The 2013 & 2014 seasons of WVU basketball were awful, and they both ended badly. So, Huggs decides to "fix it" and bring in defensive minded basketball players to implement a full-court press for 60-minutes of chaotic pressure, borrowed from Kevin Mackey's Cleveland State days.
In my opinion, "Press Virginia" was officially born on November 23, 2014, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in a holiday tournament championship game vs. UConn. In that game, WVU led 47-32 at the half, thoroughly dominated a talented UConn team, forced 19 turnovers, had 11 steals. WVU would win by 10. WVU started Daxter Miles Jr., Jaysean Paige and Juwan Staten. (3 athletic guards). Jon Holton hounded the inbounds pass. Gary Browne, Jevon Carter and Tarik Phillip came off the bench. Nate Adrian came in to rest Holton. Devin Williams was backed up by Elijah Macon. That team would make the Sweet Sixteen and get beat by perhaps the biggest Kentucky team ever put on the floor.
The next season, in January 2016, WVU played No.1 Kansas at the Coliseum, and thoroughly harassed KU into 22 turnovers. WVU would win, 74-63. Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles Jr. started at the guards. But, Tarik Phillip and Jaysean Paige came off of the bench to spell them, and keep the pressure on KU. Jon Holton started on the ball, with Esa Ahmad and Devin Williams down low. Jaysean Paige, despite coming off of the bench, had 26 points and 5 steals. Nate Adrian and Elijah Macon came off of the bench to spell the bigs.
Last season, in January 2017, WVU once again faced a No. 1 team, Baylor, at the Coliseum and forced No. 1 Baylor into 29 turnovers in a 89-68 WVU victory. WVU started Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles, Jr., along with Nate Adrian, Brandon Watkins and Esa Ahmad. Tarik Phillip, Teyvon Myers and Beetle Bolden all gave JC and Dax rest, while Lamont West, Sags Konate and Elijah Macon all came in for the bigs. Tarik Phillip had 11 points, 2 steals and 2 assists off of the bench to compliment Jevon Carter's 17 points and 5 steals. Nate Adrian had 22 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals at the power forward spot.
This year, in January we just lost a home game to Kansas where we started Jevon Carter, Daxter Miles Jr., along with Lamont West, Wes Harris and Sags Konate. Beetle Bolden and Chase Harler came off the bench to rest JC and Dax, but did not score and contributed 1 combined steal and 1 combined assist. JC played 38 minutes. KU only turned the ball over 13 times, and we lost the turnover battle. Esa Ahmad and Magic Bender subbed in for the bigs. (Teddy Allen was held out, but obviously is part of the equation)
Here's the summary of the above -- we are thinner than we have ever been as "Press Virginia". The luxury of a deep bench that we had in '15, '16 & '17 is gone. It was extremely deep in '15, and has devolved into what you see today, each year getting thinner and thinner. Brandon Knapper should be playing, but he's being held out. Derek Culver did not make it in - we'll see him next year. Elijah Macon technically could be part of this roster. Esa Ahmad missed half of the season. Our team is not as athletic, not as talented, not as deep as the three prior season. Bob Huggins had done a fine job turning this particular roster into Press Virginia anyhow - and we shot up to No. 2. But, these guys are tired. And, help is not on the way. Our team is on the floor.
The question will be -- can Huggs mix and match with this roster to make it viable again? Can we go with three guards like 2015 did - Beetle Bolden, Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles Jr. - to give the press more speed and athleticism? Can we give Teddy Allen more run? I just don't know.
But, Press Virginia has disintegrated into a pile of Jell-O. It was something to behold - especially when Juwan Staten harassed Ryan Boatwright into turnover after turnover in San Juan when we became what we are today. If everything flows like it should, we should have a nice roster next year which can be deep enough to regain form. Until then, once we get past this flu bug...it's up to Huggs to make this thing work again.
In my opinion, "Press Virginia" was officially born on November 23, 2014, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in a holiday tournament championship game vs. UConn. In that game, WVU led 47-32 at the half, thoroughly dominated a talented UConn team, forced 19 turnovers, had 11 steals. WVU would win by 10. WVU started Daxter Miles Jr., Jaysean Paige and Juwan Staten. (3 athletic guards). Jon Holton hounded the inbounds pass. Gary Browne, Jevon Carter and Tarik Phillip came off the bench. Nate Adrian came in to rest Holton. Devin Williams was backed up by Elijah Macon. That team would make the Sweet Sixteen and get beat by perhaps the biggest Kentucky team ever put on the floor.
The next season, in January 2016, WVU played No.1 Kansas at the Coliseum, and thoroughly harassed KU into 22 turnovers. WVU would win, 74-63. Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles Jr. started at the guards. But, Tarik Phillip and Jaysean Paige came off of the bench to spell them, and keep the pressure on KU. Jon Holton started on the ball, with Esa Ahmad and Devin Williams down low. Jaysean Paige, despite coming off of the bench, had 26 points and 5 steals. Nate Adrian and Elijah Macon came off of the bench to spell the bigs.
Last season, in January 2017, WVU once again faced a No. 1 team, Baylor, at the Coliseum and forced No. 1 Baylor into 29 turnovers in a 89-68 WVU victory. WVU started Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles, Jr., along with Nate Adrian, Brandon Watkins and Esa Ahmad. Tarik Phillip, Teyvon Myers and Beetle Bolden all gave JC and Dax rest, while Lamont West, Sags Konate and Elijah Macon all came in for the bigs. Tarik Phillip had 11 points, 2 steals and 2 assists off of the bench to compliment Jevon Carter's 17 points and 5 steals. Nate Adrian had 22 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals at the power forward spot.
This year, in January we just lost a home game to Kansas where we started Jevon Carter, Daxter Miles Jr., along with Lamont West, Wes Harris and Sags Konate. Beetle Bolden and Chase Harler came off the bench to rest JC and Dax, but did not score and contributed 1 combined steal and 1 combined assist. JC played 38 minutes. KU only turned the ball over 13 times, and we lost the turnover battle. Esa Ahmad and Magic Bender subbed in for the bigs. (Teddy Allen was held out, but obviously is part of the equation)
Here's the summary of the above -- we are thinner than we have ever been as "Press Virginia". The luxury of a deep bench that we had in '15, '16 & '17 is gone. It was extremely deep in '15, and has devolved into what you see today, each year getting thinner and thinner. Brandon Knapper should be playing, but he's being held out. Derek Culver did not make it in - we'll see him next year. Elijah Macon technically could be part of this roster. Esa Ahmad missed half of the season. Our team is not as athletic, not as talented, not as deep as the three prior season. Bob Huggins had done a fine job turning this particular roster into Press Virginia anyhow - and we shot up to No. 2. But, these guys are tired. And, help is not on the way. Our team is on the floor.
The question will be -- can Huggs mix and match with this roster to make it viable again? Can we go with three guards like 2015 did - Beetle Bolden, Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles Jr. - to give the press more speed and athleticism? Can we give Teddy Allen more run? I just don't know.
But, Press Virginia has disintegrated into a pile of Jell-O. It was something to behold - especially when Juwan Staten harassed Ryan Boatwright into turnover after turnover in San Juan when we became what we are today. If everything flows like it should, we should have a nice roster next year which can be deep enough to regain form. Until then, once we get past this flu bug...it's up to Huggs to make this thing work again.
