Mountaineers in full desperation mode in visit to Iowa State

At this point, it really doesn’t matter where the game is. West Virginia just needs a win.

“I think winning one in Sabraton would be good for our confidence right now,” said West Virginia coach Bob Huggins. “Home or road, I don’t know if it matters. We just really need a win.”

WVU is traveling a bit farther than Huggins’ suggestion, visiting Iowa State (12-17, 5-11 Big 12) for a 9 p.m. tip.

The Mountaineers (19-10, 7-9) have lost three in a row and six of their past seven. They haven’t won a road game since Jan. 6. On Monday, the team fell out of the Top 25. Now it must make sure the same thing does not happen to its NCAA tournament hopes.

Even though West Virginia has likely already done enough work to get in, a team that sputters into March typically doesn’t stick around very long.

“We’ve fallen from a potential 2-seed to a 7, but 7 is a long, long way from not in the tournament,” Huggins said. “We need to win some games more for our psyche than anything.”

West Virginia’s damaged psyche has been marked by damaged shooting. In its past four games, the team is 16 percent (11 of 69) from three-point range. Players not named Sean McNeil or Taz Sherman are 2-for-37.

“I think confidence is just a way you feel about yourself, I guess. We’re wishing shots would go in rather than knowing,” Huggins said. “When you play with confidence, you play with the idea you know it’s going in.”

The last time the Mountaineers looked like a confident basketball team, the Cyclones were the opponent. Derek Culver and Oscar Tshiebwe dominated the interior — Culver was 5 of 8 from the field and Tshiebwe 7 of 9 — and West Virginia cruised to a 76-61 win on Feb 5.

Both teams are in decidedly different places a month later. Iowa State has been without star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who is out for the rest of the season due to injury. Even so, the Cyclones have gone 2-4 without him — more wins than West Virginia’s past six games.

“Haliburton was a creator. They’ve gone to running more sets now that they don’t have him to create,” Huggins said. “You look around this league, Texas struggled to make shots and now they’re making shots. Oklahoma struggled and now Oklahoma’s making shots.

“This is a league where seemingly when you get hot, everyone makes shots. We need a couple guys to get hot and I think we’ll be fine.”

West Virginia (19-10, 7-9) at Iowa State (12-17, 5-11)

TV: 9 p.m., ESPNU

Last Meeting: West Virginia beat Iowa State, 76-61, in Morgantown on Feb. 5





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