WVU reaching back to principles after 2-game slide

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Two weeks after West Virginia coach Bob Huggins saw his team climb to No. 2 in the AP poll, he hasn’t liked the aftermath.

The Mountaineers (15-3, 4-2) have lost their edge, not to mention two late-game leads, and must regain intensity if they hope to contend for the Big 12 title.

“We probably weren’t comfortable being No. 2 in the country,” Huggins said after losses to Kansas and Texas Tech. “Our preparation wasn’t what it needed to be.”

Saturday’s home showdown against Texas (12-6, 3-3) affords a chance to stop the slide. The matchup of elite defensive teams features two of the nation’s top shot-blockers: West Virginia sophomore Sagaba Konate and Longhorns one-and-done prospect Mohamed Bamba.

At 6-foot-8, Konate used bounce and strength to swat five shots in the opening 12 minutes against Kansas. The lanky Bamba protects the rim with a 7-foot-9 wingspan that would rank as the longest in the NBA right now. He’s also the only Big 12 player averaging a double-double at 11.9 points and 10.5 rebounds.

Bamba had 15 and 11 Wednesday night during a 67-58 upset of No. 8 Texas Tech, a game in which the return of guard Kerwin Roach from a broken hand provided a surprising boost. Cleared to play just minute before tipoff, Roach scored 20 points after not having practiced for a week.

“It was huge what Roach was able to do for our team, because you have an extra level of athleticism and burst as a team when he’s in there,” Smart said.

Despite losing guard Andrew Jones to leukemia treatment, the Longhorns sport a 45 RPI and likely need no better than a .500 finish in the rough-and-tumble Big 12 to qualify for the NCAA tournament. But they were 0-3 against West Virginia last season.

Mountaineers point guard Jevon Carter shot 22-of-39 during those three wins, averaging more than 20 points. He’s the team scoring leader again this season (16.7 points) though the offense relied on him too much recently.

“I feel like we took rushed shots,” Carter said after falling to Kansas 71-66 on Monday, a loss in which a 12-point lead vanished over the final 9 minutes. “We haven’t been running offense as clearly as we need to be.”

Carter hoisted a combined 37 shots against the Jayhawks and Texas Tech — the most of any two-game sequence in his career.

“JC had the ball too much because no one else would get open,” Huggins said.

The reinstatement of junior forward Esa Ahmad (16.5 points, 5.2 rebounds), which portended to make West Virginia even tougher after 15 straight wins, has coincided with back-to-back losses.

“We’ve got to bounce back,” said Konate.

Texas (12-6, 3-3) at No. 6 West Virginia (15-3, 4-2)

Tipoff: Saturday, 2 p.m. in Morgantown, W.Va. (CBS)

The skinny: Texas started three freshmen in its previous game, with Jericho Sims (4.1 points, 3.4 rebounds) and Jase Febres (3.4 points) joining Bamba. … Junior Dylan Osetkowski (14.9 points, 7.7 rebounds) is having a strong junior campaign, while Eric Davis (8.8 points) and Roach (10.9 points, 3.7 rebounds) play major minutes. …

Scouting WVU: One reason West Virginia’s offense is sagging? It ranks 41st nationally in 3-point attempts but only 282nd in 3-point accuracy (32.6 percent). … Daxter Miles (13 points, 3.2 rebounds) and Lamont West (11.9 points, 5.4 rebounds) and Wes Harris (6.1 points, 4.5 rebounds) have tailed off from the perimeter. They are struggling through stretches of 2-of-12, 2-of-10 and 2-of-14 respectively.

RPIs: Texas 45, West Virginia 20

Prediction: West Virginia 69-63





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