Finally, a Win
West Virginia University’s basketball team just broke a five game losing streak by dominating Providence tonight. I’m thankful. Road wins in the Big East are few and far between unless you are one of the two dominating programs—Syracuse and Connecticut. This tough conference is simply the best conference in the nation. Two members of the Big East, one of which owned only two victories in the conference, have been successful in their new league, the ACC. That only proves to me that the Big East is the premier basketball conference this year and for many years in the past.
That brings up the question of whether or not WVU can compete in this competitive conference. Witness tonight nearly 60% shooting by the good guys and the opposition losing one of their two best players to an injury with only 12 minutes gone in the game, allowed the visitors to win the game. This was a team (Providence) who had not won in the Big East this year. The streak is broken, but what about the next two games? WVU next faces undefeated Boston College and a newly resurgent Pittsburgh (combined record of 32-3).
It was obvious tonight that John Beilein’s team was short on muscle and only a bonehead move by Providence’s coach allowed the Mountaineers to sprint out to 14 and 16-point leads. History has told us that playing our team in tight man-to-man defense and pounding the ball inside is the strategy that works. Providence was content to stay in their zone defense and continued to try to shoot from the outside most of the night, leading to those big leads. Once, in the last four minutes, Providence went to the man, and trimmed the lead to three points at one point. You have to wonder how prepared the Fryers were for the game.
We’ll take the win and move on to the potential slaughters that await us. The win kept WVU from heading for the cellar of the conference. It appears the shooting touch has returned, but what is to become of this team when the next two ranked teams play their tight defense and deny our shots? Time will tell, but it appears that the Mountaineers will have to be satisfied with 15 wins and an NIT bid. Only two weeks ago the faithful were dreaming about an NCAA bid. How time changes things.
On another sad note, one of the teams West Virginia lost to, Marshall of the MAC, lost Thursday night to run their record to 3-14. Sad to say, Marshall has beaten three teams and one of those is our own Mountaineers. Some may be sold on the Beilein system. I am not one.
That brings up the question of whether or not WVU can compete in this competitive conference. Witness tonight nearly 60% shooting by the good guys and the opposition losing one of their two best players to an injury with only 12 minutes gone in the game, allowed the visitors to win the game. This was a team (Providence) who had not won in the Big East this year. The streak is broken, but what about the next two games? WVU next faces undefeated Boston College and a newly resurgent Pittsburgh (combined record of 32-3).
It was obvious tonight that John Beilein’s team was short on muscle and only a bonehead move by Providence’s coach allowed the Mountaineers to sprint out to 14 and 16-point leads. History has told us that playing our team in tight man-to-man defense and pounding the ball inside is the strategy that works. Providence was content to stay in their zone defense and continued to try to shoot from the outside most of the night, leading to those big leads. Once, in the last four minutes, Providence went to the man, and trimmed the lead to three points at one point. You have to wonder how prepared the Fryers were for the game.
We’ll take the win and move on to the potential slaughters that await us. The win kept WVU from heading for the cellar of the conference. It appears the shooting touch has returned, but what is to become of this team when the next two ranked teams play their tight defense and deny our shots? Time will tell, but it appears that the Mountaineers will have to be satisfied with 15 wins and an NIT bid. Only two weeks ago the faithful were dreaming about an NCAA bid. How time changes things.
On another sad note, one of the teams West Virginia lost to, Marshall of the MAC, lost Thursday night to run their record to 3-14. Sad to say, Marshall has beaten three teams and one of those is our own Mountaineers. Some may be sold on the Beilein system. I am not one.
posted by Ronnie Flamingo at 1:05 AM
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