West Virginia 2/19 7:00 ESPN2

[Lobot]

Return game. Need it.

[Carthage World]

There seems to be a consensus amongst the fanbase that winning 5 of our final 6 regular season games will leave us on the right side of the NCAA tournament bubble as a .500 conference team heading into the Big 12 tourney in Kansas City.

With the WV game being the second toughest remaining game of those 6 (with @Houston being the toughest), there's good reason to believe that a win transforms our season for the better while a loss leaves us in a very similar outside-looking-in situation to last season.

WV hasn't played particularly well since our last match-up, losing 3 of 4, although each loss (@TCU, BYU and @Baylor) has come by an average of 4 points.

They are 6-8 in the Big 12 and need to win this game to not only secure their pathway to 10-10 but also have a leg up on us on Selection Sunday (with a 2-0 h2h record) should we both have to compete for one of the few remaining at-large bids on Selection Sunday.

Nonetheless, it's one of our most important games of the season to date.

[D.A.H.]

which uc team shows up? focused 'cats or WGAF 'cats? i'm not holding my breath...........

[GoBearcats31]

Must win. Can win. Get the win.

[swilsonsp4]

The first matchup on 2/2/25 at 5th/3rd was an offensive disaster, coming in the midst of the slump that the Cats suffered at that end. It didn't help that the Bearcats were just as bad at the defensive end in the first half, trailing 40-25 at the break. They tightened up in the second half on D, yielding only 23 points, but the shooting woes of the first half continued. Final: 50-63.

Jizzle James was 0-for-8 from the field. Simas went 1-for-7. Day Day was the sole double-digit scorer with exactly 10. But he, too, struggled from the field (4-for-14). Overall, UC went 17-for-54 (31.5%), with a nearly equal 5-for-16 from outside (31.3%). The only shooting that went well came from the line (11-for-12).

By contrast, the Mountaineers shot 25-for-51 (49.0%), 9-for-18 (50%), 4-for-6 (66.7%). Javon Small and Joseph Yesufu did the primary damage. Small scored 19 (4-for-7 treys) and dished out 9 assists, while Yesufu couldn't miss on his way to 16 (6-for-6, 4-for-4, 0 FTA).

The term "must-win game" is often overstated. Not in this case. If there's any hope of getting to March Madness, it must start Wednesday night in Morgantown. It would help if Skillings and Page got their heads screwed on right and could lend some support. Neither Reed nor Aziz can be expected to play 30+ minutes effectively. Jizzle has played much better offensively of late. Simas has to score. UC's banged-up guard corps need to make it tough on Small and Yesufu. If one goes off, the other can't be allowed to.

[GoBearcats31]

Jizzle James was 0-for-8 from the field.

Jizzle in the four games since: 22.3 points per game (33/52 FG; 13/23 three; 10/12 FG) ... to be fair he did have 18 the game before WVU but he's on been on a tear. But will need some help on Wednesday.

[GoBearcats31]

Rich Hollenberg / Fran Fraschilla on the call

[London 'Cat]

Jizzle in the four games since: 22.3 points per game (33/52 FG; 13/23 three; 10/12 FG) ... to be fair he did have 18 the game before WVU but he's on been on a tear. But will need some help on Wednesday.

JJ has been terrific on offense since the WV game at 5/3. I don’t know what spurred him to play so much better but whatever it is I hope it continues. I just don’t know where he gets help. Reed has played well recently. Thomas is hot or cold. DS is in a funk, inexplicably. Simas is not the same player he was earlier this year. Aziz has played well just not quite enough.

[leo from jersey]

JJ has been terrific on offense since the WV game at 5/3. I don’t know what spurred him to play so much better but whatever it is I hope it continues. I just don’t know where he gets help. Reed has played well recently. Thomas is hot or cold. DS is in a funk, inexplicably. Simas is not the same player he was earlier this year. Aziz has played well just not quite enough.

JJ started playing normal again after his dad met with him. Coincidence?

[D.A.H.]

JJ started playing normal again after his dad met with him. Coincidence?

i',m sure that his dad pulled out some spreadsheets, and went over some mumbo jumbo with JJ. that's the only thing that makes sense..............................

[sedz]

Jizzle is shooting 57% from three and 67% from midrange over the last 4 games. That's not normal for anybody and it won't last forever.

[sedz]

Jizzle is shooting 57% from three and 67% from midrange over the last 4 games. That's not normal for anybody and it won't last forever.

Aside from hot shooting Jizzle isn't actually playing any better. Over his last 3 games he has 10 turnovers, only 3 total rebounds, zero blocks or steals, and subpar defensive BPM. He has a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio on the season but just 1:1 over the last 3 games. Jizzle's hot shooting streak has given the team a winning streak, but we can't expect it to continue. He's playing the same hero ball that we all complain about when the shots aren't falling. We still need to focus on getting clean rim looks or open set shots, which we are able to do when we play at a faster pace. The first game against West Virginia had 62 possessions. I'd like to see that number closer to 70.

[GoBearcats31]

Aside from hot shooting Jizzle isn't actually playing any better. Over his last 3 games he has 10 turnovers, only 3 total rebounds, zero blocks or steals, and subpar defensive BPM. He has a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio on the season but just 1:1 over the last 3 games. Jizzle's hot shooting streak has given the team a winning streak, but we can't expect it to continue. He's playing the same hero ball that we all complain about when the shots aren't falling. We still need to focus on getting clean rim looks or open set shots, which we are able to do when we play at a faster pace. The first game against West Virginia had 62 possessions. I'd like to see that number closer to 70.

His first four games in January he went a combined 7/35. Add in a 3/13 performance at BYU and 0/8 versus WVU (heck, how about 0/11 in the Crosstown Shootout?) and I'll gladly take whatever he's got going on, turnovers and all. The fact is that shots are falling after a number of games where it felt like he had a lid on the basket.

In any event, I understand what you are saying.

[leo from jersey]

Aside from hot shooting Jizzle isn't actually playing any better. Over his last 3 games he has 10 turnovers, only 3 total rebounds, zero blocks or steals, and subpar defensive BPM. He has a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio on the season but just 1:1 over the last 3 games. Jizzle's hot shooting streak has given the team a winning streak, but we can't expect it to continue. He's playing the same hero ball that we all complain about when the shots aren't falling. We still need to focus on getting clean rim looks or open set shots, which we are able to do when we play at a faster pace. The first game against West Virginia had 62 possessions. I'd like to see that number closer to 70.

I agree but scoring is what seems to get the most milage and TV time. Before he spoke with his dad, didn't he have an o fer. At least he is giving something and I guess we are impressed because a few others are giving nothing. Sedz - this has been a very frustrating year. Something has got to change.I don't see Danny Fortson walking across those black lines anytime soon. Wouldn't it be nice to see a C. Bostic.

[sedz]

I agree but scoring is what seems to get the most milage and TV time. Before he spoke with his dad, didn't he have an o fer. At least he is giving something and I guess we are impressed because a few others are giving nothing. Sedz - this has been a very frustrating year. Something has got to change.I don't see Danny Fortson walking across those black lines anytime soon. Wouldn't it be nice to see a C. Bostic.

Yeah, I'm with you. Let's get the players motivation wherever we can find it. I'm just saying that no amount of motivation is going to have a player make 60% of his jumpshots every game. No one can do that - not Durant, Curry, Jordan, or Robertson. He's gonna fall back to earth and I'm afraid this shooting streak is just some lipstick on the pig that is Wes Miller's offense. Pull-up unassisted jumpshots will average out to under 50% over the season, sometimes way under. Let's play fast, run some 4 high or inverted sets and get to the rim.