The WVU men’s basketball defeated UCharleston (DII) 94-61 in a preseason exhibition on Friday.
While it is an exhibition against a DII team, there is a lot to be learned about this completely refurbished West Virginia. They’ll officially open up their season against Robert Morris on Nov. 4 at home.
Team Chemistry
For a team made up of players who have never played together before, the Mountaineers looked banded together on Friday. It appears that the offseason, which included a trip to Italy, has benefited them. They effectively moved the ball and played team defense to take care of business over the Golden Eagles. While they will face better competition as the season progresses, seeing how they play together as a team will be interesting.
Turnovers, Defense
West Virginia played solid defense against Charleston. They forced 22 turnovers, which turned into 36 points. Throughout the game, they played press defense and allowed little room for movement. They also ended up out-rebounding Charleston, even though height was a concern coming into the game. They held the Golden Eagles to under 40% shooting but did commit 15 fouls.
Playmakers
WVU previewed its top playmakers on Friday. Before leaving the game with an injury, guard Javon Small ran the floor for the Mountaineers and scored 11 points in 19 minutes. Tucker DeVries was the leading scorer with 18 points. He also had four assists, two rebounds, two steals, and a block. Amani Hansberry controlled the paint for the Mountaineers and hit a three. He finished with 11 points, two rebounds and an assist. The only other player with 10+ was Jonathan Powell, who will be the next takeaway.
Jonathan Powell
True freshman Jonathan Powell was arguably the biggest surprise for West Virginia on Friday. Coming off the bench, Powell had 11 points in 18 minutes. He shot four-of-nine from the field, including three-of-five from three. He also came away with three rebounds. Powell will be a player to watch to see if he can be a difference-maker for WVU as a freshman.
Need to Finish from Behind the Arc
The Mountaineers succeeded from three in the first half, shooting seven-of-16, but fell flat almost in the second half. It wasn’t until the 10th attempt of the second half that they hit their first triple. They finished the second half shooting four-of-17 from three, which means they shot nearly 44% in the first half and 23.5% in the second half. When the regular season officially rolls around, they will have little margin of error from behind the arc if they want to be successful in 2024-2025.
