Connecticut Preview
January 06, 2009 10:59 AM | General
January 6, 2009
GAME NOTES
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Ask West Virginia coach Bob Huggins what his biggest concern is tonight facing fifth-ranked Connecticut and his reply is simple: offense.
 |
||
| Devin Ebanks is one of three key freshmen contributors for the Mountaineers this year.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks |
The Huskies buried Rutgers 80-49 last Saturday by allowing the Scarlet Knights to shoot just 28.8 percent from the floor. Rutgers had 15 turnovers and was beaten 37-29 on the glass.
The Mountaineers had similar difficulties against the Huskies last year's 79-71 loss in Hartford.
“Early in the game at Hartford we had a real hard time scoring,” said Huggins. “We have got to have some patience and attack them in areas where we think they are vulnerable – and I haven’t found very many to be honest with you.”
Huggins believes Connecticut has the most explosive backcourt in the Big East in senior A.J. Price and junior Jerome Dyson. Price wore out the Mountaineers last year, scoring 24 points in the win at Hartford and adding 22 in the Big East quarterfinals in New York.
That compensated for two sub-par games by 7-foot-3-inch center Hasheem Thabeet, who scored 2 points in 18 minutes of action in Hartford and 6 in 28 minutes of work in the Big East Tournament.
“It’s that big, strong 7-footer we threw at him,” joked Huggins.
This year Thabeet is playing like a future NBA lottery pick. The junior is averaging 14 points and 10.5 rebounds per game while shooting 67 percent from the floor. Thabeet has had six double-doubles this year including a 21-point, 18-rebound effort at Buffalo. Thabeet had 23 points and 17 boards in a season-opening win over Western Carolina.
“He’s bigger and stronger and more assertive,” said Huggins. “I think he’s certainly working hard to get post position and he’s playing with a lot more confidence.”
No. 25 West Virginia doesn’t have a player standing taller than 6-10 (Dee Proby) on its roster and matching up with Connecticut’s front line that includes Thabeet, 6-7, 243-pound Jeff Adrien and 6-9 Stanley Robinson will be something to watch tonight.
Earlier this year, the Mountaineers did have success containing Ohio State’s large front line of B.J. Mullens and Dallas Lauderdale, holding the duo to just 9 points and 10 rebounds.
Ironically, Huggins believes the best way to stop Connecticut’s bigs is by stopping its guards.
“We’ve got to guard them,” Huggins said. “I think you have to start with stopping their penetration. If you don’t stop their penetration they’re going to rebound on you so we’ve got to try and stop them as much as we possibly can.”
Connecticut prefers to spread the court with its three perimeter players and feed the post when the wings are covered.
“The other two don’t leave the lane very much and for good reason,” Huggins said. “I think they try to spread you with the three perimeter guys but you’re always going to have guys in the lane or near the lane.”
Craig Austrie could be an X-factor for the Huskies tonight coming off the bench. Austrie scored a season-high 21 in the win against Hartford and added 15 against Bryant. The 6-3 guard is averaging 9.1 points per game and is shooting 44.6 percent from the floor.
“He doesn’t make mistakes,” Huggins pointed out. “He makes open shots and he’s got a really good mid-range game.”
Connecticut (12-1) is making just its second appearance on an opposing team’s home court this season. The Huskies outlasted Buffalo 68-64 on Dec. 4 behind Thabeet’s 21 points. An 88-83 overtime victory over Gonzaga was played on a neutral floor in Seattle.
Huggins doesn’t think playing just its second true road game of the season will be much of a factor for the Huskies.
“When you’ve got juniors and seniors that have played every where in the league then I don’t think it has any effect at all,” Huggins said.
West Virginia (11-2) has been playing some of its best basketball of the year of late, producing back-to-back 20-point road wins at Ohio State and Seton Hall. The Mountaineers come into tonight’s game battle tested with road games at Mississippi, Duquesne and Ohio State, as well as neutral site games against Iowa, Kentucky and Davidson before opening conference play last weekend at Seton Hall.
West Virginia has actually played three more games away from the Coliseum than it has played at home so far this year (eight to five).
Alex Ruoff boosted his team-best scoring average to 17.1 points per game with an 18-point effort in last Saturday’s 92-66 win at Seton Hall. Ruoff scored 18 despite taking just six shot attempts.
Da’Sean Butler also added 18 against the Pirates to increase his scoring average to 15.8 points per game.
Freshman Truck Bryant performed well in his first Big East road game last Saturday at Seton Hall by scoring 10 points and handing out a pair of assists. Bryant has reached double figures in 11 of 13 games during his young college career and is averaging 11.2 points per game.
Bryant is shooting 40.5 percent from 3 and has committed just 29 turnovers in 13 games.
Six-nine freshman forward Devin Ebanks and 6-7 junior center Wellington Smith round out West Virginia’s starting lineup. Ebanks was the Big East Rookie of the Week for Dec. 15 and has pulled down 10 or more rebounds in a game four times this year. Ebanks shows averages of 7.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
Smith is playing out of position at center but he has still managed to average 6.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Smith has reached double figures three times this year including a season-high 12 in a road win at Duquesne.
The first three off the bench for the Mountaineers are 6-7 sophomore John Flowers (6.8 ppg., 4.6 rpg.), 6-8 freshman Kevin Jones (6.3 ppg., 4.5 rpg.) and 6-7 sophomore Cam Thoroughman (1.4 ppg., 2.8 rpg.).
Connecticut owns a 12-4 advantage in series play but the Mountaineers have claimed two out of the last three games. Two of West Virginia’s three wins against Connecticut since joining the Big East have come in Morgantown.
Tip off is set for 7 pm and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU (John Sanders and Bob Wentzel).
