Scoops du jour:
n There's a neat little debate going on behind the scenes in West Virginia sports circles.
Many know about the five-star basketball recruits that go to Huntington Prep. Many know about the 2016 class of prospects that includes Chase Harler of Wheeling Central, Brandon Knapper of South Charleston and Phillip Bledsoe of Wheeling Park. The first two are committed to WVU and the latter to Marshall. (Knapper, by the way, seems closer and closer to hitting Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia before going to Morgantown. His father, Sean, said on Thursday they've been in contact with coaches at Hargrave and are visiting Oct. 30. The head coach there is former Wake Forest and Marshall player A.W. Hamilton.)
The debate, however, is which Mountain State player - minus the Huntington Prep kids - tops a very nice class of 2017.
Poca's Allen Osborne cornered most of the market. Dot standout Elijah Cuffee was offered by Marshall and others before committing to Liberty.
And then there's 6-foot-5 Luke Frampton. You might know MU's Dan D'Antoni has been on Frampton for quite a while. Longwood, James Madison and Winthrop have offered. Davidson coaches were at Poca last week.
But Frampton has also been offered by Texas Tech. (The Red Raiders also offered Cuffee, according to Osborne.) Also, word has been that Virginia, which could begins the hoops season ranked No. 6 in the USA Today coaches' poll released Thursday, likes the wing player.
"Yeah, Virginia has shown a lot of interest," Osborne said. "He's on their board, let's put it that way."
Osborne said Frampton has been to Charlottesville twice, and Virginia associate head coach Ron Sanchez and recruiting director Vic Sfera have both been to Poca.
"I don't know where they're at [with Frampton], but the last call I had asked if he'd commit early if he was offered," Osborne said. "Whether they're going to offer or not, I don't know."
n Frampton is undoubtedly tops to many. Yet others argue the best of the 2017 class is Ripley's Chase Johnson. ("Both are going to be very good," said one area coach, "but I'd say Johnson because of his upside.")
WVU certainly likes Johnson. Mountaineer coach Bob Huggins and assistant Larry Harrison went to Ripley recently for a workout at the high school. Some in Morgantown compare the player to ex-Princeton High and Duke player Allen Williams because of the bounce.
Anyway, Johnson's father Chad, who once played at Poca, said his son has offers from seven schools: Marshall, Winthrop, Duquesne, Ohio, Richmond, High Point and Longwood. He confirmed WVU's serious interest. He also confirmed whispers that Huggins would like to see Johnson hit a prep school first. Funny thing is, the father also thinks it might be a good idea.
"He just turned 16 in June," Chad Johnson said. "That's why he's been in talks with the prep schools. We're leaning that way, but it's a little early yet. West Virginia has thrown that out to him a little bit. They've shown lots of interest."
Johnson said his son also made quite a first impression on Marshall's D'Antoni.
"It was funny," said the father. "In Chase's first [AAU tournament] game in Myrtle Beach this April, D'Antoni was sitting under the basket. Chase immediately had back-to-back breakaway dunks. Sometimes it's all about timing."
Johnson, now 6-7 ½ and perhaps still growing, is taking an unofficial visit to Clemson today and another to East Carolina on Saturday. Kent State and Navy have also been in touch.
"It's getting started," said the father. "He's been pretty busy. He's handling it well though."
n Want more options to argue? Don't forget that Michigan coach John Beilein and staff are watching Clarksburg Notre Dame's Jarrod West. Marshall, Liberty, Longwood, James Madison and East Carolina have already offered. Also keep in mind Huntington St. Joe's Keith Clemson, who was offered by D'Antoni as a sophomore.
n There have been sightings of cardinals in Greenbrier County of late.
Or, rather, Cardinals.
As you might have heard, the NFL Arizona Cardinals, who play at Pittsburgh this Sunday, are staying and practicing at The Greenbrier this week. The Cards, who pummeled Detroit last week, decided to stay on the Right Coast rather than make the long return trips.
"The players and coaches can't believe how nice the people of West Virginia are," said Greenbrier owner and gubernatorial candidate Jim Justice. "And what an impressive looking bunch [the Cardinals] are. They are all dressed to kill. The coaches have them wearing suits and ties.
"It's been nice and they've talked to us about giving them the right of first refusal next year."
The Cardinals followed the paths taken to Greenbrier Country by the New Orleans Saints, who held preseason practice there, and the New England Patriots, who had a stop similar to that of the Cardinals.
"You might see the Seattle Seahawks here too before the fall is over," Justice said. "If you're a West Coast team and you have two East Coast games, it just works out. They are just more opportunities to create ambassadors for West Virginia."
Today, Justice and his resort will host Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Lee Trevino. The quartet is designing a new golf course Justice hopes will one day host a U.S. Open.
n In my Tuesday column, I answered a question many have been wondering: How much money is it to buy out Dana Holgorsen's contract if matters at WVU worsen. I also made mention that a Freedom of Information Act request had been filed.
Well, the request was filled by the school and, truly, there isn't much to add to Tuesday's column except a few tidbits. First, Holgorsen's deal technically ends at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 13, 2017. Second, he'll receive a $75,000 "retention payment" if employed on Dec. 8 of each year. And, third, it looks as if - again - he won't get a ticket sales bonus. Holgorsen needs WVU to sell 34,000 regular- and mini-season packages. It wasn't close this season.
n And finally . . .
The Big 12 men's basketball poll was released on Thursday. As you might have read, the Mountaineers were picked to finish sixth among the 10 league teams.
What you probably didn't read was a question put to me on Twitter by follower Bryan Dougherty. He asked why the poll, magazines and talking heads all have WVU so far back in the Big 12 pack. The Mountaineers did, after all, advance to the Sweet 16 last season, do return a slew of contributors and did add, among others, the two-time Ohio player of the year in Esa Ahmad.
So why so low? My answer: The loss to Kentucky.
Dougherty responded that, yes, WVU lost, but so did every other team that played the Wildcats but one.
And he's 100 percent correct. Folks, however, can't get 78-39 out of their minds. Just the way it is.
There was, though, some respect given from college coaches, whose poll released Thursday by USA has WVU at No. 23 in the nation.