Ye olde notebook:
n If all the parts are in place, WVU's upcoming basketball season appears very bright indeed.
Despite the season-ending implosion against Kentucky, the Mountaineers were 25-10 in 2014-15, made the Sweet 16 and lost but Juwan Staten and Gary Browne from the roster. On the team now is highly regarded freshman Esa Ahmad.
Yet the status of one of the pieces has remained a puzzle. As any casual observer of last season's "Press Virginia" team can tell you, WVU needs shooters. The addition of junior college transfer Teyvon Myers seemed to address that need. He did, after all, lead the JC ranks by scoring 25 points a game.
Then came whispers Myers didn't have enough credits from Williston [N.D.] State Community College or wouldn't be cleared to play by the NCAA. To say Mountaineer coach Bob Huggins was miffed at the whispers would be an understatement.
"He's fine," Huggins said Tuesday. "I don't know where all this is coming from."
WVU assistant AD for communications Bryan Messerly said much the same at Saturday's Mountaineer game.
"He's in school and practicing," Huggins said. "Might we redshirt him? Yes, that's conceivable if we can't get him caught up. But I hope we don't have to because he can help us. He's very talented."
If Myers is on the floor on Nov. 13, when West Virginia opens the season, expect a special year.
n Huggins is in a familiar place today, Wednesday: an airplane. From Sept. 9 until Nov. 8, coaches can actively recruit, hitting prospects' homes, etc.
"We need 'bigs,' " Huggins said. "We need 'bigs' in the worst way."
Huggins said he has two openings for the next class. This is the final go-around for Jaysean Paige and Jon "Sponge" Holton.
n As you may know, I'm honored to serve as West Virginia's Associated Press Top 25 college football voter this season.
As you also may know, I don't take the task lightly. I strike out on my own, do my own research and form my own opinions. Sometimes those jibe with the preseason mags. Sometimes they don't.
That said, I find it mind-boggling that folks get so upset over preseason and early-season votes. TCU, for example, began the season No. 2 in the AP poll. I'm not sold on the Horned Frogs.
I had them No. 17 in the preseason and No. 15 this week. They dropped to No. 3 this week in the poll behind Alabama.
No big deal, right? There certainly aren't right or wrong answers in the preseason poll. And Week One is just part of a 12-step process.
Yet in the Twittersphere you'd think I called Judge Judy inarticulate. You'd think I disparaged Diane Sawyer, Alex Trebek and Dr. Oz.
I voted Ohio State No. 1 this week, followed by Alabama, Notre Dame, LSU, USC, Baylor and Auburn. If you can definitively prove that wrong, please do so.
n West Virginia's next football opponent, Liberty, did quite a nice thing last week.
In the Flames' home opener against Delaware State, the players wore the initials of the two slain television journalists working for WDBJ-TV in Roanoke, Virginia. The Liberty players wore decals with maroon and teal ribbons, which represented the journalists' favorite colors.
Liberty University is in Lynchburg, Virginia.
n And finally . . .
I thought I'd share player news uncovered Tuesday.
First, I saw Jake Casteel, son of former WVU defensive coordinator and current Arizona DC Jeff, is now a redshirt freshman linebacker for Northern Arizona University. The younger Casteel was a highly regarded high school player in Tucson.
Second, I noticed Blaine Stewart, son of former Mountaineer coach Bill, is doing well as a redshirt sophomore on James Madison University's team. The 6-foot-1 wide receiver saw action in 11 games last season as a holder on field goal and extra-point attempts.
And then I saw a note concerning a quarterback at Catalina Foothills High in Arizona.
It seems the QB there, rated the state's No. 66 overall prospect for 2017 by the Arizona Republic, was 17 of 24 passing for 230 yards and a touchdown and ran for more scores in a victory over Cienega this past weekend.
It caught my eye because the quarterback's name is Rhett Rodriguez, and he's the son of ex-WVU and current Arizona coach Rich.
"Look at Rhett, just how in control of the game he was," Foothills coach Jeff Scurran told the Arizona Daily Star. "That's a pretty dominant performance against a good football team in a division above us. A lot of the stuff he's grown up with, some kids never learn over a lifetime. It's a great gift to have a player like that on your squad."
Oh, and if you're wondering, the answer is yes.
The QB is indeed being referred to as RhettRod.