NEW YORK — West Virginia’s seventh consecutive win of the season, not necessarily one to be savored despite a 33-point cushion over Kennesaw State, only left the Mountaineers hungry for the next game.
The game Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
“Versus Virginia, I think it’s really where we can earn our respect,” said forward Jonathan Holton. “They are a really good team that has won the ACC and the ACC is one of the best conferences in the country. We have to work really hard.”
Some new respect bubbled up on the eve of the Jimmy V Classic when West Virginia climbed six spots to No. 14 in the latest AP rankings. It wasn’t a jump based upon simply dominating Kennesaw State, but dominating a schedule that ranks 270th nationally. Of the seven opponents so far, only Richmond and James Madison have winning records against Division I competition.
No. 10 Virginia (7-1), having fattened up on the No. 217th-rated schedule, requires the same kind of validation after losing 73-68 at George Washington.
Known for their pack-line defense and grinding pace of play, the Cavaliers may be without point guard London Perrantes, who recently sat out wins over Ohio State and William & Mary while recovering from an appendectomy.
“Yeah. I think it’s a tempo kind of deal,” said West Virginia coach Bob Huggins. “Who can get who playing the way they want to play.”
Year 2 of “Press Virginia” has retained its hectic, harassing style—despite officiating focusing on freedom-of-movement—by leading the nation in forced turnovers at 23.4 per game. The Mountaineers are seventh in scoring defense (57.6), one spot behind Virginia (57.5), though they arrive at the number through disparate methods.
“(The Cavaliers) try to fortify the paint and make you shoot jump shots—that’s what it is,” Huggins said. “They double the post. They try to keep you from scoring close. They don’t want you to drive it close, they don’t want you to pass it close. They want you to shoot jump shots.”
And jump shots, of course, aren’t West Virginia’s strong suit, not when a 28.5 percentage from 3-point range ranks 313th out of 346 D-I teams.
Tipoff: 7 p.m. at Madison Square Garden (ESPN)
| West Virginia probable starters: | Pts | Rebs. |
|---|---|---|
| F – Devin Williams (6-9, 255) | 18.7 | 10.7 |
| F – Jonathan Holton (6-7, 220) | 10.3 | 10.3 |
| F – Esa Ahmad (6-8, 225) | 6.1 | 3.7 |
| G – Jevon Carter (6-2, 195) | 12.4 | 2.3 |
| G – Daxter Miles (6-3, 195) | 13.3 | 2.4 |
| Virginia probable starters: | Pts | Rebs. |
|---|---|---|
| F – Anthony Gill (6-8, 230) | 12.6 | 5.8 |
| C – Mike Tobey (7-0, 260) | 8.4 | 5.0 |
| G – Marial Shayok (6-5, 213) | 5.8 | 2.3 |
| G – Malcolm Brogdon (6-5, 215) | 17.3 | 4.5 |
| G – Darius Thompson (6-4, 196) | 8.3 | 2.6 |
Line: Virginia favored by 3.5
Prediction: West Virginia 69-67