West Virginia 2/2 2:00 ESPN+

[GoBearcats31]

Let's put a brutal January behind us and pick up a badly needed win at home versus a competitive WVU squad.

Last year, UC finished 39 in Ken Pom and WVU 144. WVU currently sits at 48 and UC 57.

Darian DeVries came over to WVU after a successful 6-year run at Drake and had the Mountaineers playing great before a recent skid. WVU is 13-7 and 4-5 in the Big 12, having lost 3-straight and 4/5 after a 3-1 start. WVU picked up non-conference wins over Gonzaga and Arizona (not a conference game in The Bahamas) and entered Big 12 play 9-2.

WVU has four Big 12 wins, including a surprising 1-point win at Kansas on December 31 and a more recent 7-point win over then #2 Iowa State. After the ISU upset, the Mountaineers have lost by 8 to Arizona State, by 13 at Kansas State, and just lost by 14 to #6 Houston on Wednesday despite. Houston held WVU to 49 points, but worth noting they also recently held Utah to 36 and then two games later the Utes caught fire versus UC.

Top Mountaineers:
- Javon Small, 6'3 guard - 19.1 points, 4.9 rebounds. 5.0 assists, 1.8 steals (lit up UC for 23 two years ago at ECU, had 19 for Oklahoma State last year)
- Amani Hansberry, 6'8 240 lb. forward - 9.6 points, 5.6 rebounds (breakout year after a quiet freshman season at Illinois)
- Jonathan Powell, 6'6 guard from Centerville HS - 8.7 points, 2.4 rebounds
- Toby Okani, 6'8 guard - 8.2 points, 4.1 rebounds (fifth-year senior who had 20/11 in the season opener last year between UC and UIC)
- Sencire Harris, 6'4 guard - 6.0 points, 4.5 rebounds (also came over from Illinois)

WVU has an interesting staff
- Chester Frazier, associate head coach (former Illinois standout who came over to WVU from Illinois staff -- see Hansberry, Harris above)
- Tom Ostrom, longtime Archie Miller assistant (Dayton/IU) who came over from Drake
- Kory Barnett, longtime Steve Alford assistant/staffer at UCLA/Nevada who was a walk-on at IU during the Crean days
- Two other assistants from DeVries' old staff at Drake

I'll leave the advanced stats to sedz but WVU is a slightly better 3-point shooting team (32.7% to 31.7), a significantly better FT shooting team, and slightly lower scoring / shooting / rebounding team. Seems like a tough team but very winnable.

[Bearcat1996]

Yes, the 1-3-1 has holes, which is why I don't think any team has ever run that defense 40 minutes per game all season like Boeheim did with the 2-3. But it lets you trap the wings and cut off ball reversals, baiting the opposing guards into risky skip passes if they're unprepared. We actually ran it out a decent amount last year with Skillings up top. Good teams will be able to find open three point shooters in the corner - the baseline guy can't cover both. So it's not something you want to run for more than a few minutes at a time, but it can force turnovers more than straight man or a 2-3. Our man defense is really good - my idea is to try a different defense to jumpstart the offense.

I think that would be a logical start. Defense creates offense. We know, historically, that we have shooters. And we know CWM has the athletes and depth to run. Why not go for broke and see what happens.

[sedz]

I have to disagree with you concerning the 1-3-1 zone. That type of zone forces the top defender to run between the opponent's two guards at the top. It is impossible for one guy on defense to play two guys on offense. I think that a switching man-to-man or a defense that has switching principles at the top of the defense could work, especially against the pick/roll. I like the 2-3 zone better than the 1-3-1 zone. Maybe some hybrid switching man-to-man and 2-3 zone (UC played this type of defense when Larry Davis was acting head coach the year that Cronin took sick leave) could work.

I do agree with you that UC's big guards, with their size, could really be disruptive if utilized in more aggressive ways on defense. Along with the guards that you mentioned, I think Page at 6'10" could also help on defense.

Basically, any defense designed to better handle the pick/roll may help.

Yes, the 1-3-1 has holes, which is why I don't think any team has ever run that defense 40 minutes per game all season like Boeheim did with the 2-3. But it lets you trap the wings and cut off ball reversals, baiting the opposing guards into risky skip passes if they're unprepared. We actually ran it out a decent amount last year with Skillings up top. Good teams will be able to find open three point shooters in the corner - the baseline guy can't cover both. So it's not something you want to run for more than a few minutes at a time, but it can force turnovers more than straight man or a 2-3. Our man defense is really good - my idea is to try a different defense to jumpstart the offense.

[leeraymond]

Yeah, I'm with you there. I have always thought coaches should go into every game with 3 distinct schemes on offense and defense. Start the game with the one you think will work best and stick with it until the opponent proves they can stop it. But as soon as they do, switch it up. We've only played a handful of possessions of trap and a handful of zone this year. We should be trying them out every game just to see if they work. Especially these days with traps and zones becoming more rare. Same on the offensive side. Try the PnR if you like it, but as soon as the defense stops that, switch to something different. We played an inverted offense for a bit against Colorado with Simas starting on the blocks. It worked great but we haven't tried it since. We've had success going small with Reed or Betsey at the 5.

Wes is afraid of giving up open threes and layups. Our defense is good at preventing those. But if you want to force turnovers, you gotta take some risks. And we need to take risks because our offense is so bad that we rely on transition opportunities. Our defense should look like Iowa St or UCLA. They give up lots of threes but they force a ton of turnovers. If Wes isn't up to the task of running a modern offense, he can start with a more aggressive defense. We might even give up more points but we need to kickstart the offense somehow. Skillings can be a menace at the top of a 1-3-1. Could be a way to get him out of his funk.

On offense we've got the pieces to be modern. We can run out 5 athletes who are 6'6 to 6'8. Skillings, Simas, Mitchell, Reed, Betsey, Rayvon. We don't have to play a traditional 5 who only sets screens or a traditional point guard who can't finish at the rim.

I have to disagree with you concerning the 1-3-1 zone. That type of zone forces the top defender to run between the opponent's two guards at the top. It is impossible for one guy on defense to play two guys on offense. I think that a switching man-to-man or a defense that has switching principles at the top of the defense could work, especially against the pick/roll. I like the 2-3 zone better than the 1-3-1 zone. Maybe some hybrid switching man-to-man and 2-3 zone (UC played this type of defense when Larry Davis was acting head coach the year that Cronin took sick leave) could work.

I do agree with you that UC's big guards, with their size, could really be disruptive if utilized in more aggressive ways on defense. Along with the guards that you mentioned, I think Page at 6'10" could also help on defense.

Basically, any defense designed to better handle the pick/roll may help.

[Rufus]

As I've said multiple times, I'm far from an expert, but I'm firm believer that If something is not working then switch it up. Teams now know that they can just trade shots with us and the percentages indicate that they will make more, in the paint and treys, as we do with treys alone.

[sedz]

One of the things CWM consistently harps on is defense. And I know that statistically speaking we are a good defensive team, but against WVU I saw Miller do something I rarely see him do in going to a full court press. With all the guards or guard types that we can rotate in I don't know why we don't do that more often. We were down almost twenty points when he employed that the other night and as the announcers said was to inject some energy into the flow. As Sedz has said frequently Miller is stuck on an outdated bball philosophy and hesitant to change. Staying with the same tired game plan is not going to get us out of this. Remember when Huggins came out of the gate putting pressure on the opposition to just get the ball over mid court?

Yeah, I'm with you there. I have always thought coaches should go into every game with 3 distinct schemes on offense and defense. Start the game with the one you think will work best and stick with it until the opponent proves they can stop it. But as soon as they do, switch it up. We've only played a handful of possessions of trap and a handful of zone this year. We should be trying them out every game just to see if they work. Especially these days with traps and zones becoming more rare. Same on the offensive side. Try the PnR if you like it, but as soon as the defense stops that, switch to something different. We played an inverted offense for a bit against Colorado with Simas starting on the blocks. It worked great but we haven't tried it since. We've had success going small with Reed or Betsey at the 5.

Wes is afraid of giving up open threes and layups. Our defense is good at preventing those. But if you want to force turnovers, you gotta take some risks. And we need to take risks because our offense is so bad that we rely on transition opportunities. Our defense should look like Iowa St or UCLA. They give up lots of threes but they force a ton of turnovers. If Wes isn't up to the task of running a modern offense, he can start with a more aggressive defense. We might even give up more points but we need to kickstart the offense somehow. Skillings can be a menace at the top of a 1-3-1. Could be a way to get him out of his funk.

On offense we've got the pieces to be modern. We can run out 5 athletes who are 6'6 to 6'8. Skillings, Simas, Mitchell, Reed, Betsey, Rayvon. We don't have to play a traditional 5 who only sets screens or a traditional point guard who can't finish at the rim.

[Rufus]

One of the things CWM consistently harps on is defense. And I know that statistically speaking we are a good defensive team, but against WVU I saw Miller do something I rarely see him do in going to a full court press. With all the guards or guard types that we can rotate in I don't know why we don't do that more often. We were down almost twenty points when he employed that the other night and as the announcers said was to inject some energy into the flow. As Sedz has said frequently Miller is stuck on an outdated bball philosophy and hesitant to change. Staying with the same tired game plan is not going to get us out of this. Remember when Huggins came out of the gate putting pressure on the opposition to just get the ball over mid court?

[sedz]

Looks like shooting percentages are down across the board. Whatever our shot doctor is prescribing seems the wrong medicine.

2 players up, 3 down among those listed in FG% and three%. 2 up, 2 down, and 2 within 1% on FT. So shooting percentages are close to unchanged from last year. In fact, our effective field goal percentage is almost identical this year (50.4) to last year (50.3). We have been a bad shooting team both seasons. But we've seen a 10% drop in free throw attempts and offensive rebounds this year. If we're going to be a bad shooting team, we've got to manufacture offense in other ways, and we're doing a worse job of it this season.

[leeraymond]

"We have to find the right combination of guys that want to fight". Those are Miller's words. Miller has been trying to find the right combination of five guys for 4 years now. He has gone through this every year since he has become the UC coach. My guess is he will never find that combination of 5 guys because he is a poor evaluator of talent and team chemistry.

UC cannot win with Miller. I hate to say that because I really like the guy. I am rooting for him. However, the numbers don't lie. They have not been lying for 4 years.

UC cannot win with Miller.

[longtimefan]

I think we have a third party involved here with NIL, etc. and I hope it's not gambling related.

If it is, that would explain a lot. I hope not.

[longtimefan]

Not sure if anyone has done this yet, but a comparison of some 2023-24 and 2024-25 numbers (apologies for any typos)

Dan Skillings
- Then: 27.9 minutes, 12.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.7 turnovers, 42.1% FG, 66.9% FT, 28.4% three
- Now: 25.3 minutes, 10.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.3 turnovers, 40.8% FG, 66.7% FT, 29.8% three

Simas Lukosius
- Then: 30.1 minutes, 11.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.0 turnovers, 39.2% FG, 82.5% FT, 38.5% three
- Now: 28.0 minutes, 12.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 turnovers, 41.3% FG, 82.1% FT, 37.2% three

Aziz Bandaogo
- Then: 23.9 minutes, 6.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.0 turnover, 64.2% FG, 54.5% FT
- Now: 24.7 minutes, 7.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1.0 turnover, 64.2% FG, 66.0% FT

Jizzle James
- Then: 19.3 minutes, 8.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 turnovers, 43.3% FG, 78.0% FT, 28.7% three
- Now: 25.8 minutes, 10.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.5 turnovers, 40.5% FG, 70.4% FT, 25.3% three

Day Day Thomas
- Then: 26.7 minutes, 10.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 steals, 2.1 turnovers, 38.8% FG, 81.1% FT, 28.0% three
- Now: 22.1 minutes, 7.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.4 turnovers, 35.1% FG, 78.3% FT, 36.5% three

Josh Reed
- Then: 10.9 minutes, 2.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 36.9% FG, 72.7% FT, 31.0% three
- Now: 11.8 minutes, 2.7 rebounds, 1.9 rebounds, 37.8% FG, 85.7% FT, 23.8% three

Looks like shooting percentages are down across the board. Whatever our shot doctor is prescribing seems the wrong medicine.

[GoBearcats31]

Not sure if anyone has done this yet, but a comparison of some 2023-24 and 2024-25 numbers (apologies for any typos)

Dan Skillings
- Then: 27.9 minutes, 12.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.7 turnovers, 42.1% FG, 66.9% FT, 28.4% three
- Now: 25.3 minutes, 10.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.3 turnovers, 40.8% FG, 66.7% FT, 29.8% three

Simas Lukosius
- Then: 30.1 minutes, 11.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.0 turnovers, 39.2% FG, 82.5% FT, 38.5% three
- Now: 28.0 minutes, 12.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 turnovers, 41.3% FG, 82.1% FT, 37.2% three

Aziz Bandaogo
- Then: 23.9 minutes, 6.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.0 turnover, 64.2% FG, 54.5% FT
- Now: 24.7 minutes, 7.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 1.0 turnover, 64.2% FG, 66.0% FT

Jizzle James
- Then: 19.3 minutes, 8.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 turnovers, 43.3% FG, 78.0% FT, 28.7% three
- Now: 25.8 minutes, 10.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.5 turnovers, 40.5% FG, 70.4% FT, 25.3% three

Day Day Thomas
- Then: 26.7 minutes, 10.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 steals, 2.1 turnovers, 38.8% FG, 81.1% FT, 28.0% three
- Now: 22.1 minutes, 7.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.4 turnovers, 35.1% FG, 78.3% FT, 36.5% three

Josh Reed
- Then: 10.9 minutes, 2.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 36.9% FG, 72.7% FT, 31.0% three
- Now: 11.8 minutes, 2.7 rebounds, 1.9 rebounds, 37.8% FG, 85.7% FT, 23.8% three

[Rufus]

The coaches all know who are just going through the motions, lethargic play, refusing to adhere to game plans, and who are just playing for paydays, let the walk ones , second steamers or any who want to win play instead of those who want to be stars.

[GoBearcats31]

Avoided Twitter during and after the game until now ... stumbled upon some posts from Sean Kilpatrick and Kevin Johnson critical of players. Johnson talked about coaches should play guys who want to play/players need to play with passion and heart regardless of results. SK talked about guys like Cashmere Wright playing through serious injuries and giving it all they had.

[DesertFog]

Enquirer noted that Bob Huggins was at the game. For thise who attended, was there any kind of PA announcement?