The No. 22 West Virginia women’s basketball team has earned a distinct identity this season, but, by itself, that identity may not cover every aspect of a winning basketball program.
Press and zone-heavy WVU currently sits at 22-3 and tied for second in the Big 12 standings, primarily due to its scrappy three-guard lineup and an uncanny ability to force turnovers. Against even conference leader Oklahoma, WVU’s defensive identity held strong, and the Mountaineers won 70-66 at home.
Defeating Oklahoma was one of WVU’s more impressive victories this season, but the Sooners, in terms of size and positional emphasis, are very similar to the Mountaineers. When matched up against bigger, forward and center-led teams, the effectiveness of the Mountaineers’ game plan is called into question.
Of West Virginia’s three losses, the reasoning for two of them can be pointed to the inability to match up against an opposing size advantage. Both Iowa State and Texas have four or more players at 6-foot-2 or taller and each team had at least two in its starting five against the Mountaineers.
Each team built off its size differently, as the Longhorns never relied on a true center but instead rotated between their three 6-foot-4 forwards, Khadija Faye, Amina Muhammad, and Taylor Jones, giving each player about 20 minutes.
The Cyclones, on the other hand, list two players as true centers, one being 6-foot-3 freshman Audi Crooks, who leads the team in scoring with 18 points per game. Crooks started alongside a pair of 6-foot-2 forwards in the win over West Virginia and finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds in 26 minutes.
When matching up against either team, therefore, West Virginia’s composition did not seem to measure up. Like Texas, WVU lacks a true center, but unlike the Longhorns, the Mountaineers do not have the luxury of several 6-foot-4 players.
The Mountaineers’ tallest consistent-starter is 6-foot-3 senior, Kylee Blacksten. Blacksten averages 20 minutes per game and is typically the tallest Mountaineer at any given time on the court.
Though Blacksten’s height measures to that of Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, her presence is simply not the same in the post. Blacksten averages just 2.9 rebounds and 0.6 blocks per game and uses her length more so for forcing turnovers and finishing layups at the rim.
In the losses to Iowa State and Texas, Blacksten played 28 minutes and 13 minutes respectively, scoring 16 points against Crooks’ Cyclones but missing her only field goal attempt against the Longhorns.
Kylee Blacksten’s scoring strengths show when matched up against bigger, more post-centric defenders like Crooks.
In WVU’s revenge win over Iowa State, Blacksten once again shined in 30 minutes, shooting 6-for-10 from the field and even knocking down two three-pointers for an efficient 14 points. Defensively, though, Blacksten could not handle Crooks, allowing the freshman to score 25 points, grab 16 rebounds compared to Blacksten’s three, and get to the line for 11 free throw attempts.
As such, coach Mark Kellogg has found that Blacksten is not always the answer as a dominant force inside. She has proven potential for WVU but has seen her minutes cut drastically in the last two games against Oklahoma and TCU.
In recent games, Kellogg has given greater roles to 6-foot-1 senior Tavy Diggs and WVU’s tallest player, 6-foot-4 junior Danelle Arigbabu. Arigbabu especially seems to be looked to for a stronger inside presence in necessary matchups.
Arigbabu recently jumped to a more consistent role off the bench. Since the rematch against Iowa State, where Arigbabu tallied five points and four rebounds in 12 minutes against Crooks, she has averaged 3.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 12.3 minutes per game.
Diggs’ minutes fluctuate to a greater degree, but she may be Kellogg’s main option as a big against guard-heavy teams. Diggs played 17 minutes in the win over Oklahoma and finished with 12 points, four rebounds, and a block.
Kellogg is still experimenting to a degree as the season comes to a close, but it is just a matter of finding fits in different situations. Once those fits are made to WVU’s ever-growing defensive identity, the Mountaineers may enter the Big 12 Tournament as one of the most complete teams in the conference.
Photo by Wesley Shoemaker, Blue Gold Sports
