We in the newspaper business like to think of ourselves as watchdogs.
With that, yes, we bark a lot.
Once in a while, though, something nice happens. And I have not one, but two treats to share with you today.
The treats surfaced during our coverage of WVU's recent basketball recruiting. Last Thursday, the Mountaineers landed a commitment from Mali product Sagaba Konate of Kennedy Catholic High in Pennsylvania. Then, Sunday night, we first uncovered Maciej Bender, a 6-foot-11 standout from Mountain Mission High in Grundy, Virginia, had given his word to Bob Huggins and staff. Both will sign in November.
Only the future will tell us how good the players will be within Big 12 play. Many are hailing the presence of Konate, calling him a baby DeMarcus Cousins, and that of Bender, calling him copies of players ranging from Kyle Wiltjer to Frank Kaminski.
What's nice about it all is we'll probably get to see. By that I mean, commitments mean something in major college basketball.
Hard-core followers of college football and basketball recruiting know of what I write. If a high school football player gives a commitment to a school, many shrug and wait to see. Get back to us after letter-of-intent signing day.
That's usually not the case in basketball. If a kid "flips" in hoops, it's big news.
"Basically, we stop recruiting guys that commit elsewhere," Huggins said Monday. "I saw in the paper the other day that [a football recruit] committed but will take other visits. How can he be committed?
"Basketball coaches as a whole stop recruiting when there's a commitment. I could say basketball coaches are more honorable, but that wouldn't look good in the paper."
Huggins, of course, dead-panned the last line. But it's a fascinating phenomenon. One of Bender's coaches at Mountain Mission, assistant Justin Dempsey, chimed in.
"Basketball is a more personal game," Dempsey said. "There are no helmets and the recruiting setting is more intimate.
"Teams only get 13 scholarships to give out and only a couple a year. So coaches really get to know these players. In football there are a lot more players."
Dempsey said Bender told him after the visit to WVU, that was it. There would be no more visits to other schools. The Mountaineers are his choice.
Which has to make Huggins smile. And, probably, rest easy.
* * *
The other treat uncovered during the recruiting reporting is Dempsey and that Mountain Mission School.
Part of Bender's story is that he's originally from Poland. Part of it is he played for local attorney Scott Long's West Virginia Wild AAU team. And part of it is Bender's attendance at Mountain Mission.
In case you don't know about the school, it's been doing neat things for kids for decades. Its mission is to take in at-risk youth and take them away from distress.
Perhaps Dempsey's current situation will speak to Mountain Mission's success. See, Dempsey attended high school at Harts and graduated from Chapmanville High.
He briefly played hoops for the University of Charleston before quitting. Afterward, he went to Marshall before finishing up at WVU. He graduated from the latter's law school in May.
During the journey, Dempsey volunteered and coached at Harts and Logan. He also volunteered at Mountain Mission.
And he fell in love with the place. He's turned down opportunities to use that law degree for the opportunity to work with head coach Pawel Mrozick and Mountain Mission.
"It's an amazing place," Dempsey said. "We take in kids from infants to 19 years old. The work being done here is something else. They say 95 percent of our kids end up graduating from college. That's incredible."
Dempsey is teaching biology and chemistry - and loving every minute. He also seems to enjoy the recruiting process. And if Bender's first name is substituted for the nickname of "Magic," give credit to the assistant coach from Harts.
"You can tell by talking to me I have a deep Appalachian accent," Dempsey said. "I get excited during games and Maciej is tough to say. It just turned into Magic."
So Tony Caridi, there ya go. Enjoy.