2007-08 College Basketball Preview
West Virginia
By Joe Giardina

The West Virginia Mountaineers return five of their top six scorers from last season's NIT Championship team. But don't be surprised if you don't recognize them this year.

Under coach John Beilein, the Mountaineers were known for their 1-3-1 zone defense, as well as their outside shooting. But Beilein has taken his 551 career wins to Ann Arbor, and former Kansas State and Cincinnati head coach Bob Huggins has taken over. Huggins is returning to his Alma Mater after leading the Wildcats to 23 wins last year, their most in 19 seasons.

Huggins is no stranger to east coast hoops, having coached at Cincinnati for 16 seasons, leading them to 14 NCAA Tournaments and one Final Four. While he likes to score, the days of the Mountaineers' 3-point firing range are over. So are the days of their zone trapping defense as Huggins brings with him a more physical man-to-man defense.