BIRMINGHAM, Al. — It’s been two years since West Virginia played in the NCAA Tournament. In their return, the Mountaineers begin this year’s version of March Madness in Birmingham.
As a No. 9 seed, WVU (19-14) will take on No. 8 Maryland (21-12) from the Legacy Center Thursday afternoon in the first first-round game of the tournament. Tipoff is at 12:15 ET with the game televised by CBS.
West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins will take part in his 11th NCAA Tournament with the Mountaineers and it’s his 26th career appearance in the “big dance.”
There’s no secret formula, according to coach Huggins, for success in tournament games. All he needs are two words to describe what it’ll take to win this game.
“Make shots,” Huggins said during a press conference Wednesday. “If we make shots, obviously, we’ll be fine.”
Simple as that.
The Mountaineers will look for shots from their leading scorer, fifth-year senior Erik Stevenson, who will play in the first NCAA Tournament game of his career. Stevenson, who spent his first four collegiate seasons at three different universities, averages a team-high 15.5 points per game.
The rest of WVU’s scorers averaging double figures are senior Tre Mitchell (11.6 ppg), and fifth-year seniors Kedrian Johnson (11.2 ppg), and Emmitt Matthews Jr. (10.4 ppg). Rounding out the starting five for WVU is senior Jimmy Bell Jr. (4.9 ppg).
West Virginia averaged 76.3 points per game this season while giving up 71 points a game.
Huggins believes his team is in for a tough challenge against the Terrapins.
“Here of late, they make a lot of shots,” Huggins said. “Defensively, from what I saw early and what you watch now, they are much much improved. They are rebounding the ball very well. They are just doing a lot of things right.”
The Terrapins finished in a four-way tie for fifth place in the Big Ten Conference after going 11-9 in league play. They dropped their most recent contest in the Big Ten Tournament to Indiana, 70-60, on March 10.
Maryland head coach Kevin Willard is in his first year in College Park. He’s coached Division I basketball for 16 years, including 12 previously at Seton Hall, and Willard became the first first-year coach at UM to guide the Terrapins to a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
The Terps are paced in scoring by Charlotte transfer Jahmir Young. Young, a left-handed guard, averages 16.6 points, while also leading the team in assists (3.2).
Other notable contributors include seniors Hakim Grant and Donta Scott (11.5 ppg) and sophomore Julian Reese (11.2 ppg).
Maryland averages scoring fewer points than West Virginia at 70.4, but also surrenders fewer points, giving up an average of 63.2.
“They’re really good in iso situations, putting their head down and getting to the rim,” Stevenson said.
Maryland also does a nice job of taking care of the basketball, only turning it over 10 times a game. West Virginia commits slightly more than 13 turnovers per contest and has been plagued by that issue in several losses.
Both teams shoot 74 percent from the free-throw line, something that could decide a win-or-go-home game such as this one.
Both teams were far more successful playing at home this season. The Mountaineers are 3-8 away from home with wins at Pitt, Texas Tech and Iowa State. Maryland was 2-9 in road games, posting victories at a four-win Louisville squad and nine-win Minnesota team.
The last time West Virginia and Maryland faced each other was also in the NCAA Tournament. In 2015, the Mountaineers beat the Terps in Columbus, 69-59. They’ve met just once before that in the last 20 years. WVU leads the all-time series 24-14, dating all the way back to 1926.