Huggins is seriously considering the West Virginia job

[Sam Hall]

I don't understand why he would leave KSU after one year, knowing his team had a bright future. He could build KSU basketball into something they haven't seen in Manhattan. Huggins doesn't seem like the most loyal guy if he were to stay one more year but leave with Beasley and Walker.

Huggins mulls leaving K-State for West Virginia

April 4, 2007
By Gary Parrish
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer

An impromptu rally on campus designed to raise support to help Kansas State keep Bob Huggins was canceled Wednesday night amid speculation the West Virginia graduate could be close to returning to his alma mater after one season with the Wildcats.

A source close to the situation told CBS SportsLine.com over the weekend that if John Beilein left for Michigan, then Huggins would be West Virginia's top target. Now, according to another source, Huggins is seriously considering the opportunity, but he's struggling with whether to pursue his desire of returning to the Big East at the expense of walking away from a Kansas State roster full of elite-level talents who would've never considered attending KSU if not for Huggins luring them to a remote part of the country far away from their homes.

Most notably, that list includes Bill Walker and Michael Beasley. Both could've gone anywhere in the nation, but each picked Kansas State -- hardly a traditional basketball power, at least in recent years -- based solely on Huggins or hires Huggins made upon accepting the KSU job a little more than a year ago.

According to a source, the ideal situation for Huggins would've been for the West Virginia job to open after next season, that way he could've exited Kansas State at the same time Walker and Beasley presumably turned pro. In other words, a move to West Virginia would've been a no-brainer for Huggins after the 2007-08 season, but under these circumstances, at this point, he's genuinely torn.

If Huggins leaves the trickle-down effect could be interesting.

Walker, a rising sophomore, is probably stuck at KSU regardless because transferring would force the 6-foot-6 wing to miss all of next season before regaining his eligibility -- meaning that's a senseless move considering Walker will likely enter the 2008 NBA Draft. But if Huggins left Kansas State, Beasley would almost certainly ask for his release from a national letter of intent, and if it was granted, the incoming freshman would be free to reopen his recruitment or perhaps even follow Huggins to West Virginia if KSU didn't object.

Attempts Wednesday to reach Huggins were unsuccessful.

Huggins led Kansas State to the NIT this past season. The Wildcats finished 23-12 overall. Prior to KSU, Huggins compiled a 399-127 record in 16 seasons at Cincinnati before resigning under pressure in August 2005. The forced resignation came a year after a highly publicized DUI arrest.