Huggins, Calipari to meet in Morgantown
Park Community Center in Morgantown. Calipari will appear at the sixth annual Bob Huggins fish fry to raise funds for cancer research in honor of Huggins’ late mother, Norma Mae, and for the families of fallen West Virginia miners.
“Yourealize when you are putin the position that we havebeen, you’ve got to leverageit to do something goodto help people,” Calipari said.
TheHuggins fish fry has becomeone of the great events in college basketball. Morethan 1,500 people will be there with tickets starting at $100.Calipari and Huggins eachsigned 200 basketballs that will sell for $200 each.
“I finally had to call [Huggins]and tell him, ‘No more balls.I’m missing practice to sign all your basketballs,’ “Calipari said.
“What’sthe big deal? I told himI’d send him a few balls tosign. To me, 200 is a few,” Hugginssaid.
Huggins’fish fries have raised $1.35 million for the WVUCancer Institute. His motherdied of colon cancer in 2003. The fish fries also havegenerated more than $250,000for the Remember theMiners Scholarship Fund.“I went down to Montcoalright after the mining disaster [in 2010 that killed 29 minersat the Upper Big BranchMine],” Huggins said.“I got there right around thetime they told those familiesthat nobody would be comingout alive. That was theworst thing I’ve ever walkedinto in my life.”
Hugginsand Calipari have knowneach other since the 1970sthanks to mutual friend JoeFryz, who played basketballwith Huggins at West Virginiaand Calipari at MoonHigh School. They becamecloser through another mutualfriend, J.O. Stright, a prominentPittsburgh businessmanand AAU basketballcoach. Eventually, they woundup coaching in the sameleague, Huggins at Cincinnatiand Calipari at Memphis.Huggins dominated theirearly games, which leadsto one of the best stories about their relationship.
Calipariwas one of the first to visit Huggins at the MedicalCenter of Beaver Countyafter Huggins had a massiveheart attack in September2002 at the Pittsburgh Airportwhile on a recruiting trip.“He still had paddle markson his chest when I sawhim,” Calipari said. One ofthe emergency medical technicianswho brought Hugginsback to life was Calipari’scousin, Mark Stock, whotold Huggins in the ambulanceon the way to the hospital, “I can’t let you die untilCal beats you at least onetime.”
“That’s100 percent a true story,”Huggins said.
“It’samazing what he’s donesince then,” Calipari said of Huggins. “It’s a blessing.”
Hugginsis 8-3 against Calipari, although Calipari’s Kentuckyteam beat Huggins andWest Virginia twice in thepast seven NCAA tournaments. Calipari’s 2014-15 team,which was 38-0 before it lostto Wisconsin in the Final Foursemifinals, handed Hugginshis most lopsided loss,78-39, in the Midwest Regional semifinals.
“Peoplehave told me Cal shouldhave gone easy on his buddy,”Huggins said. “I tell them,‘What was he supposed todo? He only had 12 players andhe played all of ‘em.’ “
Calipari’sKentucky team wonthe national championshipin 2012. He was inducted intothe Naismith Basketball Hallof Fame in September 2015.
“He’sreally good,” Hugginssaid. “His teams defend waybetter than anyone gives himcredit for. He runs a good offense…
“Peopledon’t realize how hardit is to do what he does [withone-and-done players]. Hegets those kind of players toplay together in a short periodof time. Are they talented? They’re incredibly talented.But there’s more to it thanthat.”
Huggins’36-year coaching recordis 835-334, the wins rankingseventh all-time, thirdamong active coaches behindMike Krzyzewski and JimBoeheim. His 1992 Cincinnatiteam and his 2010 WestVirginia team went to theFinal Four — the Mountaineersbeat Calipari’s Kentuckyteam in the East Regionalfinal to get there — but hedidn’t win a national championship.
“Thatshouldn’t keep him outof the Hall of Fame,” Caliparisaid. “I’m glad he’s up for itthis year. My guess is he’ll bevoted in. He deserves it …
“We’reboth basketball guyswho weren’t handed anything.He and I have had totake the hard road. I came throughMassachusetts and Memphis.No disrespect to them,but that’s not like coachingin the ACC or the BigEast your whole career. Hewas at Walsh College and Akron.Where’s Akron?”
WestVirginia appears to havea better chance than Kentuckyof a deep NCAA tournamentrun this season. TheMountaineers are the onlyteam to have beaten No. 2Virginia and also beat No. 12Oklahoma. “We’re pretty goodif we can just make a shot,”Huggins said.
Kentucky is struggling — at least by Calipari’s high standards — with losses last week to South Carolina on the road and Florida at home. “We’ve had injuries in addition to being young,” Calipari said. “But you know what? This group needs to be knocked around a little. I’m too old to go through it. I’m not a 35-yearold coach anymore. But these kids need it.”
Huggins,for one, isn’t buying Calipari’s poor-is-me routine.
“Cal’s gotten spoiled. His idea of getting his [tail] kicked is losing two games in a season.”
What a great weekend it’s going to be in Morgantown.