Basketball Notebook
December 14, 2006 02:21 PM | General
December 14, 2006
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – John Beilein admits his young basketball team’s ability to hang onto the basketball has been one of the most pleasing aspects to its 7-1 start. The Mountaineers have the lowest turnover margin in the Big East (+11.75) and the highest assist-to-turnover ratio (1.71).
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| Sophomore Joe Alexander is second on the team in scoring averaging 12.1 points per game.
AP photo |
“I think that’s been the thing that I like the most about this team is our adjustment from a situation where we had both the off-guard and somewhat the point guard … we had the same guys there for four consecutive years and now they’re gone,” Beilein said. “Darris Nichols only had 13 turnovers all of last year and he played about 15 minutes per game so he does take care of it.
“Alex Ruoff who replaced (Herber) at off-guard, we haven’t dropped off a step there,” Beilein said. “By this time last year we had already played Texas, Kentucky and LSU; we haven’t played that magnitude of teams yet but it is encouraging.”
Another encouraging aspect is the team’s scoring defense and 3-point field goal defense. The Mountaineers are No. 1 in the conference in those categories, giving up 52.1 points per game and allowing teams to make 25.8 percent of its 3s.
“It’s fool’s gold to think at the Big East level we can have similar numbers defending the 3 and stealing the basketball,” Beilein said. “But we’re a little longer than we’ve been and people say we’re a little quicker than we’ve been. My concern is to make sure we are as mentally quick as we’ve been.”
According to the coach, his team’s fast start is as much a product of good scheduling as it is good play.
“We’re pleased to be 7-1 with such a young team. There is a long way to go and we’ve been able to catch some teams here that are rebuilding,” Beilein said. “We’ve been fortunate enough to have some of them either on a neutral site or at our home site.”
West Virginia is coming off a stretch of five straight games away from the WVU Coliseum, going 4-1 with victories over Montana, Western Michigan and N.C. State at neutral arenas and a win at Duquesne. The only loss was a 71-64 decision to Arkansas in the championship game of the Old Spice Classic.
Now West Virginia has six straight home games at the Coliseum beginning with Saturday’s game against Savannah State. The Mountaineers’ Big East opener is against Connecticut at the Coliseum on Dec. 30.
“We’ve been able to get some wins and the month of December will continue to help us improve,” Beilein said. “We have four home games in the month of December and it will be difficult but win or lose we know that we’re learning every game.”
The Mountaineers are expecting a nice crowd on Saturday for its game against Savannah State. It is a Dairy Mart 2-for-the-price-of-1 game. The WVU women play Oakland immediately afterward.
Around the Big East
The Scarlet Knights have an opportunity to level off their record with a Saturday afternoon game at home against Iona.
The Orange have lost twice to Oklahoma State in the Jimmy V Classic and at home to Wichita State.
Cincinnati’s Deonta Vaughn has the top scoring effort in the conference so far, putting up 33 in a Bearcat loss to Wofford on Nov. 21.
Connecticut’s 8-0 start includes wins over Quinnipiac, Central Arkansas, Fairfield, Mississippi, Albany, Sacred Heart, Texas Southern and Northeastern.
With games coming up against St. Mary’s, Calif., Pepperdine and Coppin State, the Huskies should be 11-0 when they travel to Morgantown on Dec. 30.
