When Ron Everhart was a candidate for the coaching job at Duquesne two years ago, he talked often with his best friend in the profession, Bob Huggins.

"He was instrumental in helping me get this position," Everhart said. "He, like I did, understood how good this program can be. I think he might have used the words, 'sleeping giant.' "

Everhart and Huggins will be reunited Saturday in Morgantown, W.Va., when Duquesne (6-2) gets another taste of life in the Big East against the Huggins-coached West Virginia Mountaineers (6-1). Because of what Everhart called "some real unforgivable mistakes" in a disheartening 73-68 loss Wednesday against Pitt, he plans to get his team's attention with practices that will be a little "harsher and tougher" this week.

It was at The Coliseum in Morgantown where Everhart, then an 11-year-old living in nearby Fairmont, first met Huggins, who was a player at West Virginia.

"I was a gym rat and he was a college player, a guy I looked up to very much," said Everhart, 45, who coached at McNeese State and Northeastern before coming to Duquesne. "I was around the Coliseum a lot and he befriended me."

Everhart has coached once against Huggins, 54, who is in his first season as coach at his alma mater after constructing a 590-211 record in 25 seasons at Walsh College (1980-83), Akron (1984-89), Cincinnati (1989-2005) and Kansas State (2006-07).

The year was 1997 and Everhart was a young coach at McNeese State. Huggins was boss of the No. 1-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats, led by Danny Fortson.

"We had a pretty good team ... we won the Southland Conference title," Everhart said. "We played well in the first half, but in the second half they punched us in the head pretty good. You know what type of challenge it will be whenever you coach against a team coached by Hugs. Any team he has, regardless of who their players are and who recruited them, it's going to be a Huggins team. There's no two ways about it."

Huggins returned to WVU as coach this past spring when John Beilein left to take over the program at the University of Michigan.

"Hugs is a hall of fame coach," Everhart said. "First and foremost, his work ethic sets him apart. He's relentless. He brings it every single day, every single practice. He's demanding in what he wants out of his players. From all the indications I have, he hasn't changed a bit when he walks on the court."

Although they are friends, Everhart said he doesn't plan to socialize with Huggins before the game Saturday.

"I'll try to stay away until after the game," Everhart said. "It's awkward to coach against a friend, but once the ball goes up it becomes a competitive environment."

Recruiting also became competitive two years ago when Everhart first came to Duquesne and Huggins was in his first and only season at Kansas State. They got involved with a number of the same players, including 6-10 Luis Colon who chose Huggins and Kansas State.

"Over the years we haven't had many opportunities to recruit against each other," Everhart said. He laughed. "Maybe that's why we're still pretty good friends."

Everhart said he sees a different side of Huggins than the unforgiving, unflinching coach most often portrayed by the media.

"He's looked out for me from time to time. I think the world of him as a human being," Everhart said. "The way the media portrays him, not a lot of people understand him as I do, as a big-hearted person and a really good person."