Bob Huggins torches Marshall's basketball program after WVU-MU game

West Virginia beat Marshall 69-66 in the state's annual Capital Classic game on Sunday in Charleston.

After the game, Marshall's coach Dan D'Antoni said in the press conference about continuing the WVU-Marshall rivalry: "It's good for the state. If they back out now they're afraid of us. We're coming back."

On his call-in show, Huggins decided to pretty much obliterate Marshall.

quote:

---

I probably coached a thousand games. And now I'm scared. Scared to play Marshall. Scared to death...must have been when I turned 61 that the fear set in because I've never been afraid before. But that's what the word is. I guess I'm getting old.... The whole thing's comical. I happen to get the paper. We have a little column about what a rivalry we have. But really the headline is the University High girls. And above that Trickett's in limbo. And they think this is a rivalry... How can it be a rivalry when they don't even write about it in the paper. I mean, those are the guys asking me the questions. 'Is this a rivalry?' Well obviously not you don't write about it. I mean, rivalries they put on the front page. They can't wait, you know what I mean? They get very excited. We obviously don't get very excited.

---

quote:

---

Let's be honest. I have all the RPIs of all the people we've played this year. Going into the game Marshall was 270. After playing us they jumped all the way up to 237. Now, you know what that would do for us if we happen not to win? We were I think 36 coming into the game. You try not to play anybody below 200, you know that. And now they want to play twice in a year? Are you kidding me?

---

quote:

---

VMI's RPI is better than Marshall's. Come on. It doesn't help us. From a pure basketball standpoint of where we want to go it does not help us. Now it helps them. I understand his standpoint, it helps them. Oh, to get us to come in, fill their place with 7,000 people that's a big thing for them. It's not my job to do that. That's his job.

---

quote:

---

And the thing that's most laughable and I'll get in trouble for saying it I know but I'm to the point in my life where I really don't care. How about this: "we're back." That was their sixth loss in a row. 'We're back' alright. Honestly it becomes laughable. It's laughable. So they lose by three, "we're back." It's their sixth loss in a row. Three of them at home.

---

quote:

---

Tony: So would it bother you if the game went away?

Huggs: No.

Tony: It would not?

Huggs: No. Not at all. Not at all.

---

A lot more in the link.