Duke cruised to its 10th title-game appearance Saturday night, but the final score and the performances by Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith are as much of "highlight" as the human touch we saw from oft-surly WVU head coach Bob Huggins.
Huggins has said he's never coached a better combination of player and person than Da'Sean Butler, and as the senior's college career ended with a knee injury, Huggins came out, defended his player to the officials and had a touching moment with Butler as the All-Big East first-teamer lay helpless on the court.
It was emotional and extremely personal. The interaction between the two was a glimpse into a relationship that we rarely get to see on such a grand stage. But with tears in Butler's eyes and frustration in his body language, Huggins clasped his best player's head and got him through it. We may not get a more personal public moment from this year's tournament than this.
Huggins, clearly frustrated with how the play unfolded, also chastised official John Higgins by saying, sarcastically, "They [the Blue Devils] don't foul, right, John? They don't foul. All-American laying here and they don't foul."
Huggins has said he's never coached a better combination of player and person than Da'Sean Butler, and as the senior's college career ended with a knee injury, Huggins came out, defended his player to the officials and had a touching moment with Butler as the All-Big East first-teamer lay helpless on the court.
It was emotional and extremely personal. The interaction between the two was a glimpse into a relationship that we rarely get to see on such a grand stage. But with tears in Butler's eyes and frustration in his body language, Huggins clasped his best player's head and got him through it. We may not get a more personal public moment from this year's tournament than this.
Huggins, clearly frustrated with how the play unfolded, also chastised official John Higgins by saying, sarcastically, "They [the Blue Devils] don't foul, right, John? They don't foul. All-American laying here and they don't foul."
