Huggins had Duke in office pool, has mixed feelings about surprise win

MORGANTOWN, WV — West Virginia head basketball coach Bob Huggins was happy that his team was able to upset Duke in the second round of the NCAA tournament, but the surprisingly subdued Huggins was quick to point out that sometimes victory comes at a price.

“This is one of the highlights of my career as a coach – I simply couldn’t be prouder of my players,” Huggins told SSNN. “But at the same time, it would’ve been nice to stay alive in my pool, at least through the Elite Eight. It’s kinda like, was beating Duke worth it, knowing that we have basically no chance at a title and this upset totally kills my bracket?”

The first-year Mountaineers coach’s selection of the Blue Devils over his own team came as a shock to many supporters of the Mountaineers, but Huggins defended his decision without hesitation. “I know they’re a little light on the bench, but they’ve got a great backcourt and I thought they’d come through in the clutch. Too bad they let me down in the end.”

Huggins insists he’s not bitter about losing his “friends and family” pool for a reported fourth consecutive year. He maintains that he is consoled by his team’s second round victory, though he did admit that the win felt “somewhat hollow” since it also meant he’ll likely finish last in the pool.

Coach Huggins grudgingly acknowledges that the Mountaineers’ victory over the second-seeded Blue Devils is “great for the University, the players and the faithful fans of West Virginia basketball, but still – what about me? What about my own personal satisfaction? I’m a whirlwind of conflicting emotions right now.

“I’m glad our guys came back after struggling in the first half – the showed a lot of grit,” Huggins said. “But sometimes players have to see the big picture, instead of acting so selfishly.”

It’s going to be tough for this sport to sweep any nations, but it’s still pretty frickin’ cool!