Game Preview: Huskies vs. West Virginia (NCAA Tournament – Sweet 16)

Is it Thursday yet?. . . Not quite, but we’re getting there. And we’re close enough now for a game preview. Staff writer Tim Keeney takes a look at the Huskies’ Sweet 16 opponent, West Virginia.

by Tim Keeney – Staff Writer

“There’s a, um, tradition in tournament play – not talk about the next step until you’ve climbed the one in front of you. I’m sure going to the state finals (regional final, same thing) is beyond your wildest dreams, so let’s just keep it right there.”

–Norman Dale, in “Hoosiers”

Truer words have never been spoken, and while Washington plays its best basketball of the year, they have to continue to take it one game at a time. The Huskies now travel to Syracuse and have their sights set on the less-fun “Huggy Bear” and the Big East Tournament Champion Mountaineers from West Virginia. Let’s break ‘em down:

Starters:

Darryl Bryant (6-2, 200 lbs., SO): He’s nicknamed “Truck” and like Chevy, he’s like a rock. Kind of. Except I had a nice little write-up about him, and then BAM, Truck runs over a nail in practice on Tuesday and suffers a flat tire. He actually broke his foot and is out for the rest of the year. Joe Mazzulla will take over the starting duties.

Da’Sean Butler (6’7, 230 lbs., SR): Quick bet. How many total times will the CBS announcers use the phrase, “It was the Butler with the three in the gymnasium!”? Over or under: 8.5? The Huskies better hope it’s the under, as Butler is West Virginia’s heart and soul, and he can light it up from anywhere.

This is probably a matchup best suited for Justin Holiday. I wouldn’t even mind seeing Overton on him as it would be a similar matchup to Cal’s Patrick Christopher. Our best defender is our best defender, regardless of height. V.O. might need some help, though, if Butler decided to back him down in the post, but that’s not really Da’Sean’s game.

Wellington Smith (6-7, 245 lbs., SR): He’s a heavier version of Justin Holiday. He plays very good defense and can be very physical down low. He’s not a scoring threat but can knock down the open shot if you give it to him. He’ll probably match up with Quincy.

Kevin Jones (6-8, 250 lbs., SO): Another physical player who can bang down low, Jones gets a lot of his production off of the offensive glass. 50 percent of his 7.2 rebounds per game are offensive, which means a bunch of second chance opportunities for the Mountaineers. He doesn’t do it much, but he can also step out and knock down the three.

Devin Ebanks (6-9, 215 lbs., SO): Another big-time low post presence, he rebounds (8.3 rpg) and plays defense very well. He usually scores in double figures (12 ppg) and is an underrated passer out of the post (2.5 apg). He’s athletic, too.

Bench:

Joe Mazzulla (6-2, 200 lbs., JR): As their backup point guard, he was starting to get more minutes than Bryant lately. He’s an energetic spark and a hard-nosed kid who takes good care of the ball and can run the offense while minimizing mistakes. Mazzulla isn’t a scoring threat by any means, though. The Bryant injury doesn’t necessarily hurt the Mountaineers’ production at point guard as he was probably their most inconsistent starter anyway, but it will obviously hurt their backcourt depth — one more reason the Huskies will attempt to quicken the pace.

John Flowers (6-7, 215 lbs., JR): A good solid player who pays attention to fundamentals and plays good defense. He’s only committed 24 turnovers the entire year while logging about 14 minutes per game. He’s someone that can give a starter some rest and give his coaches some quality minutes.

Cam Thoroughman (6-7, 240 lb., JR): Wont play that much, but can grab a few rebounds off the bench. He’s thorough, man.

WVU’s strengths:

Physicality: The whole starting lineup is from either New Jersey or New York, and they play like it. They are all really strong and love to bang. The Mountaineers won’t back down to anyone, especially the Huskies. They pretty much exemplify the Big East and the way the refs call this game may be a big factor in how it plays out.

Offensive Rebounding: This stems from their physicality. They crash the boards hard, and their athleticism and length has helped them to 15.5 offensive rebounds per game, which is good enough for 2^nd in the nation.

Defense: They employ a tough man-to-man defense and really get in your face. Every once in a while they will drop to a 1-3-1 zone which can confuse opponents. They are 50^th in the nation and second in the Big East in defensive PPG at 63.3. On top of that, they only gave up more than 80 points three times this season, and two of those came in overtime.

WVU’s weaknesses:

Shot Selection: They can be forced into taking bad shots and go cold on offense at times. They rank 182^nd in the country in field goal percentage. That, of course, can sometimes be negated by their terrific offensive rebounding, but they can definitely be tempted into taking unnecessary shots. The Mountaineers also shoot the third-most three-pointers in their conference, but only make about 35 percent.

Youth: They run three sophomores in their starting lineup, and the inconsistency of their younger players, especially at point guard, has been a concern of theirs this season.

Huskies’ Keys to Victory:

Box Out: 3 words. Locate, rotate, motate. The Mountaineers will throw up their share of misses, but they attack the glass, and if we can box them out and limit their second-chance opportunities, it will be huge. Oh, to have Jon Brockman again.

Fast Break: If the Huskies rebound on the defensive end, they could catch the Mountaineers stuck in the key and get out on the break. West Virginia lost two of the three games in which they gave up more than 80 points. We can’t force it though. Missouri tried to force the fast break at times on Sunday and the Mountaineers made them pay, forcing plenty of turnovers. West Virginia’s tempo is very similar to Marquette’s and we were able to play our game against them, so the Huskies will look to do it again.

Rotation: West Virginia can throw out a lineup where all five players are 6-7 or above. They are extremely good at creating mismatches and Romar needs to be prepared for anything. We’ve got the length to matchup, though. Players such as Gant, Holiday, and even Turner, who can guard quicker and taller opponents, will be important.

Prediction:

I think the Huskies will get up and down successfully and shoot it well out of the half-court when they need to. This is the year Coach Romar breaks through to the Elite 8. 76-70 Huskies.