The West Virginia Mountaineers have hung out in the top 10 all season long. This is due, in large part, to Da’Sean Butler, who is widely considered to be a late first-round NBA prospect. The 6’7” senior forward can do everything. He scores 17.8 points per game, grabs 6.2 rebounds, and matches the best guard’s numbers in assists. On top of that, he can even score from the foul line, hitting nearly 80%. His leadership has been most helpful to the Mountaineers, as the other players are young. Sophomore Kevin Jones is the second leading scorer (13.8 points), and sophomore Devin Ebanks is next with 11.5 points per game, and 8.7 boards. If a late 3-pointer is needed for the win, watch for Jones, who is shooting 41% from 3-point range.Look for the Mountaineers to be a #3 or #4 seed in this year’s tournament. This should provide them with a nice path through the first weekend. Of course, they probably thought that last year, when they were a #6 seed, but they ran into a hot 11th seeded Dayton team and was put out the first night. If they can stay focused and play the way they are capable, look for a Final Four run.
Two reasons WVU will make the Final Four:
1. Coach Bob Huggins is a winner. He has been a winner everywhere he has coached. He led the team to the Big Dance his first year as coach and last year. He does a nice job rotating players in and out of the game, and has taught them to play from behind. He keeps their heads on straight when they play on a big stage. This was a great hire for WVU, and he is a big reason for this team’s success.
2. This team takes care of the ball. In keeping with Bob Huggins’ insistence that they play fundamentally sound basketball, the Mountaineers keep turnovers to a minimum. They currently average only 11.8 turnovers a game.
Two reasons WVU will not make the Final Four:
1. Average (at best) guard play. One of the main ingredients in championship teams is outstanding guard play. The best guard is Darryl Bryant, who averages 10.9 points per game and has 80 assists on the year. After him, the guard play definitely falls off. This is a major concern the deeper they go into the tournament.
2. They always play from behind. This team’s lasting legacy may be their usual practice of falling behind in nearly every game by double-digits. It is to their credit that they also nearly always mount a ferocious comeback to win. They are playing with fire if they fall behind by 10+ points in a tournament game.
