The parallels are many — save for the most important one. Third-seeded West Virginia faces a 14th seed without a great deal of name cachet in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and most everyone expects the Mountaineers to advance to the second round.
2021? No, 2016. That’s when the Lumberjacks of Stephen F. Austin upset the Mountaineers 70-56, and those who look at history as a precursor of the future didn’t have to dig deep in the archives to find one.
There’s only one issue here — this isn’t the same WVU team, as coach Bob Huggins stated.
That’s not to say that the 2021 version isn’t capable of being upset, in this case by Morehead State.
However, if they do, it won’t have anything to do with that previous game, other than sheer coincidence of seeding and round.
This WVU team hasn’t shown any inclination to overlook opponents, and after an early departure from the Big 12 Championship, was ready to get back on the court and practice — practice! — so as to have every chance of extending its season.
The Eagles are lead by freshman Johni Broome (6-10, 235 lbs.), who averages 13.9 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, but he wouldn’t have approached those numbers — and likely would have been cast in a supporting role — but for the loss of Tyzhaun Claude (6-8, 240 lbs.), who sustained a knee injury in late November that knocked him out for the season.
Claude, a sophomore, averaged 9.5 points and 6.4 boards per game for MSU in 2019-20.
Imagine what that duo might have developed into by this point in the season had Claude not gotten hurt.
No matter the outcome of Friday’s NCAA game, Morehead State looks to have a great foundation for the next couple of seasons.
Broome is part of an inside-outside combination that has made the Eagles tough to defend when they get the ball in scoring position.
DeVon Cooper (6-4, 200 lbs.) and Skyelar Potter 6-3, 198 lbs.) are a combined 98-274 from 3-point range this year (35.8%), scoring nearly half of their points from that distance.
They also are bigger, more physical guards who rebound well, averaging 5.0 and 5.8 per game, respectively.
That could be a big difference in the game if West Virginia’s rebounding at the guard and wing positions does not improve.
In addition to better shooting, West Virginia needs Jalen Bridges to play as he did against Oklahoma, Baylor and Texas in the latter half of February, and not as he did in the most recent two games against Oklahoma State.
The redshirt freshman was on an upward trend over that period, averaging nearly 11 points and 6.6 rebounds per outing, but then tailed off badly against the Cowboys, as he had only two points and seven rebounds in WVU’s most recent two losses.
Perhaps OSU offered a match-up that was unfavorable for Bridges, but he has shown that he can rebound and score against some of the best talent in the nation, so the hope for more productivity from his direction isn’t of the wild wish variety.
It is, though, important that he gets off to a good start if WVU has hopes of making a run.
Morehead State is 6-8 overall in the NCAA Tournament, with an upset of No. 4 seed Louisville in 2011 standing as the highlight of their Big Dance experience.
The only time the Eagles won more than one game in a trip to the Tournament was in 1956, and that was back in the days when third-place games were played in regions following losses, as just 24 teams were invited.
MSU dusted Marshall 107-92 in the opening round that year, but then was eliminated by Iowa. It finished the tournament with an uptick by defeating Wayne State for third place in the Midwest Region.
WVU was not as fortunate in that season, and was knocked out by Dartmouth 61-59 in overtime in the opening round.
In its three wins over Morehead State (1980, 1981, 2011), WVU has scored at least 79 points in each game. The Eagles have not topped 69 against the Mountaineers, and were held to 48 in the last meeting.
Oddly enough, three of the four meetings will have taken place away from the WVU Coliseum when tonight’s contest is completed.
The Mountaineers twice met the Eagles in winter break games at the Charleston Civic Center Coliseum, and have only hosted MSU once at the WVU Coliseum.
Even without Claude, MSU gets on the boards. The Eagles outboarded 22 different foes this season, and hold a +6.4 margin over their opponents.
WVU has reached the Sweet 16 in eight of its last 12 NCAA appearances (2018, 2017, 2015, 2010, 2008, 2006, 2005 and 1998). The Mountaineers are 20-12 in their 32 most recent NCAA games, and is 26-14 in their last 15 appearances in postseason play.
Two wins in the tournament would give West Virginia another 20-win season — its 13th in the last 17 seasons.
Some two and a half months after he departed, some writers are still asking questions about Oscar Tshiebwe and how WVU has changed its style of play since he left.
March 19, 2021 at 04:13AM
https://www.wvnews.com/sports/wvu/forget-the-past-wvu-must-keep-forward-focus-as-ncaas-begin/article_9ffca13a-1a0f-51c6-9a69-5993f1f991c2.html
Forget the past: WVU must keep forward focus as NCAAs begin - WV News
https://news.google.com/search?q=forget&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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