Big East Notebook | No regrets for Smalligan's transfer from Butler to West Virginia

By: Jason Tarr

Posted: 1/31/07

Standing at 6-foot-1 in his freshman year of high school, Jamie Smalligan didn't envision a future in college basketball.

He had played for as long as he could remember and was inspired by watching the

"Fab Five" play at Michigan in 1992. But his height barely placed him at the average for an NCAA point guard.

At the beginning of his sophomore year, though, there were seven new reasons why he could play college ball.

Smalligan grew seven inches to 6-foot-8, but what happened in the years following that growth spurt surprised him even more.

"I was expecting to be taller because my older brother is 6-foot-8," Smalligan said. "But I figured once I got to 6-foot-8 I'd be done. But I kept growing."

Smalligan, now at 7 feet tall, is a fourth-year junior transfer for West Virginia. So far in his first season of eligibility at WVU, he has helped guide the Mountaineers to a 16-4 record (5-3 Big East) and sixth place in the conference.

Smalligan and West Virginia play at Rutgers tonight and at Seton Hall on Saturday.

A 3-point shooting big man, Smalligan averages 4.6 points and three rebounds while shooting more than 47 percent from the field.

"In middle school I never really thought about being a college basketball player,"

Smalligan said. "But I think once I saw my brother and his friends get recruited, I

wanted to play NCAA basketball and take it more serious."

He did take it more seriously, averaging 20 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocked shots in his senior year at East Grand Rapids High School in Michigan. He soon found himself being recruited by Butler.

He was part of an incoming class the year the Bulldogs made an unprecedented run in the

NCAA Tournament. Recruits Nick Brooks, Brian Ligon, Brandon Crone, James Parker and Smalligan were said to be the most talented recruiting class in Butler history. The five players were supposed to help Butler sustain its success and seven consecutive 20- win seasons.

But Smalligan was one of three players to leave a sinking Butler program in 2005. After

its 27-6 record in 2002-03, Butler went just 29-29 during the next two seasons.

Parker left in November 2004, while Brooks announced his transfer to Southern Indiana in March 2005. With both players leaving, the Bulldogs faltered and Smalligan was forced into an unfamiliar role around the 3-point arc. Fans grew frustrated Smalligan was playing on the perimeter rather than dominating inside with his height.

Smalligan said he doesn't have any hard feelings toward the Butler program, but that he

needed a change.

"I wasn't happy there," Smalligan said. "Once I got to West Virginia, I had a better

idea of what I was looking for."

After transferring to WVU, Smalligan sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules. The time allowed him to get his head straight and learn the Mountaineers' system.

"I just looked at it like an opportunity to get better," Smalligan said. I wanted to

have fun, and learn from the great group of seniors we had last year."

Kevin Pittsnogle, one of the stars of the Mountaineers' run to the Elite Eight last year,

was one of those five seniors. Smalligan saw the 6-foot-11, 3-point-shooting specialist Pittsnogle as someone he could learn a lot from.

"Pittsnogle, he's an All-American and he was first team All-Big East," Smalligan said.

"Who better to learn from and watch? And, I got to practice with him all last year."

It has been the development of players such as Pittsnogle that has defined the West

Virginia program and Smalligan gives much of that credit to WVU head coach John Beilein. Beilein's prestige as a coach was another factor that drew Smalligan to West Virginia.

"Coach Beilein has turned this into a good program, not just a good team," Smalligan said. "There are going to be good teams at West Virginia as long as Coach Beilein is here. Every kid that comes in here is going to expect to win games."

Even with all the positives Smalligan has found at West Virginia, it is hard

to overlook that Butler is now ranked No. 13 in the nation. But despite the

Bulldogs' success this season, Smalligan is confident he made the right choice.

"I am very confident (in my decision) and I love it here everyday," Smalligan said. "It's exactly what I was hoping for in every way."

Game of the week

Louisville at Villanova
Saturday, Feb. 3, noon, ESPN

Louisville has won 10 of its last 12 games, including a dramatic comeback against Syracuse last Saturday. The Cardinals rallied from 14 down with just over nine minutes to play for a 76-71 victory at Freedom Hall. Junior forward Juan Palacios has returned from a neck injury and could help Louisville on the boards, but he has been inconsistent in his first couple of games back. Villanova has lost its last two games, both to ranked teams, losing at No. 21 Notre Dame 66-63, and losing 65-59 at home to No. 7 Pittsburgh.

Villanova's success may hinge on the health of senior center Curtis Sumpter. Sumpter has been sidelined by a deep thigh bruise. Without him, Villanova could have a hard time

defending Louisville's David Padgett in the post.

Around the Big East

Marquette's six-game winning streak is the longest since they won nine straight in 2002-03, the year it went to the Final Four. . . .Georgetown is shooting a hot 54.3 percent in Big East games, the best percentage in the conference. Center Roy Hibbert is leading the team, shooting 80.9 percent in Big East play. . . .Louisville hit eight 3-pointers in a 76-71 win over Syracuse on Saturday. The Cardinals are 11-0 when hitting at least seven 3-pointers in a game. …Villanova's Scottie Reynold's has played 155 minutes out of a possible 160 during the Wildcats' last four games.