West Virginia Men's Basketball Head Coach Bob Huggins Arrested for DUI in Pittsburgh
Jun 17, 2023
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - MARCH 16: Head coach Bob Huggins of the West Virginia Mountaineers reacts during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Legacy Arena at the BJCC on March 16, 2023 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
West Virginia University men's basketball head coach Bob Huggins was arrested Friday night in Pittsburgh for driving under the influence.
According to Chris Anderson of 247Sports, the arrest report states that Huggins was in an SUV that was in the middle of the road and blocking traffic due to a flat tire. When police asked him to pull to the side of the road, they saw him having difficulty moving the vehicle, at which point they administered a field sobriety test, which Huggins failed.
Per the criminal complaint against Huggins, he failed multiple sobriety tests and had a blood-alcohol level of .210, which is over 2.5 times the legal limit:
Parts of the criminal complaint against Bob Huggins, obtained by CBS Sports, which includes an alarming .210 breathalyzer reading “after multiple failed attempts.”
The 69-year-old Huggins is set to enter his 17th season at WVU after previously serving as the head coach at Akron, Cincinnati and Kansas State.
Per Anderson, Huggins was previously arrested for DUI in 2004 while at Cincinnati. Huggins pleaded no contest, and was removed from his position with the Bearcats in 2005.
Last month, Huggins twice used an anti-gay slur during a radio interview, resulting in West Virginia suspending him for three games, reducing his salary by $1 million and requiring him to attend sensitivity training.
The school also amended his contract from a multi-year deal to one that will be re-evaluated on a year-to-year basis.
According to Anderson, WVU president Gordon Gee said at the time: "We have made it explicitly clear to Coach Huggins that any incidents of similar derogatory and offensive language will result in immediate termination."
Huggins owns a career record of 935-414 as a collegiate head coach, placing him eighth on the all-time wins list among men's college coaches.
He has taken teams to the NCAA tournament 26 times, including Final Four appearances with Cincinnati in 1992 and West Virginia in 2010.
The three-time Conference USA Coach of the Year and one-time Big 12 Coach of the Year has led the Mountaineers to the tourney 11 times out of 15 opportunities, including last season when they went 19-15 and were knocked out in the first round by Maryland.
Huggins was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame last year in recognition of his consistent success as a college head coach.
Bob Huggins Suspended by WVU for Anti-Gay Slur, Has $1M Docked from Amended Contract
May 10, 2023
AMES, IA - FEBRUARY 27: Head coach Bob Huggins of the West Virginia Mountaineers looks at the game clock in the second half of play at Hilton Coliseum on February 27, 2023 in Ames, Iowa. The West Virginia Mountaineers won 72-69 over the Iowa State Cyclones. (Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images)
Bob Huggins is going to return for a 17th season as the head coach of the West Virginia men's basketball team.
According to a release from the school, Huggins will undergo sensitivity training, be suspended for the first three regular-season games of the 2023-24 season and have his salary docked by $1 million after using an anti-gay slur during a radio appearance.
Huggins' contract has also been "amended from a multi-year agreement to a year-by-year agreement that will begin on May 10, 2023, and end on April 30, 2024."
The school added it has "made it explicitly clear to Coach Huggins that any incidents of similar derogatory and offensive language will result in immediate termination."
Terms of Huggins' return come after he used an anti-gay slur during an appearance on 700 WLW's Bill Cunningham Show on Monday. He was discussing his time as head coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats from 1989 through 2005 when he used the slur.
Joe Lucia of Awful Announcing transcribed some of the conversation:
Huggins: "Any school that can throw rubber penises on the floor and then say they didn't do it, by god they can get away with anything.
Cunningham: "I think it was transgender night wasn't it?
Huggins: "It was a Crosstown Shootout, yea, no, what it was, was all those f--s, those Catholic f--s I think.
Cunningham: "All right.
Huggins: "They were envious they didn't have one.
Huggins released a statement in the aftermath of his comments in which he apologized to Xavier, Cincinnati and West Virginia:
"As I have shared with my players over my 40 years of coaching, there are consequences for our words and actions, and I will fully accept any coming my way," it said. "I am ashamed and embarrassed and heartbroken for those I have hurt. I must do better, and I will."
West Virginia also released a statement, which said the comments "do not represent our university values."
It also said the school was reviewing the situation and would address it in the future:
Xavier-Cincinnati remains one of college basketball's most heated rivalries, and Huggins has expressed dislike toward the Musketeers program in the past even after he was done leading the Bearcats.
After leaving Cincinnati, he coached at Kansas State for one season in 2006-07 before accepting the West Virginia job.
He has led the Mountaineers program since 2007 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.
Huggins signed a two-year extension in August 2021 that runs through the 2023-24 season but also gives him the option to extend his tenure through the 2026-27 academic year. The original terms of the deal paid him an average salary of $4.15 million, with all but $250,000 of that figure coming in supplemental pay.
West Virginia HC Bob Huggins Uses Anti-Gay Slur to Describe Xavier Fans
May 8, 2023
KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 09: West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins watches the run of play during the Big12 Tournament game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the West Virginia Mountaineers on Thursday March 9, 2023 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
West Virginia men's basketball head coach Bob Huggins used an anti-gay slur when discussing Xavier fans during a radio appearance on Monday.
Joe Lucia of Awful Announcing transcribed part of Huggins' appearance on 700 WLW's Bill Cunningham Show in which Huggins, who used to coach Xavier's rival, the Cincinnati Bearcats, called Musketeers fans "f--s" when talking about an apparent incident during a game between the two schools:
Huggins: "Any school that can throw rubber penises on the floor and then say they didn't do it, by god they can get away with anything.
Cunningham: "I think it was transgender night wasn't it?
Huggins: "It was a Crosstown Shootout, yeah, no, what it was, was all those f--s, those Catholic f--s I think.
Cunningham: "All right.
Huggins: "They were envious they didn't have one.
Huggins said in a statement Monday that he will "fully accept" any consequences coming his way:
Huggins coached Cincinnati from 1989-90 through 2004-05 before moving on to Kansas State for one season in 2006-07.
The Musketeers were coached by Pete Gillen, Skip Prosser, Thad Matta and Sean Miller when Huggins was on the other sideline of the rivalry.
Xavier-Cincinnati is one of college basketball's most heated rivalries that infamously featured an on-court brawl in 2011 after Huggins was no longer the head coach of the Bearcats. Officials from both schools temporarily moved the annual game to a neutral site in the ensuing years in an effort to avoid such incidents.
Huggins has been the head coach at West Virginia since 2007.
Syracuse's Jesse Edwards Chooses WVU Transfer over Kansas, Michigan, Gonzaga and More
Apr 16, 2023
ATLANTA, GA JANUARY 21: Syracuse center Jesse Edwards (14) reacts during a college basketball game between the Syracuse Orange and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on January 21st, 2023 at Hank McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Former Syracuse center Jesse Edwards is transferring to West Virginia ahead of the 2023-24 season, he told ESPN's Jonathan Givony on Sunday.
"I felt it was time for a fresh start," Edwards said. "I needed a new environment to challenge myself in, and I think West Virginia is just that. I've met some great people on my visit here, and the campus looks amazing. This team could be something special."
Edwards chose West Virginia over Kansas, Michigan, Gonzaga, Texas Tech and Virginia Tech.
Edwards was ranked the No. 3 player available in the transfer portal by ESPN's Jeff Borzello. Michigan center Hunter Dickinson and Creighton point guard Ryan Nembhard were ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.
The Amsterdam native has one year of NCAA eligibility remaining. Having played 95 games in his first four seasons, Edwards is one of the most experienced players in college basketball entering the 2023-24 season.
The 6'11", 230-pound center put together the best season of his career in 2022-23, averaging 14.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 1.6 assists in 32 games while shooting 59.2 percent from the floor.
The 23-year-old told Givony that playing against NBA players while representing the Dutch national team at the FIBA Eurobasket last summer helped lead to his breakout year with the Orange.
"Seeing what real pros play like prepped me in a way that was very helpful in my mental game," Edwards said. "It was a great learning experience going into last season and a lot of fun."
Edwards also added that transferring to West Virginia for more name, image and likeness opportunities was "a bonus" but that he wanted to make the move "to have a fresh start and a new challenge."
Edwards now joins a loaded frontcourt for the Mountaineers that includes Jimmy Bell Jr., James Okonkwo and Mohamed Wague.
West Virginia finished the 2022-23 season with a 19-15 record and was eliminated from the NCAA tournament in the round of 64.
WVU Coach Bob Huggins Talks Big 12 Realignment, Kenyon Martin, More in B/R AMA
Oct 12, 2022
SPRINGFIELD, MA - SEPTEMBER 10: 2022 Hall of Fame Inductee Bob Huggins speaks to the audience during the 2022 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony on September 10, 2022 at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
Bob Huggins is one of the most successful college basketball coaches of this generation. The 69-year-old became a head coach during the 1980-81 season when he was hired by Walsh University in Canton, Ohio.
After a three-year stint with the Cavaliers, Walsh spent one season as an assistant at Central Florida. He moved on to Akron before getting his first high-profile job at the University of Cincinnati in 1989.
Huggins went 399-127 with 14 NCAA tournament appearances in 16 seasons with the Bearcats. He was at Kansas State for the 2006-07 season before being hired by his alma mater, West Virginia, in April 2007.
Heading into his 16th season at West Virginia, Huggins ranks second in program history in games (514) and wins (326). His 10 NCAA tournament appearances are the most in school history, and he's one of only two Mountaineers coaches to reach the Final Four (Fred Schaus in 1959).
Huggins was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame over the summer as part of the class of 2022. His 916 career wins as a head coach are the fourth-most in men's Division I history.
As Huggins prepares to lead West Virginia into the 2022-23 season, he sat down with B/R for an AMA about the Big 12 realignment, past players he's coached and the outlook for this year's squad.
Coach, obviously an interesting time in the Big 12, some of the mainstays departing from the conference but also bringing in some new member schools real soon. Cincinnati and Houston have definitely made some waves in recent tournaments...How do you feel about conference expansion and getting that sort of shakeup?
Sometimes I think shakeups are good. In our case, we’re losing two great schools, but we’re replacing them with more neat schools. You hate to see them go but you’re excited to see what the new schools can bring to the table.
@Channing Have you ever thought about WVU in a different conference down the road?
No, not really. I didn’t know much about the Big 12. I went to Kansas State and I found out real quickly how good the Big 12 was. I think my first two games, one of them was against Coach Knight and the other against Rick Barnes. So now you’re looking around like: ‘I hope everybody ain’t like this’ … but they are. We have great coaches in the league. We have great players. We’ve had more NBA draft picks than any other league. We’ve had more first rounders than any other league. When you combine great coaches with great players, it’s a heck of a league.
@ReidVandy Among opposing Big 12 arenas, is there one environment that sticks out that either the crowd makes things tough or every time you know that game is coming up, you feel a special energy about it?
I don’t like going to Kansas. Bill and I are great friends but it’s hard to make adjustments. It’s so loud. It’s a great home atmosphere for them, but for the opposing team it’s rough just because of the noise. The noise is off the charts. I don’t do sign language so they can’t hear ya. Unless they read lips, it’s hard.
@WVU005 Which opposing coach was always toughest to go against not because the quality of their team necessarily but because you felt like they always are prepared or make the right adjustments?
I think that’s multiple guys. It would be hard to say it’s one coach. The coaches in our league are great at making adjustments. They are great at taking people and putting them in positions that are most advantageous to them. The coaches are terrific. The great thing is we all get along. When we get the opportunity to see each other, we enjoy it. It’s an extremely hard league, and to a large degree because the coaches are fantastic.
@DainfamousB What do you like about this year’s Mountaineers squad? (Obviously a bit of a more mature team, different dynamic perhaps)
The biggest thing is we can make shots. We have multiple guys that can make shots. We have three guys who haven’t really been on the floor yet, as they’re healing up from injuries. Those are also able to make shots. The hardest teams to guard are the ones in which everybody can make shots. You can’t help off one guy on someone who is having a good night because those guys who you helped off of are very capable as well.
@KToler What’s one word you would use to define this year’s team?
Courageous. I think we got a lot of guys that made tough choices. We have guys who came from the state of Washington. They had to go get a plane ticket and fly across the country and come here with a great attitude, which is important and they did. They came here with a fantastic attitude.
@StephenWallace14 Let’s talk Kenyon Martin. Guy had a great 4 years at Cincy. What do you remember about his recruitment?
He was a great competitor. Incredible. On top of that, he had ungodly athleticism. He could run, he could jump, he could move his feet. Ken could do virtually anything. Sadly, we were on our way to winning a national championship and he broke his leg. When you think about it: here’s a guy who broke his leg, got it healed up and played years after the injury, and played very well. He went No. 1 with a broken leg. That’s how good he was.
@WVUgirl101 Any tips for staying motivated after such a long time coaching?
I love basketball. I was born in a home where basketball was really important. When I was born, my dad was still playing. As a little kid, I didn’t remember a whole lot of it, but I remember my dad playing. He then went on to become probably the most famous coach in the history of Ohio basketball. I’ve been blessed. … I’ve been around coaches my whole life. I’ve been around a guy named Ed McCluskey who was one of the greatest coaches in Pennsylvania and he was like my grandfather. When I went to Walsh and I thought I knew what I was doing, he was one of the guys who helped me. I’ve been blessed to be around some of the greats. Coach Knight and I had a great relationship. Jimmy V and I had a great relationship. Roy Williams and I today are still very good friends. I’ve been around the best and the brightest and shame on me if I didn’t learn something from it.
@JasonKessler16 If you had to put together 5 former WVU players to execute your signature press defense, who are you going with?
You probably put Nate Adrian on the ball. Jevon Carter is going to take one of the guards. It’s hard from there. I don’t know if you put Tarik Phillip or Daxter Miles, but one of those two on the other guard. You got to have Sagaba Konate in the back because he blocked everything. I guess that’s five. That would be one heck of a pressing team.
@ChuckSailor (I know you have the treadmill that you’re known for at practice.) Have you ever thought of any other unconventional techniques for teaching players like ping pong for hand-eye coordination or anything of that sort?
We haven't done ping pong. We have done a lot of other things, but we haven’t done ping pong. Shaun Brown, our strength coach, is terrific. When our position opened up, I called 3 guys I worked with in the past and they all said hire Shaun Brown and he has been fantastic. He does a great job with our guys.
@Just_in_Time Who was the first person to call you Huggy Bear? Have you been called any other nicknames throughout your career?
I absolutely have no idea where that came from. It may have happened when I was at Cincinnati, but I don’t know if that’s for sure.
@d_jonesy Was there a time in which you got ejected when you were like: “ya I probably deserved that one”?
I think the majority of times that happens, I deserved it, generally. We have crazy rules. It used to be if it stepped out on the floor as a coach, but today they give you a little bit more leeway.
@WVPizzadog In your own words, what makes a good recruiter?
Honesty. If you are honest with a guy and they know you are honest. If they can trust you and their parents feel like they can trust you that goes a long way.
@D_Jonesy Now that you’re a Hall of Famer, what is still on your basketball bucket list?
Winning a national championship. At least one.
@JHeim19 Funniest player you’ve ever coached?
Probably Taevon. He made everyone laugh.
@Hbraz98 What is your favorite and least favorite Halloween candy?
I don’t really like any of them. It makes me happy when my wife’s giving them away.
@HBraz98 Favorite thanksgiving food item?
Turkey. We have turkey, we have ham, we have everything. Generally, we have the players who can’t get home over. Whatever they like, my wife cooks up. They wouldn’t come and eat if I did it
Bob Huggins Suggests Separate NCAA Basketball Tournament for Major Schools
Oct 20, 2021
West Virginia coach Bob Huggins speaks to the media during Big 12 NCAA college basketball media day Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Bob Huggins-coached teams have a long history of being knocked out of the NCAA tournament by higher-seeded teams.
Well, the West Virginia coach has an idea that could stop that from happening: get rid of Cinderellas entirely.
Huggins suggested major conference teams extract themselves from the NCAA tournament and create an event of their own while speaking Wednesday at Big 12 media day.
"They're doing it in football," Huggins said, per Myron Medcalf of ESPN. "Why wouldn't they do it? The presidents and athletic directors that have all the juice, why wouldn't they do it? Makes no sense why they wouldn't do it. I think it's more 'Why wouldn't they?' than 'Why would they?' And then, the other people, they can have their own tournament."
Let's start out with the fact that Huggins' basic premise is flawed. The College Football Playoff is currently considering expansion that would make it more likely—not less so—that a non-Power Five school makes the tournament. Expanding the playoffs would offer non-power schools their best shot at competing for a national title in decades.
Furthermore, the gap between major conference teams in football is exponentially higher than in basketball. Division 1 college football teams can give out 85 scholarships, compared with 13 basketball scholarships. There is also the matter of the NBA's one-and-done rule making things more difficult for higher-level basketball programs. Alabama football can hoard a never-ending assembly line of 5-star recruits that have been in Nick Saban's system years before getting significant playing time. John Calipari has a whole new starting five every season at Kentucky.
The most experienced teams in March tend to be mid-majors that can strike fear into talented-but-young major programs. Huggins-coached teams have been knocked out in the first weekend of the NCAA tournament 16 times in his 25 appearances. Since becoming a "major conference" coach at West Virginia, Huggins has lost in the first weekend to a non-power team on three occasions.
This certainly isn't an argument about competitive balance.
Huggins' argument seems to be about money: "Those Cinderella schools are putting 200 people, at best, in their gym. We're putting 14,000."
College basketball makes the overwhelming majority of its money via the NCAA Tournament, in large part because fans love its novelty and television networks value three weeks' worth of highly watched television. Stripping it down and creating something that is unlikely to attract as many fans—particularly casuals who adore Cinderellas—seems more likely to lose the schools money, rather than creating some financial bonanza.
Bob Huggins, West Virginia Agree to 2-Year Contract Extension
Aug 27, 2021
West Virginia coach Bob Huggins reacts during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Oklahoma State Saturday, March 6, 2021, in Morgantown, W.Va. (AP Photo/Kathleen Batten)
West Virginia men's basketball head coach Bob Huggins has agreed to a two-year contract extension that will keep him in Morgantown through the 2023-24 season. The school announced the news Friday.
Huggins also has the option to continue coaching or lengthen his relationship with WVU through June 30, 2027.
Huggins will receive an annualized salary of $4.2 million for each of his remaining seasons as head coach, and all of the revenue will be generated by the athletics department ($250,000 in base pay, rest in supplemental pay). In addition, Huggins can earn annual performance incentives.
He will also get Emeritus status within the athletic department after he finishes as head coach, per the program's official website:
Huggins could defer his term of Emeritus status and continue to serve as head coach beyond the 2023-24 season with an annual mutual agreement between Huggins and the director of athletics on or before May 1, 2023, and each subsequent May 1 thereafter. His Emeritus status would continue for not less than two fiscal years through at least June 30, 2027. If Huggins continues to coach beyond June 30, 2027, he will have a minimum of two fiscal years of Emeritus status.
The 67-year-old Huggins has 900 head-coaching wins on his resume. He's been with West Virginia since 2007-08 and has led the Mountaineers to the NCAA tournament in all but three of his seasons. Huggins led West Virginia to the Final Four in 2010.
Huggins was previously a head coach at Walsh College (1980-83), Akron (1984-89), Cincinnati (1989-05) and Kansas State (2006-07).
He notably led Cincinnati to the NCAA tournament from 1991-92 to 2004-05, guiding the Bearcats to the Final Four in 1992.
Last year's Mountaineers team went 19-10. It earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament before losing to No. 11 Syracuse in the round of 32. West Virginia's first-round win over No. 14 Morehead State was the 900th of Huggins' career.
Miles McBride's GW Basket Lifts No. 11 WVU Past Mac McClung, No. 10 Texas Tech
Jan 25, 2021
West Virginia guard Miles McBride (4) during an NCAA college basketball game against Oklahoma, Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021, in Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
West Virginia's Miles McBride hit a runner with 5.9 seconds left to push the No. 11 West Virginia Mountaineers over the No. 10 Texas Tech Red Raiders 88-87 on Monday.
Texas Tech standout Mac McClung dropped 24 of his season-high 30 points in the second half, but he missed a potential game-winner at the buzzer.
McBride picked up 24 points, but he had to do some heavy lifting after West Virginia lost a 10-point lead late in the first half, failing to score in the last 3:51. The Red Raiders built a 73-61 lead on McClung's jumper with 7:53 to play, but McBride outscored Texas Tech 17-14 to help the Mountaineers finish on a 27-14 run.
The sophomore hit seven of his 12 shots from the field, including three of four from three and seven of eight from the line, adding six assists to lead both teams. McClung went 11-of-21 from the field, including four of eight from deep, and hit all but one of his five free throws.
Texas Tech shot 46.6 percent overall and made nine of 22 threes (40.9 percent). West Virginia committed 12 turnovers to the Red Raiders' two but shot 57.7 percent from the field and an impressive 63.2 percent (12-of-19) from beyond the arc.
Both teams will be back in action Saturday. Texas Tech will travel to LSU, while the Mountaineers will host Florida.
West Virginia F Oscar Tshiebwe to Sit out Season Due to Personal Reasons
Jan 1, 2021
West Virginia forward Oscar Tshiebwe (34) shoots while defended by North Texas forward Zachary Simmons (24) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Friday, Dec. 11, 2020, in Morgantown, W.Va. (AP Photo/Kathleen Batten)
The West Virginia men's basketball team will be without one of its starters for the rest of the year with forward Oscar Tshiebwe stepping away from the program for personal reasons, per Jeff Borzello of ESPN.
Mountaineers head coach Bob Huggins said Friday there was no chance he returns this season, and it didn't catch him by surprise, via Anjelica Trinone of Gold and Blue Nation.
"Oscar has our full support, and we certainly wish him the best during this time," Huggins said.
The sophomore is averaging 8.5 points and 7.8 rebounds in 10 games to begin the 2020-21 season.
Tshiebwe was even better as a freshman, averaging 11.2 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game while leading the team in all three categories. He was selected to the Big 12 All-Freshman team and was named second-team all-conference.
The production was enough for him to consider declaring for the 2020 NBA draft, but he withdrew his name and returned to school.
The Congo native has seen a smaller role this season, ranking fifth on the team in scoring.
It has worked for West Virginia, which is currently ranked ninth in the country and is 8-2 going into Saturday's game against Oklahoma. Missing Tshiebwe is significant, however, with depth becoming an even bigger factor after losing highly touted freshman Isaiah Cottrell to atorn Achilles.
Derek Culver will take on a bigger role in the post with Gabe Osabuohien potentially getting more playing time.
West Virginia to Replace Tennessee at Jimmy V Classic, Will Face Gonzaga Dec. 2
Nov 25, 2020
West Virginia guards Jordan McCabe (5), Sean McNeil (22), forward Oscar Tshiebwe (34), and guard Miles McBride (4) celebrate after a score against Baylor during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, March 7, 2020, in Morgantown, W.Va. (AP Photo/Kathleen Batten)
West Virginia will replace Tennessee in the men's basketball Jimmy V Classic on Dec. 2 after the Volunteers had a COVID-19 breakout at the school, per Jeff Borzello of ESPN, which included a positive test result for head coach Rick Barnes.
The No. 15 Mountaineers will face preseason No. 1 Gonzaga.
The other game in the Jimmy V Classic will see No. 2 Baylor take on No. 8 Illinois that same day.
West Virginia will open its season on Wednesday night against South Dakota State at the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic in South Dakota. As for Gonzaga swapping out Tennessee with West Virginia, the Bulldogs will still face a difficult stretch to start the season, with four top-15 teams—No. 6Kansas, West Virginia, Baylor and No. 5Iowa—on deck.
"It's kind of what we've always tried to do here," Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said regarding the tough early slate. "This year, it becomes even more special, seeking out these high-profile games, trying to make it as special as I can for my players. Games they're really excited to play."
Tennessee, meanwhile, became the latest team to have to cancel or postpone an early-season game due to the coronavirus in what has already become a tumultuous start to the 2020-21 season.
We’re not even at 1 p.m. ET and we’ve had Duke and Arizona cancel it’s season-openers, Baylor out of Mohegan Sun and now Tennessee’s Rick Barnes tests positive for COVID.
The Volunteers also canceled scheduled games against Charlotte and VCU this week. A Dec. 4 game against Notre Dame that was being discussed as a potential matchup has also been canned.
The team saidin a statement: "Barring additional setbacks, the program aims to return to action on Saturday, Dec. 5, with its first game currently set for Dec. 12 against Cincinnati at Thompson-Boling Arena. Head coach Rick Barnes, who has been diagnosed with the virus and is in isolation at his home, is experiencing very mild symptoms but is generally feeling well."
