If Bob Huggins made one factor clear following the loss at residence to Texas Tech, in what was really a must-win for the Mountaineers, it’s that he doesn’t have the solutions.
Two performs specifically had been the first supply of Huggins’ confusion.
“I’ve misplaced a variety of video games over the time that I’ve finished this. I’ve misplaced a variety of video games however I don’t keep in mind very many the place we simply grabbed the ball and threw it out of bounds. I can’t keep in mind very many video games the place we stood on the free throw line and didn’t block anyone out,” mentioned Coach Huggins. “It might have occurred, however I don’t keep in mind it. With what we had on the road.”
On the road for West Virginia, in fact, is a bid to the NCAA event. The Mountaineers, thanks partially to their strenuous schedule, have been in a great place for making March Madness with nice metrics all through the course of the season.
Big wins over ranked groups comparable to TCU, Auburn, and Iowa State have stored them alive regardless of their mediocre 15-11 file. However, a number of extra wins to shut out the season had been essential to safe themselves a spot within the event.
Unfortunately, in seemingly their greatest alternative to tally a win, they did not do what was crucial.
“You can’t speak to them, present them, drill them, greater than we did, that we have to win these video games if you wish to proceed to play in postseason. You can’t do it any extra. What else do I do?” requested Huggins.
“I don’t perceive. I genuinely don’t perceive,” he continued. You guys are asking me questions that I don’t have any solutions to. We have talked and drilled and talked and drilled on the truth that now we have a bonus right here. We’re enjoying at residence. We play properly at residence, usually. And then we stand on the free throw line and we don’t transfer. We don’t transfer. That turned the sport round. You can say no matter you need. That completely turned the sport round. That and grabbing the ball and simply throwing it out of bounds. There’s no motive for that. There’s no rhyme or motive why any of that occurs,” mentioned Huggins. “You’re asking me questions you should be asking them. I don’t have the solutions.”
Though his coach could not clarify it, main scorer Erik Stevenson, one among simply two Mountaineers to attain over 5 factors within the sport with 27, truly did have some perception.
“If you surrender three offensive rebounds on the foul line, you’re going to lose. This is the Big 12,” mentioned Stevenson. “You let groups get offensive rebounds, you let groups get large open layups, uncontested dunks… it’s exhausting to beat a staff that approach, I don’t care who you’re enjoying. You give groups one on zero makes an attempt on the rim, they’re most likely gonna rating. We simply did not come to play as a staff and we deserved to lose.”
