West Virginia’s Mike Gansey talks about this year’s 10-0 West Virginia’s squad, Bob Huggins’ efforts at reconnecting with former players and the pro prospects of future NBA lottery pick Devin Ebanks (run time is 3:11; transcript below the jump).
[podcast]http://www.lostlettermen.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Gansey3.mp3[/podcast]…
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Lost Lettermen: This is Jim Weber from LostLettermen.com and I’m joined by West Virginia’s Mike Gansey.
Last thing I wanted to ask you about was the current West Virginia team. How much do you keep up with them? Obviously a huge win over Seton hall yesterday.
Mike Gansey: Yeah, that was a … I actually watched that game and that Hazel, he was hitting shots from everywhere for Seton Hall but I keep up with them a lot.
I still talk with Da’Sean and a couple guys on the team and I still talk to coach Hand’s assistant and every summer I go back and work a camp with Huggins and Jerry West and “Hot Rod” Hundley. So it’s a great time. Obviously I keep in touch with them on a daily basis. So hopefully they can get their point guard and press-breaking issues down and then I think they’ll be alright because they got a very talented team and I think they’re a dark horse to get to the Final Four.
LL: How exciting is it to see your alma mater go to a 10-0 and be talked about with the Final Four?
MG: Yeah I mean it’s exciting. Even the guys here on the team I’m always like “Oh you see the Mountaineers, the Mountaineers.” That’s some bragging rights here I guess. It’s always exciting to see your alma mater do very well. Even guys where you see during the summer, you talk to them, you get to know them and they become your friends and just to see them on TV and do well, it really hits home and makes me feel really good about myself.
LL: Could you talk about your relationship with Bob Huggins? Obviously he wasn’t your coach but he is alum of West Virginia. How much has he reached out to you since he became coach there?
MG: He’s reached out a lot. He does a camp every summer. It’s the Huggins fantasy camp where it’s just like older adults and whoever wants to come for a weekend. Just alumni, boosters, just WVU fans that just want to experience a practice with the basketball team and just being around the basketball team.
Huggins invites me back to work it. He really wants to get all the former Mountaineer players back together talking about their days at West Virginia and Morgantown. He really, really wants to keep doing that and kind of bring all of us back because West Virginia hasn’t had that in years and he’s really trying to make it a Mountaineer family and putting us all together and just share some memories.
And he’s a great guy and for him to do that, that speak volumes. Obviously he’s a tremendous coach but to care for me, who never played with him or played for him, that says a lot.
LL: Last question for you; as Devin Ebanks put up 22 points, had 17 boards yesterday. What do you think about his pro prospects? He seems like such a freak of nature in college right now.
MG: You know he had seven assists also. I mean he’s only getting stronger. He’s athletic, he can shoot. He does a little bit of everything and at his size and his athleticism. He could’ve probably went in the first round last year but you see him improve this year and obviously as the year goes on he’s going to be getting even better and better.
I don’t see why he’s not a top ten pick just based on his potential and the skills that he shows out there. I played with him this summer and he’s a hard worker as well.
I’m happy for him and whatever he decides I’m sure he’s gonna be successful.
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