West Virginia hosts No. 14 TCU on Wednesday night as West Virginia looks to get their first conference win of the year and while TCU looks to stay in the top half of the conference standings.
Get Stevenson Going
Erik Stevenson has been basically absent for WVU as of late. Stevenson was West Virginia’s leading scorer, but over the last three games Stevenson is shooting 27.8 percent from the field, while shooting 12.5 percent from three-point range. Stevenson must find a way to be more efficient from the field, while also being able to spark West Virginia’s offense. The Mountaineers have not gotten the same version of Stevenson since he was given a technical foul against Oklahoma State after hitting a go-ahead three-pointer, but if West Virginia wants to beat the Horned Frogs, it more than likely starts with Stevenson on offense.
Make Mike Miles score over assisting
In TCU’s two losses in conference play to Texas and Iowa State, Mike Miles had a combined one assist in both games. In TCU’s three Big 12 wins against Kansas State, Baylor, and Texas Tech, Mike had a combined 18 assists, including 11 this past Saturday in TCU’s win over Kansas State.
“He’s terrific in transition. He’s a guy who certainly will play in the league because that style of play is sought after and he’s very, very good at it,” West Virginia head coach said of Miles. “He’s as good in the open court as anybody we have in the league now probably.”
On the season, Miles is averaging 19 points per game, 3.4 assists per game, and 3.1 rebounds per game. Miles however is shooting just 28.6 percent from three-point range, just below TCU’s average of 28.8 percent from beyond the arc this season. Mike will want to drive it towards the basket, but West Virginia can’t let him just take open three-pointers.
Small Ball Success
West Virginia has had success with their smaller lineups so far this year. The lineup which has Tre Mitchell at the five position, and also allows West Virginia to have three guards on the floor at the same time. This can include the combination of Kedrian Johnson, Joe Toussaint, and Erik Stevenson, as well as mixing in guys such as Seth Wilson and Kobe Johnson.
“I think we’re going to try to as best we can figure out what best suits us,” Huggins said. “That’s going to vary according to who you play and how they play and their personnel as well.”
The advantages of the smaller lineup include matchups, especially on the offensive end. Having your five position be a player who can play with the ball as well as step out and make jump shots forces the defense into tougher matchups. However, having Mitchell at the five position, means you are giving up size inside, but you would have more athleticism on the floor. If West Virginia struggles to find themselves offensively, they should turn to the smaller lineup and see what they give you.
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