--Bob Huggins has a new contract with the Mountaineers. Of course, Huggins never signed his last deal, so there's no certainty that he's inked this one. But it's worth up to $20 million over 10 years if Huggins meets certain escalators and has a base salary this year of $250,000 -- with $1.25 million in so-called supplemental income. His salary will bump by at least $100,000 each year.

Huggins' contract includes a $4 million buyout clause. That matches the number included in the contract of Rich Rodriguez, whose choice to bolt for Michigan has become an infamous broken deal in college sports annals.

FINAL RECORD
26-11 overall, 11-7 in Big East, 5th place.

WHAT WENT RIGHT
The entire team immediately bought into Bob Huggins' system and tough love way of teaching from the beginning. They went from a soft, finesse team into one that hit the boards hard and played aggressive defense. F Joe Alexander carried the team through the final days of the regular season and to the semis of the Big East tournament, dropping 32 and 34 on Connecticut in consecutive meetings. F Wellington Smith came out of nowhere -- and Huggins' dog house -- to become a superb shot blocker and rebounder and PG Joe Mazzulla displayed the kind of toughness Huggins likes.

WHAT WENT WRONG
West Virginia was unable to win close games, which kept them out of the rankings. They didn't get a last-second goaltending call that could have been made in a one-point loss to Georgetown when Patrick Ewing Jr. blocked Da'Sean Butler's layup attempt, they lost at the buzzer to Pitt on a 3-point shot by Ronald Ramon, they lost by two points to Tennessee and in overtime to Oklahoma. Personnel-wise senior C Jamie Smalligan, who always had been a threat from 3-point range, failed to hit from the outside all season, finishing below 20 percent on 3-point shots. The Mountaineers closed out the season in the Sweet 16, blowing two chances to beat Xavier after falling 18 down in the first half, F Joe Alexander missing a free throw in the final seconds of regulation and then blowing a six-point lead in the overtime period.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"I'm pleased overall, but you always want to do better." -- Coach Bob Huggins on reaching the Sweet 16 in his first season at his alma mater.

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