BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: WEST VIRGINIA @ DEPAUL

February 27, 2008


DePaul has lost seven of their last eight games and their closing schedule is not doing them any favors as they cling to their hopes for a berth in the Big East Conference Tournament at Madison Square Garden.

West Virginia has won three of their last four games, rebounding from a stretch of losing three of four. However, they have struggled on the road this season, especially when it comes to scoring points away from home, and with three of their last four games on the road the Mountaineers have some work to do to gain an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Here are the local media pregame stories and previews on tonight's contest:

WVU Makes First Trip to DePaul (Daily Mail)
DePaul Men's Basketball Team to Face WVU (Chicago Tribune)
WVU Ready for DePaul (WV Metro News)

DePaul got off to a quick start in the Big East schedule, but they have wilted down the stretch, losing seven of their last eight. With a tough finishing schedule, chances for wins to close out their schedule are not great, so winning tonight may represent their best chance. They have a precarious one-game lead for the final Big East Tournament spot. A win tonight could virtually assure them of making the conference party to close the season.

West Virginia closes with three of four games on the road and a home date with Pittsburgh on Big Monday. Winning three of their last four has put the Mountaineers back on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble according to many, but they still could use wins, especially away from home, which they do not own many that would impress many on the NCAA Selection Committee.

Athletically, DePaul matches up favorably with West Virginia. However, it will once again fall on their guards to delover the ball to their scoring threats in position to score. Draelon Burns has the green light to fire up shots, but they are more effective as a team when Mac Koshwal is getting touches, and finishing, and Dar Tucker is attacking the basket. Will Walker has developed into a reliable scoring option to give Burns some needed help on the perimter, but the Blue Demons still do not play consistently for 40 minutes to win games.

Bob Huggins has challenged his WVU squad on several occassion to become tougher. They did what was needed in getting wins over Rutgers, Seton Hall and Providence, all at home. The only blemish in the stretch was getting blown out against Villanova, now they need to find a way to have success on the road when they meet DePaul.

West Virginia has two Big East road wins, against South Florida and Providence, two of the teams behind DePaul in the standings. The match-ups of these two teams seem to be pretty even athletically and DePaul holds the edge with size and the Mountaineers have the edge with guard play behind Darris Nichols, Joe Mazzulla and Alex Ruoff. If that trio can find the range from the perimeter, WVU will be tough to beat tonight.

However, if Depaul is going to win again this season, tonight will have to be the night. I am sure they will put up a fight againt Notre Dame over the weekend in the home finale, but the losing that has piled up should get them to respond tonight and pull the surprise. I am a little surprised that they are such a large home underdog (+5) and expect them to extend WVU's road struggles.

NBE Blogger Prediction: DePaul 73 West Virginia 70

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIW: WEST VIRGINIA @ VILLANOVA

February 20, 2008


West Virginia and Villanova is an interesting game taking place at the Pavillion on the Villanova campus tonight. The Mountaineers are on a two-game winning streak following victories over Rutgers and Seton Hall last week while the Wildcats have won two of three following a five-game losing streak.

Here are the local media game previews and stories on tonight's game:


Huggins: WVU Will Make Big East Tourney (Times West Virginian)
Stretch Run Important for WVU (WV Metro News)
Defense is Mountaineers Focus (Daily Mail)
Hahn Happy, Coaching Again (Philadelphia Inquirer)

The Mountaineers are 7-5 and sitting in pretty good shape heading into the Big East's stretch run. However, the schedule is no picnic with four of their final six games on the road and home dates with Providence and Pitt mixed in. The slate of road games begin tonight with a date in Philadelphia to face Villanova.

After a 55-54 loss at Pittsburgh, Bib Huggins was highly critical of his team's play in the clutch. They responded with a couple easy wins over Rutgers and Seton Hall, but expect tonight to be a stiffer challenge on the road and a good barometer to see if their coach's words have pushed them forward.

Villanova has looked much better recovering from a 5-game swoon, edging Seton Hall at home and losing to Georgetown on a controversial foul in the last second. Villanova rebounded from that loss by pounding St. John's over the weekend. The Wildcats have several athletic players and will try to pressure the ball against the Mountaineers. They really need to defend the way they have in their last two games to come up with a victory tonight, losing the WVU shooters like Alex Ruoff, Darris Nichols or Joe Mazzulla would be costly. Each team matches up with the other in the frontcourt, so it could come down to the guards.

Corey Fisher and Scottie Reynolds will be the key in this game. If they can both manage to play effecient offensively together, I think the Wildcats will pull out a win at home. However, those two have not seemed to gel together as one is either on and the other off or, they are both off. In the race to secure a Big East Tournament berth, the Wildcats need this game.

West Virginia is a slight favorite, but I am going to go with the home team. I think the Wildcats will continue to improve defensively and they match-up well inside against WVU. It will come down to how productive Fisher and Reynolds are, I think they have a good game in unison tonight.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 71 West Virginia 67

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RUTGERS @ WEST VIRGINIA

February 14, 2008

Bob Huggins was very critical of his team following a 55-54 loss at Pittsburgh where missed foul shots and defensive assignments saw the Mountaineers let a late lead slip away. The comments questioned the team's toughness and if they were 'winners', and those were the public comments, I wonder what practice was like the last six days as the Season is Pushing Huggins' Patience (Daily Mail). WVU has a chance to get back on track tonight when they host Rutgers at the Coliseum.

Rutgers is tied for last in the Big East and with a tough schedule to finish up league play, the look headed towards another March without a Big East Tournament, making Fred Hill two for two in that category. Their latest setback was a 72-68 loss in overtime to Cincinnati over the weekend. The young Scarlet Knights are inexperienced and lack depth...not a good combination in the Big East, even for more talented rosters.

Here are the local media previews and stories on tonight's game:


Rutgers Trying to Get Over Hump (Charleston Gazette)
Rutgers Playing for the Future (Asbury Park Press)
WVU Men Hope to Bounce Back as they Host Rutgers (Times West Virginian)
Huggins Answers Critical Comments (Times West Virginian)
WVU Offense Slowing Down (Daily Mail)

Summing up their loss at Pitt, Bob Huggins simply said, "Winners make plays." The Mountaineers did not last Thursday as they made just 7-17 free throws and he had his two leading scorers on the bench for much of the game. Alex Ruoff attemtped just two shots from the floor and Joe Alexander was a consistent target of some of Huggins' most stern glares and fiery lectures. Huggins seemed perplexed as players 'refused' to step forward down the stretch and 'didn't listen' to the instructions of the staff.

Also concerning for WVU is the recent offensive slump. The Mountaineers have lost three of their last four games, in those losses (two at home), they have averaged just 50 points a game. A far cry from the team that was putting up big offensive numbers back in November and December. In those losses they have shot just a dreadful 32% (47-149) from the field. The once effecient Mountaineers look to be floundering on offense.

Rutgers is in the midst of a four-game losing streak and have dropped to 2-10 in Big East play. The Scarlet Knights also have trouble scoring points, averaging just 59 points a game in Big East action.

After dropping their first six conference games, the Scarlet Knights showed a spark with wins over Villanova and Pittsburgh (ont he road) with freshman guards Mike Coburn and Corey Chandler leading the way. In their last four, two of the losses have come in overtime, so they are being more competitive. The lone exception was a drubbing at Louisville two weeks ago.

Tonight they should face a highly motivated Mountaineer team looking to get back on track. West Virginia has a favorable schedule down the stretch and kick it off with home games against RU and Seton Hall the next several days. Finding their range on offense will make things much easier. Rutgers does match-up pretty well with West Virginia as they have similar athletes and both are perimeter driven clubs. Rutgers is not deep on the wings or in the backcourt, but they have some size inside.

The Mountaineers are 19-pt favorites, seems to be quite high. I look for WVU to get a win, but the Scarlet Knights shoudl be able to hang around a little bit.

NBE Blogger Prediction: West Virginia 72 Rutgers 59

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: WEST VIRGINIA @ PITTSBURGH

February 7, 2008



The Backyard Brawl is one of the most heated rivalries in college sports. Tonight, the hardwood version of the rivalry takes center stage on ESPN's Rivalry Week as West Virginia and Pittsburgh meet at the Peterson Events Center.

Here are the local media previews and stories on the game:


Win at Pitt Would Be Huge for WVU (Charleston Gazette)
WVU Aiming for Upset Against Old Nemesis Pitt (Martinsburg Journal)
Huggins Patient to Instill Style at WVU (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Pitt-WVU coaches History Dates Back 10 Years (Tribune-Review)


It is the 174th meeting all-time between Pittsburgh and West Virginia, with the Mountaineers holding the all-time series edge of 92-81 heading into tonight's clash. Each team enters the contest with identical 5-4 records in the Big East, so tonight's game has plenty of meaning outside of the rivalry.

West Virginia broke a 2-game losing streak with a road win over Providence last weekend, 77-65. The Mountaineers had lost a pair at home, a heart-breaker to Georgetown on a couple last second plays by the Hoyas and a 62-39 drubbing at the hands of Cincinnati.

Pittsburgh has also lost two of three, including their inexplicable loss of the season, 77-64 to Rutgers, at home. Pitt lost their last outing, 60-53 at UConn. The game was tied at 51 with just over two minutes to go, but the Panthers did not make the plays down the stretch.

Much like the teams John Beilein coaches at West Virginia prior to Bob Huggins, the Mountaineers rely on the three-point shot. Alex Ruoff is their top sniper, averaging 14.5 ppg and shooting 44% from beyond the arc. Joe Alexander leads the team in scoring (14.8 ppg) and rebounds (5.8) and was a prep teammate of the Panthers' Sam Young and Hargrave Military Academy. The WVU attack is rounded out by sophomore Da'Sean Butler, likely their best all-around player, who averages 12.7 ppg and 5.7 rebounds and senior point guard Darris Nichols averages 12 ppg.

The Mountaineers do a better job of rebounding this season than they have in the past, but it is still an area that opponents attack. In Beilein's system it was more finesse than the style Bob Huggins prefers and he has questioned his team's toughness in the past. The lack of toughness was evident in the loss against Cincinnati where WVU shot just 10-50 from the floor and 1-20 from 3-pt range.

If your toughness has been questioned, there is no better team to prove that wrong than against Pittsburgh, annually one of the toughest teams in the country. With freshman DeJuan Blair in the post, their trademark toughness continues. Blair will look to anchor down inside and clean up the boards. Sam Young has also had some of his strongest games against WVU in the past, dominating along the baseline against their 1-3-1 zone defense.

Because of their injury issues, it is a must for Pittsburgh to keep Young and Blair out of foul trouble. The Panthers are without Levance Fields and Mike Cook, and that adds pressure to the backcourt of Gilbert Brown, Ronald Ramon and Keith Benjamin to score, defend and make smart decisions all game. Ramon and Benjamin are seniors and have had some very good moments this season, but both have been quiet offensively lately. Benjamin has been struggling with a nasty cut on his shooting hand that required stiches, but looks to be healthier tonight. Ramon has a nagging shoulder injury, but as the point guard, he does not look for his shot enough. He has done a solid job as the point guard, but he does not have the ability to break down the defense and score like Fields had. This seems to hurt Pitt down the stretch of close games.

The Panthers are a slight 3-pt favorite on their home floor. The Mountaineers have a road-heavy schedule down the stretch and are 2-2 in the Big East away from home with wins over South Florida and PC. The Panthers have lost just once at home, to Rutgers, giving all teams some hope when coming into the Pete.

However, following a night when all three road times were victorious in the Big East, look for the home team to tough out a victory.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Pittsburgh 71 West Virginia 65

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: WEST VIRGINIA @ PROVIDENCE

February 2, 2008


There probably is no other team more anxious to get back on the court than the West Virginia Mountaineers. One, it allows them to put the bad taste of Wednesday night's debacle out of their mouths. Two, it gets them out of practice and film sessions with coach Bob Huggins who undoubtedly can not be happy with his team after they were bombed by Cincinnati and his former assistant, Mick Cronin, 62-39.

Providence also needs to get back onto the floor, but this is a very quick turnaround after they literally let one slip away against Notre Dame Thursday night. The Friars were just 6-16 from the foul line in an OT loss to the Irish and a turnover in the last 20 seconds by Geoff McDermott led to two Luke Harangody free throws to force the extra session which was dominated by the Irish.

This is nearly a must-win for each team, as always, it is more important for the home team. Providence entered the season with plans to be, at least, on the NCAA bubble this year. An injury to Sharaud Curry has definitely dampened those hopes, but a loss at home to West Virginia would mean a four-game losing streak and put the Friars on the outside-looking in at the 12 teams in position to make the Big East Tournament at the halfway mark. Not exactly the bubble they were planning to be on...

For West Virginia, a loss would slide them out of the congested Big East middle and into the lower rungs of the conference, with Providence. There is little room for error in the Big East. A two-game win streak can put a team into 2nd place in the Big East, a two game losing streak and your staring at 12th or even 13th place! That is true for 11 teams...UNREAL! The life expectancy of coaches in this league is going down by the minute...

West Virginia has to put Wenesday's 10-50 shooting effort against Cincinnati behind them. Bob Huggins has spent the last couple days telling his club they are not tough enough and they need to rebound, etc, etc. With this club, that could be like trying to get blood from a stone, that is not their personality or comfort zone. However, they are not as good of a shooting team as previous Mountaineer clubs either. They seem to hit their shots in bunches and success is contagious among their players, but if they are not in a comfort zone and being forced to create, it can be an ugly scene. They also seemed to be flat coming off the agonizing loss to Georgetown the weekend prior. What they hoped to be a 2-0 homestand ended up being an 0-2 disaster.

It was supposed to come together this season for Tim Welsh. Instead, the injury to Curry, the slow development of Randall Hanke rounding back into shape and now an issue with Weyinmi Efejuku is not how his highly thought of junior class was suppsoed to respond in a season of hope. Efejuku did not get off the bench for the Friars on Thursday night in the OT loss at Notre Dame. Efejuku was scoreless in the previous game, a loss to Syracuse and Welsh has been frustrated previously with inconsistent efforts from Efejuku. Sophomore guards Dwain Williams and Brian McKenzie can be hot or cold and junior transfer Jeff Xavier the same from the arc. If PC is hitting from 3, they are very dangerous. That type of threat led them to an impressive win at UConn earlier, but its been downhill since. Without Curry, nobody seems to be able to create for others, leaving big men Hanke, Jonathan Kale and Ray Hall alone in the middle. Geoff McDermott puts forth a big effort each time out, but his limited array of offensive skills can force him to be bottled up inside.

This is a game that can really go either way. I flip-flop back and forth often with this one. I like the WVU core group of Darris Nichols, Alex Ruoff, DaSean Butler and Joe Alxander to lead the Mountaineers in a bounce back effort.

NBE Bloggers' Prediction: West Virginia 73 Providence 70

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