The West Virginia Mountaineers had a lot of success in the most competitive conference in the country, and are in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012.
Resume:
Record – 23-9 (11-7 in Big 12)
RPI – 23
Strength of Schedule – 39
Starting Lineup:
G Juwan Staten (Sr.) – 14.5 ppg, 4.6 apg
G Jevon Carter (Fr.) – 8.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg
G Daxter Miles, Jr. (Fr.) – 7.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg
F Jonathan Holton (Jr.) – 7.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg
F Devin Williams (So.) – 11.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg
Key Player:
Juwan Staten
West Virginia has struggled down the stretch while Staten was out with an injury, losing three of their last four games, but with Staten cleared to play in the NCAA Tournament, the Mountaineers become very dangerous once again. Staten is relied on to have the ball in his hands at all times, and while he does take questionable shots from time to time, he's as good making plays for himself and for others off the dribble as anyone in the country.
Biggest Strength:
Creating Turnovers
West Virginia plays perhaps the most aggressive press defense in the country that frustrates even their best opponents. They lead the country in steals per game, and the Mountaineers are one of the best teams in the country at quickly turning turnovers into points on the other end.
Biggest Weakness:
Defensive Rebounding
The downside of WVU's pressure defense is that it's focused almost solely on the perimeter and not around the rim. West Virginia ranks among the bottom five teams in the country in defensive rebounding, allowing teams to get a lot of offensive rebounds and easy points around the rim.
Outlook:
West Virginia will dominate teams that don't have good guard play, but if they face a team with good ball-handlers, they could be upset early in the tournament.
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