SAN DIEGO — West Virginia has maintained only intermittent flashes of “Press Virginia” this season, pulling back from its full-court traps once the most skilled opponents proved unaffected.
“I didn’t do a very good job recruiting to this system this year,” Mountaineers coach Bob Huggins said on the eve of an NCAA first-round game against Murray State. “Compared to the previous two years, we don’t have near the foot speed that we had before, and when you’re talking about covering the amount of area that our guys cover, foot speed is important.”
Teams such as Kansas, Texas Tech and even Big 12 cellar-dweller Iowa State have punished the press by capitalizing on open looks on the back end. The Mountaineers have a 2-7 record when the opponent shoots 45 percent or better.
Yet West Virginia still forces 16.5 turnovers per game, 10th-most in the nation.
“We’ve played against pressing teams, but we know this will be different,” Murray State coach Matt McMahon said.
Ohio Valley Conference player of the year Jonathan Stark, a 21-points-per-game scorer, didn’t highlight his offense as the key to Murray State enacting an upset.
“I think we are going to have to out-rebound them,” he said.
While Murray State is solid offensively — 52nd in the KenPom efficiency ratings — it doesn’t push tempo. Fast-break opportunities will be sacrificed in order to secure defensive boards.
“We’ve been a good rebounding team all season long, but this is about to be another level with West Virginia being fourth in the country in offensive rebound percentage,” McMahon said. “We’re going to have to gang rebound with all five.”
Led by Stark, the Racers shoot better than 37 percent from 3-point range, which ranks among the top 50 in Division I.
West Virginia surrenders 37-percent shooting on 3s, which ranks among the bottom 50 in the nation (307th overall).
“I think it’s about knowing who you’re trapping, and knowing who the person is that you’re leaving,” said West Virginia freshman Teddy Allen. “If you’re leaving a shooter, you need to make sure the next guy is over there is rotating so they don’t get a wide-open shot.”
No. 5 West Virginia (24-10) vs. No. 12 Murray State (26-5)
Tipoff: Friday, 4 p.m. Eastern from San Diego (TNT)
Tournament storylines: Both No. 5 seeds who played Thursday won, with Kentucky edging Davidson 78-73 and Ohio State South Dakota State 81-73. … The Big 12 started 2-1 on opening day: Kansas and Texas Tech advanced, while Oklahoma got bounced.
Hunter absent after bizarre tweets: Reserve D’Angelo Hunter did not make the flight to San Diego, a source confirmed, after a series of angry tweets from his father’s account ripped the Mountaineers’ coaching staff. Among the deleted tweets:
— “WVA coaches are liars”
— “my son worked his a$$ off too be told we don’t want you !!!!!!!”
— if didnt want my son u shouldnt have came into my living room and spew out stuff tht u didnt mean … how hugs n his goodie staff are the reason 11 losses exist”
— “when murray st race pass that a#$,,, it will be indeed a self inflicted wound!!!!
Hunter, after appearing only once in West Virginia’s previous four games, was averaging 1.4 points in 5.3 minutes in his first season after signing out of Navarro (Texas) College.
Line: West Virginia favored by 10.5
Prediction: West Virginia 79-72