Hiromi Toothman was born in Japan but has a wide circle of family and friends who are West Virginia University graduates and followers.
“In Japan they wear the WVU shirts and call me after every game,” she said. “They’re so proud of WVU. I only hope the people in the state are as proud.”
Toothman, who works in the cafeteria of WVU’s Ruby Memorial Hospital, needn’t worry. She was one of several hundred fans who came to the Coliseum to greet the Big East basketball tournament champion Mountaineers as they arrived back in town from New York City.
(For ticket information, additional stories and more video of the team’s arrival, go to http://www.msnsportsnet.com.)
WVU defeated Georgetown 60-58 at Madison Square Garden Saturday night for its first-ever Big East tournament title, and the school’s first league tourney title of any kind since the 1984 Atlantic 10 crown.
Toothman was joined by two friends – each clad in gold WVU hoodies – who stood on a bench and waited patiently for around two hours while joining fellow fans in cheers. Many danced to the tunes blasted by local radio station WVAQ, which was doing a live remote and gave fans updates on the team’s journey home. All were there to support their team.
“I want to thank them all, they’ve had a great year,” said Brenda Hood, who brought a hand-made “thank you”sign. Hood, a Morgantown native and 1976 WVU grad, is a diehard fan who inherited her love of the Mountaineers from her father. She remembers greeting the Jerry West-led men’s basketball team at the Morgantown airport after it lost the NCAA final to California 71-70 in 1959.
“I hope I’m like my father and still going to games in my 90s,” she said.
That senior Da’Sean Butler scored the winning basket against the Hoyas and was named tournament MVP was especially significant for Hood, who predicted big things from the Newark, N.J. native when he was a freshman. She recalls raving about Butler to a friend at a game but her friend was not as impressed with the player.
“I remember the first time I saw him, I said, ‘There’s one you’ve gotta watch,’ ” Hood said. “My friend said, ‘why,’ and I said, ‘because he’s the most athletic kid on the floor.’ He said, ‘he’s not that athletic, there are more athletic players on the team.’
“I said, ‘Mark my words, before he leaves here he’s going to be something special.’ “
Deb Harr, a WVU graduate who retired from the School of Nursing faculty in 2005, is also a Butler fan.
“I was so happy when he scored his 2,000th point,” she said. “They need to (hang) his jersey in the Coliseum now.”
Butler, who has scored six game winners this season alone, including a banked-in, buzzer-beating 3-pointer in the quarterfinals against Cincinnati, joined West, and Hot Rod Hundley in the school’s prestigious 2,000-point club with a basket during the final.
He was the first off the team bus as it pulled up in front of the Coliseum amid an intense din of cheers. He and other players high-fived and celebrated with the fans. Each player, along with coach Bob Huggins, thanked the fans for their support.
“This isn’t just for WVU, it’s for the whole state. This is for you,” Butler said of the title.
Senior Wellington Smith hoisted the championship trophy and guard Casey Mitchell held up a banner.
After forward John Flowers thanked the fans, the crowd began chanting, “We want a dance.” Flowers, who entertained the Garden garden with a quick dance after Thursday’s victory over Notre Dame, obliged Sunday with some impromptu clogging as a banjo tune blared.
After sophomore forward Devin Ebanks spoke, the fans chanted for “one more year.” Before the season, it was widely believed Ebanks would enter the NBA draft and forego his final two years of college eligibility.
“I’m not sure you know how much you mean to us,” Huggins told the crowd.
A crowd also gathered in at the Clarksburg airport to greet the Mountaineers charter flight home.
The Mountaineers (27-6), received a No. 2 seed in the East Region and will play Friday in Buffalo, NY against Morgan State (27-9), champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
By Dan Shrensky
Communications Specialist
WVU News and Information Services
-WVU-
ds/03/14/10
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