You are going to hate West Virginia by midnight Thursday. Absolutely detest them. It pains me to say it but you will. They're annoying and they do things nobody else does and if they were your team you'd love them but they are not so you will despise them. Imagine a team made up of 13 DeAndre Ligginses. That's what West Virginia is.
You hate WVU cause they get all up in your business. They plop themselves down on your couch, put their feet up on your coffee table and scatter the candy dish. They put their arm around your wife and ask your daughter how old she is. They eat the last of your favorite bag of chips, ask to use your bathroom and are in there for a LOOOONG time. They make you uncomfortable, they make you squirm and at some point you find yourself counting the minutes until they are gone. Eventually you want to punch them. They want to frustrate you. They want to rattle you. They want to break you.
The Way This Game Is Officiated Will Be Massively Important
I can't emphasize this point enough. The Mountaineer press has been consistently great, but when they're allowed to nudge and bump and slap - as they were against Maryland - it becomes a different animal. On the other side of the coin the Baylor Bears easily gave WVU the most trouble of anyone this season, and they shot 33, 34 and 35 free throws in their 3 tightly officiated games. The Terrapins by contrast shot only 13 on Sunday night.
See, the press has a cumulative effect. If you're forced to play long physical stretches where you're constantly bumped and chirped at and running and running and running the chances increase that you do something in a hurry and that something is a mistake. On the other hand if the referee's whistle gives you constant respite and the opportunity to stop and gather yourself while a teammate shoots free throws, you're much less likely to make the type of mistakes that are the lifeblood of the Mountaineer press.
If you're a UK fan who's looking for an early sign that things could be more interesting than you'd like, pay attention to that whistle. If there's contact allowed early, it could be trouble. If WVU is in the double bonus by the 8 minute mark and the Cats are calmly and confidently extending that lead with their exceptional foul shooting, probably no showers for Matt Jones.
You hate WVU cause they get all up in your business. They plop themselves down on your couch, put their feet up on your coffee table and scatter the candy dish. They put their arm around your wife and ask your daughter how old she is. They eat the last of your favorite bag of chips, ask to use your bathroom and are in there for a LOOOONG time. They make you uncomfortable, they make you squirm and at some point you find yourself counting the minutes until they are gone. Eventually you want to punch them. They want to frustrate you. They want to rattle you. They want to break you.
The Way This Game Is Officiated Will Be Massively Important
I can't emphasize this point enough. The Mountaineer press has been consistently great, but when they're allowed to nudge and bump and slap - as they were against Maryland - it becomes a different animal. On the other side of the coin the Baylor Bears easily gave WVU the most trouble of anyone this season, and they shot 33, 34 and 35 free throws in their 3 tightly officiated games. The Terrapins by contrast shot only 13 on Sunday night.
See, the press has a cumulative effect. If you're forced to play long physical stretches where you're constantly bumped and chirped at and running and running and running the chances increase that you do something in a hurry and that something is a mistake. On the other hand if the referee's whistle gives you constant respite and the opportunity to stop and gather yourself while a teammate shoots free throws, you're much less likely to make the type of mistakes that are the lifeblood of the Mountaineer press.
If you're a UK fan who's looking for an early sign that things could be more interesting than you'd like, pay attention to that whistle. If there's contact allowed early, it could be trouble. If WVU is in the double bonus by the 8 minute mark and the Cats are calmly and confidently extending that lead with their exceptional foul shooting, probably no showers for Matt Jones.
