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GAME THREAD West Virginia basketball at Xavier

Sloppy ball-handling and passing, which WVU overcame against lesser teams by forcing turnouts, bit the Mountaineers in the butt against Xavier, a 5-3 team with a lot of close games against good teams.


Ball-handling and passing must be addressed and improved before more big boys come along! Still have high hopes for this team but they're too casual with the ball to succeed against tough competition.

WVU looked better against Purdue than it did against Xavier, a good team.

WVU was up 12, then got erratic consistently. Can't have that if you want to do anything big this season.

Lesson learned, hopefully.
Good grief...do you think the rest if us dont follow the game? What a rock.
 
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This is what happens when CFE gets excited about a team.

GREAT! BLAME ME. WHY NOT? WHAT HAPPENS FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON DEPENDS ON THE 7 TRANSFERS WHO HAVE THE TALENT, BUT HAVE TO STOP TOSSING THE BALL TO THE OTHER TEAM CASUALLY. DO WHAT HUGGINS TELLS THEM TO DO AND WE WILL WIN A LOT. PLAY IT THEIR WAY AND WE WON'T. I'M STILL HOPING FOR 20 TO 25 VICTORIES!
 
I’M REALLY DISAPPOINTED IN WVU’S PERFORMANCE AGAINST XAVIER. NOT THAT THEY LOST BUT THAT THEY CONTINUED THEIR CARELESS BALL-HANDLING AND PASSING THAT WASN’T ENOUGH TO COST THEM VICTORIES AGAINST LESSER TEAMS.

AND IN THE BIG 12 AND FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON, WVU WILL NOT BE PLAYING LESSER TEAMS.

IF THIS ISN’T A WAKEUP CALL FOR THIS COLLECTION OF 7 TRANSFERS TO MORGANTOWN FROM OTHER COLLEGES, I DON’T KNOW WHAT WOULD BE.

IT’S UP TO THE PLAYERS TO GET THEIR HEADS ON STRAIGHT, PLAY AS A TEAM, PASS BETTER, HANDLE THE BALL BETTER, STOP ALLOWING LAYUPS. WHAT LOOKED LIKE A PROMISING SEASON COULD FIZZLE.

I’M SURE HUGGINS WILL DO ALL HE CAN TO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN. BUT THE PLAYERS, AS TALENTED AS THEY ARE INDIVIDUALLY, HAVE TO COME TOGETHER AS ONE UNIT, KEEP THEIR HEADS ON STRAIGHT.

THE SEASON STILL CAN BE BRIGHT, OR DIM. IT’S UP TO THE PLAYERS WHO HAVE THE ABILITY BUT HAVE TO PLAY AND THINK SMARTER.
 
If this were pre Transfer Portal, we could take solace in that it is a new roster having to learn to play together as a way to build for next year. However in today's world you have to make new pieces work immediately.
 
If this were pre Transfer Portal, we could take solace in that it is a new roster having to learn to play together as a way to build for next year. However in today's world you have to make new pieces work immediately.
I think they're working together pretty damn good. Whoever thought Xavier was going to be a pushover doesn't know basketball at all. They were favored to win and they win 84% of the time in their building.

Got a long way to go before taps are played.
 
I think they're working together pretty damn good. Whoever thought Xavier was going to be a pushover doesn't know basketball at all. They were favored to win and they win 84% of the time in their building.

Got a long way to go before taps are played.
Got out-rebounded....again. I've been saying it, this team has potential, but if they don't learn to rebound the basketball, then it will not end well.
 
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I think they're working together pretty damn good. Whoever thought Xavier was going to be a pushover doesn't know basketball at all. They were favored to win and they win 84% of the time in their building.

Got a long way to go before taps are played.

No one is saying taps need to be played, but this was a very winnable road game that a team capable of making it out of the first weekend of the NCAA should win. My point is that, unfortunately, in the era of the transfer portal that growth and cohesion over seasons is of minor consequence rather than paramount as it once was. And still should be in my opinion. So the excuses are hollow or at least very much diminished when saying this team is still "getting used" to each other or the system/Huggs. That's a luxury you do not have when you are say a Stevenson on his 4th, or maybe 5th(?), collegiate stop.
 
Got out-rebounded....again. I've been saying it, this team has potential, but if they don't learn to rebound the basketball, then it will not end well.
Center is our weakest spot. When the threes don't fall and they close the bank, you need a rebounder. Speaking of rebounders, where is Kevin Jones these days?
 
Got out-rebounded....again. I've been saying it, this team has potential, but if they don't learn to rebound the basketball, then it will not end well.
Which is why Wague was benched. Because he doesn't block out.

If Tre can learn to stay out of foul trouble the rebounds improve.
 
We haven't had a solid rebounder since Kevin Jones
Kevin Jones 1,048 (also could shoot the 3, not a high percentage but did take 349)
Devin Williams 846
Derek Culver 799

That's the last 3 that knew how to rebound.

Not sure WVU has ever had a true center that was worth a crap.
 
Center is our weakest spot. When the threes don't fall and they close the bank, you need a rebounder. Speaking of rebounders, where is Kevin Jones these days?
We don't have a true center. Never have under Huggins and probably not under JB either.
 
Kevin Jones 1,048 (also could shoot the 3, not a high percentage but did take 349)
Devin Williams 846
Derek Culver 799

That's the last 3 that knew how to rebound.

Not sure WVU has ever had a true center that was worth a crap.

Jones definitely wasn't a center. Maybe I should've said Jones was our last real rebounder that didn't have much liability elsewhere
 
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Center is our weakest spot. When the threes don't fall and they close the bank, you need a rebounder. Speaking of rebounders, where is Kevin Jones these days?
Derek Culver......people can say what they want about him, but that dude was a BEAST on the boards. Really miss him.
 
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Xavier lost to #14 Gonzaga, 88-84, to Duke, 71-64,

beat Florida, 90-83 (WVU beat Florida, 84-55!),

lost to #10 Indiana, 81-79, lost to #17 Duke, 71-64, lost to #14 Gonzaga, 88-84.

So this will be a good early-season test of WVU’s March Madness potential.

I think Huggins Heroes can take Xavier, but it won’t be easy.

Comparative scores against Florida favor WVU, but they don’t always predict outcomes of common Florida opponents when they play each other.

It should be an interesting game. Certainly more fun than watching Neal Brown destroy WVU football!
“Comparative scores against Florida favor WVU, but they don’t always predict outcomes of common Florida opponents when they play each other.”

But comparing Perdue scores can change the on court results in a tournament’s results.
 
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