WVU, like UConn, gets most of their offense from four players, all of which average in double figures.
The headliner is 6’7″ senior forward, Da’Sean Butler. Butler is averaging 17.5 points (8th in the Big East), 6.2 rebounds and a team high 3.3 assists. He can score from anywhere on the floor, including from beyond the arc, where he’s hit a team high 49 threes (.368). He’s scored in double figures in 24 of WVU’s 26 games, he’s gone over 20 seven times, and over 30 twice. He hung 32 on Pittsburgh February 12th, a game the Mountaineers actually lost, 98-95.
6’8″ sophomore forward Kevin Jones, a Mount Vernon, NY Native (Ben Gordon), is having a breakout season. He’s averaging 13.7 points and his 7.8 rebounds per game rank him 8th in the Big East. His .561 field goal percentage ranks him 7th in the Big East and he’s not afraid to step back and shoot the three, where he is shooting .406 (26-64). Jones scored in double figures in the first 14 games of the season, but has since cooled a bit. He’s scored in single digits in five of the next twelve games, but is coming off a solid 16 point performance vs Seton Hall on Saturday.
The Mountaineers have yet another long and athletic forward, 6’9″ sophomore Devin Ebanks. Ebanks is averaging 12.1 points and his 8.5 rebounds are good for 6th in the Big East. He’s been hot of late, scoring in double figures in each of the last five games, over which span he is averaging 14 points. Ebanks played his junior and senior seasons of High School ball at St. Thomas Moore in Oakdale, CT, where current 2012 recruit Andre Drummond plays.
6’2″ sophomore guard Darryl Bryant rounds out WVU’s top four scorers with 10.8 points per game. He’s averaging 3.1 assists, which is second on the team. Bryant’s 37 made threes (.356) are also second on the team. Bryant is a bit of an inconsistent shooter (.370), but is capable of a big game…he dropped 18 on Syracuse and 20 on Pittsburgh.
Conference Rank Comparisons
Scoring Offense
WVU 75.2 (7th)
CONN 71.9 (10th)
Scoring Defense
WVU 64.2 (3rd)
CONN 66.6 (10th)
Free Throw %
WVU .694 (7th)
CONN .691 (8th)
FG % Defense
CONN .383 (1st)
WVU .431 (13th)
FG %
CONN .456 (6th)
WVU .439 (12th)
3 Pt % / Avg per Game
WVU .354 (6th) / 7.4 (6th)
CONN ..329 (11th) / 3.8 (16th)
Rebound Margin
WVU +7.4 (T-1st)
CONN +3.0 (8th)
Blocks
CONN 8.1 (1st)
WVU 4.1 (9th)
Turnover Margin
WVU +2.42 (3rd)
CONN -2.07 (15th)
This game obviously has huge implications for the Huskies. If they can pull this one out it would be their third win over a top 10 opponent, and it would get UConn to within one game of .500 in the conference. It’s not make or break as far as their tournament hopes go, but a win here goes a heck of a lot further than a loss, towards achieving that goal. The Huskies appear to have turned the corner and look ready to move forward playing their best basketball of the season…two down, four to go. Let’s get it.
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Huge game. If we win tonight, it suddenly becomes very possible to run out the season.
At that point, it seems almost impossible that we’d be excluded from the dance.
How would you like to be the 1 seed that has to play UConn in the 2nd round as an 8 seed after UConn finishes the year winning 6 in a row including two wins against top 8 teams.
How wonderful would it be if that 1 seed was Duke?
like duke did not get better too
Yeah, I’m sure Duke has improved immensely playing that rugged, brutal, ACC schedule. Is there even anyone else from the ACC in the Top 25?
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