Can West Virginia’s pressure manage to speed up slow-and-steady K-State?

Kansas State lost 69-60 at Long Beach State in November, part of a 7-7 start that the Wildcats have overcome behind the resurgence of forward Nino Williams (11).

 

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Teams that lose six nonconference games typically don’t pull it together once Big 12 play arrives. Yet the grind-it-out guys at Kansas State have pulled off such a turnaround.

All but written off as NCAA contenders by Christmas, the Wildcats (12-8, 5-2) sit within a half-game of first place in the league. They’ve done it with a sagging pack-line defense that clogs the lane and a patient offensive approach that results in one of the nation’s slowest paces of play.

K-State’s 63.3 possessions per game are the fewest in the Big 12 and 308th in Division I. Speeding up the Wildcats will be top priority for No. 17 West Virginia’s press during tonight’s matchup at Bramlage Coliseum.

“You’re going to turn it over—everybody turns it over against them,” said K-State coach Bruce Weber. “The big key will be not having multiple turnovers, with three or four in a row.

“And if you do make a turnover, you’ve got to get back on defense and make sure you limit their easy chances.”

That last part—the limiting—suddenly has begun to plague West Virginia, which forced 19 turnovers in each of the previous two games but netted only eight points against Texas and 14 vs. TCU. The Mountaineers need to turn those steals and throwaways into transition buckets.

Or improve their halfcourt efficiency.

Despite post-TCU talk of improved execution, a team can hardly celebrate 40-percent shooting overall—or making only 6-of-25 on 3-pointers. (Just another cold day at the office for the Big 12’s least-lethal perimeter team.) For all the struggles, however, Daxter Miles looked perfectly confident sinking two clutch 3s in the final 31 seconds of overtime. Those jumpers and his last-second football pass to Jevon Carter produced an 86-85 escape thrilling enough to mask the offensive mishaps.

Though not for coach Bob Huggins.

“If we go to Kansas State and lay an egg,” he warned, “I would tell you, no, it hasn’t changed a bit.”

No. 17 WEST VIRGINIA (16-3, 4-2) at KANSAS STATE (12-8, 5-2)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Eastern at the Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kan. (ESPN2)

Scouting the Wildcats: Fifth-year senior Nino Williams (12 points, 5.1 rebounds) has averaged 20 points the past three games while making 25-of-37 shots. “He has got that 10-to-15-foot jumper down,” said Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford after losing 63-53 at K-State on Saturday. “He gets them off quick. It is a dangerous weapon. The way he is playing right now, (he is) as good as anybody. He is leading that team.” … After a terrific freshman season, guard Marcus Foster (13.7 points) has endured some sophomore bumps. He was benched during a three-game stretch in which he failed to get to the foul line even once—a stretch in which K-State lost at home to Texas Southern and Georgia. … 6-foot-7 senior Thomas Gipson (11.2 points, 4.7 rebounds) is a rugged forward, and sixth-man guard Justin Edwards (6.7 points) has come alive with back-to-back double-figure games. … On pace to play one of the nation’s 10 toughest schedules, K-State lost 72-68 to Arizona in Maui a day before getting blistered by Pitt 70-47. The Wildcats also fell at Long Beach State 69-60 and at Tennessee 65-64.

Coaching the Wildcats: Not the most bombastic of coaches, Weber remains underrated for a guy who coached Illinois to a national final. He’s 372-184 overall and has taken three schools to 10 NCAAs in 16 seasons, including two straight at K-State, where his 2013 team shared the Big 12 title with Kansas.

Mountaineer musings: Though Jonathan Holton (9.9 points, 6.3 rebounds) fouled out against TCU, he managed to stick around for 40 minutes while producing 15 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and three steals. … Juwan Staten (15.2 points, 4.4 assists) flashed his penetrating moves again, getting to the foul line 15 times during an 18-point outing that included a career-high 12 assists. … After leading the Big 12 last season, Staten ranks third in free-throw attempts (110), with teammate Devin Williams fourth (103). … Your obligatory pregame turnover stat: WVU forces 21.3 and K-State commits 13.7. … In what hardly seems like the recipe for a top-25 team, West Virginia ranks last in the conference in field-goal defense (44.6 percent) and next-to-last in shooting (41.7 percent). … Huggins is 756-305 overall in his 33rd season, and 166-94 at West Virginia. … Benched for the TCU game, guards Tarik Phillip and Jaysean Paige made the trip to K-State, though Huggins had yet to update their status.

RPIs: West Virginia 21, K-State 77

Line: K-State favored by 1.5

Prediction: West Virginia 68-67





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