Remember the Alamo!

Well, the WVU season comes to a close in one of the most exciting 2nd halves of basketball you're likely to see all year. Unfortunately for the Mountaineers, this loss will mark the departure of one of the most talented senior classes in recent memory. Sure, they weren't as flashy as most... okay, they weren't as flashy as a trailer park... or maybe they were exactly as flashy as a trailer park. Either way, the NCAA equivalent to Home Interior decor will be leaving us this year as Kevin Pittsnogle, Mike Gansey, Patrick Beliein, Joe Herber and J.D. Collins all move on to other things. Some may make it to the NBA, some the CBA, some will buy giant car dealerships in the St. Albans area of Southwestern West Virginia, and one may likely make a strong run for the office of Governor. But, no matter where the future takes them they'll certainly always have a permanent place in the hearts of fans of a football school that, if only for a couple of seasons, really made the state proud.

They were really interesting characters. Kevin Pittsnogle, the giant perimeter shooter disguised as a center covered in tattoos and playing out the rest of the season for his newborn son. Mike Gansey, the quietest man in basketball history of whom a friend once remarked, "that guy could go 7 for 10 shooting from the parking lot." Patrick Beliein, a clutch player and often-overlooked talent that made being the coach's son acceptable. Joe Herber, a German scholar that maintained a 4.0 GPA and was openly puzzled by the lack of scholastic dedication in his teammates. Finally, J.D. Collins, the least famous of the five but quite possibly the most famous in West Virginia circles for loudly announcing how dangerous his "white boys" were on the court.

Losing five players with that kind of talent may very well knock the Mountaineers back a few paces in the next couple of seasons, that's to be expected. However, with Beliein's unorthodox coaching style and penchant for recruitment of players that everyone else seems to have overlooked we may find ourselves having this same discussion next year. I can only hope.