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Posted on Tue, Mar 30, 2010 : 2:36 p.m.

Michigan basketball coach John Beilein watched part of West Virginia's win in the Elite Eight

By Michael Rothstein

John Beilein couldn’t help but take peeks Saturday as his old team West Virginia beat Kentucky and secured a spot in college basketball’s Final Four. He’s been through this before, kind of, but never before has a school he’s left been on the verge of a Final Four.

“I watched parts of the game here and there,” said Beilein, who just completed his third season at Michigan after five years at West Virginia. “There are six guys on that team that we recruited, and we’re very proud of them.”

Among them are West Virginia’s star - All-American Da’Sean Butler - and its point guard, Joe Mazzulla. Mazzulla had a career game in the 73-66 victory against Kentucky, scoring 17 points.

It also erased the notion that West Virginia couldn’t reach the Final Four - a place it hadn’t been since 1959. Beilein almost got there in 2004-05, when he led West Virginia to the Elite Eight as a No. 7 seed and was two minutes away from knocking off Louisville for a Final Four berth before losing, 93-85, in overtime.

That run is one reason Michigan went after Beilein.

“It’s always difficult when you leave, whether I was watching the Richmond teams, Canisius teams or my Le Moyne teams,” Beilein said. “It’s always difficult. It’s always different to watch those guys, but they’ve been very successful.

“Coach (Bob) Huggins and his staff have done a great job with them.”

Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.