the repercussions of National Signing Day.

Big East Owns the Top 10

Four Big East teams captured spots in this week’s AP Top 10. Pittsburgh clocked in at No.2, with Connecticut at No.5, Villanova at No.8, and Syracuse at No.9. This isn’t much of a surprise as many of these teams have been in the Top 10 for much of the season.

Three more teams from the Big East placed in this week’s Top 25 with Notre Dame at No.15, Georgetown at No. 21, and Louisville is No. 23. Cincinnati and West Virginia both dropped from the rankings following losses last week but the Bearcats are No. 26 and the Mountaineers No. 28 respectively.

For a complete list of the rankings you can visit here.

WVU Adds Two

Breaking News – West Virginia University received two verbal commitments today for their 2010-11 football class. The commits come after an important weekend for the Mountaineers in which they had several high-profile players visiting.

The first commitment comes from Pennsylvania dual-threat QB Terrell Chestnut. The 5-10, 178 pound athlete had originally committed to play for West Virginia rival Pittsburgh, but reneged on his word following the Panthers’ coaching change(s). Chestnut’s commitment could prove pivotal for either side of the ball at the college level, as many recruiting services have him listed as a 3 to 4-star player at either the quarterback or safety position.

The Mountaineers second commitment is a rather surprising one. Florida running back Andrew Buie had reportedly narrowed his focus down to two schools, Louisville and Auburn. However, new WVU offensive coordinator and head coach in-waiting Dana Holgorsen and his staff must have impressed the Sunshine State speedster as his verbal comes a week after his first visit to Morgantown. Buie is considered a steal for WVU as nearly every major SEC program sought Buie’s 4-star services.

While it remains to be seen if either players will follow through with their commitments and sign with the Mountaineers on the up-coming national signing day, this must be viewed as good news to WVU fans. Clearly Holgorsen’s resume, and most recent success at Oklahoma State, is a key factor in bringing both of these standout players to Morgantown. Now to see if West Virginia can hold onto their big-name recruits, unlike in past years.

The Big Beast Blog will feature conference-wide coverage of national signing day on February 2, 2011. Remember to check back often for the latest in recruiting news and updates.