--This was an odd game, even though Elon certainly hung around well into the second half you never got the feeling that they were going to make a run to really create a threat. The Mountaineers were at 1.261 points per possession and were able to keep Elon at a comfortable distance for much of the game. There were some lapses in rebounding and on defense at times, while the Mountaineers also missed some easy baskets but they cruised to an 87-68 win and was able to play a lot of different people.
--Felt like at times the ball wasn’t moving very well and that has got to get corrected. Sounds funny to say with the final numbers but a lot of bad possessions to start.
--West Virginia was at +6 on the glass and was positive there for the first time this year but it still feels like they left a lot out there. On the offensive side, the Mountaineers were +20 with points in the paint and shot 52-percent from the field.
--Turnovers were again an issue as West Virginia turned 17 miscues into 26 points. The ball pressure was relentless yet again and we even saw it extended in this game.
--One good thing is that West Virginia was able to get in the majority of their players in this one with only freshman James Okonkwo not seeing the floor. That means 14 players saw action which is what head coach Bob Huggins said he wanted to do coming into the tournament.
--Hats off to senior guard Taz Sherman who poured in a career-high 27 points in 26 minutes and hitting 9-17 from the floor. At times in this one, Sherman could really do whatever he wanted and has looked like a pro in glimpses this season. The Mountaineers were +28 when he was on the floor.
--Senior guard Sean McNeil hit some big shots in this game to help keep West Virginia ahead when Elon made some runs in this one. He had 16 points on 7-13 shooting and has proven to be dependable when the Mountaineers need to find some offense outside of Sherman.
--Redshirt freshman Isaiah Cottrell started off a little slow, but really played well in the second half. Cottrell hit 3-4 shots to finish with 9 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and had 3 blocks across 21 minutes. He also displayed his range in this game and has really started to look more comfortable game-by-game. He was second on the team with a +24 with his time on the floor.
--I don’t believe that senior forward Pauly Paulicap is playing enough minutes right now. Only 8 tonight but he had 2 points and 6 rebounds and brings a noticeable energy to the floor. I like mixing and matching him with Dimon Carrigan has worked well but I do think he is exciting moving forward.
--West Virginia was 21-28 from the foul line in this one and that deserves mentioning after some of the struggles earlier in the year. You still missed seven more than you wanted to, but it certainly beats the 50-percent efforts that had occurred over the first two games.
--It’s not going to get any easier tomorrow against Marquette and will provide West Virginia with their biggest challenge of the season to date. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and it’s just the next chapter between Huggins and Shaka Smart. If the Mountaineers win they will head to the title game Sunday.
--Felt like at times the ball wasn’t moving very well and that has got to get corrected. Sounds funny to say with the final numbers but a lot of bad possessions to start.
--West Virginia was at +6 on the glass and was positive there for the first time this year but it still feels like they left a lot out there. On the offensive side, the Mountaineers were +20 with points in the paint and shot 52-percent from the field.
--Turnovers were again an issue as West Virginia turned 17 miscues into 26 points. The ball pressure was relentless yet again and we even saw it extended in this game.
--One good thing is that West Virginia was able to get in the majority of their players in this one with only freshman James Okonkwo not seeing the floor. That means 14 players saw action which is what head coach Bob Huggins said he wanted to do coming into the tournament.
--Hats off to senior guard Taz Sherman who poured in a career-high 27 points in 26 minutes and hitting 9-17 from the floor. At times in this one, Sherman could really do whatever he wanted and has looked like a pro in glimpses this season. The Mountaineers were +28 when he was on the floor.
--Senior guard Sean McNeil hit some big shots in this game to help keep West Virginia ahead when Elon made some runs in this one. He had 16 points on 7-13 shooting and has proven to be dependable when the Mountaineers need to find some offense outside of Sherman.
--Redshirt freshman Isaiah Cottrell started off a little slow, but really played well in the second half. Cottrell hit 3-4 shots to finish with 9 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and had 3 blocks across 21 minutes. He also displayed his range in this game and has really started to look more comfortable game-by-game. He was second on the team with a +24 with his time on the floor.
--I don’t believe that senior forward Pauly Paulicap is playing enough minutes right now. Only 8 tonight but he had 2 points and 6 rebounds and brings a noticeable energy to the floor. I like mixing and matching him with Dimon Carrigan has worked well but I do think he is exciting moving forward.
--West Virginia was 21-28 from the foul line in this one and that deserves mentioning after some of the struggles earlier in the year. You still missed seven more than you wanted to, but it certainly beats the 50-percent efforts that had occurred over the first two games.
--It’s not going to get any easier tomorrow against Marquette and will provide West Virginia with their biggest challenge of the season to date. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and it’s just the next chapter between Huggins and Shaka Smart. If the Mountaineers win they will head to the title game Sunday.
