Takeaways from WVU’s Backyard Brawl Loss

The new regime, led by first-year West Virginia head coach Darian DeVries, faced Pittsburgh in his first Backyard Brawl on Friday night.

The Mountaineers struggled from the start, going into halftime down 22 points. Pitt went on to win by 24, 86-62, handing WVU its first loss of the early season.

Here are some major takeaways from the performance:

Rebounding

WVU has struggled to rebound on both ends of the floor throughout the first three games of the season. It was a similar story Friday against Pitt. The Mountaineers were outrebounded 45-32, managing only three second-chance opportunities. Their total rebounding percentage through three games is 46.7%, which ranks them 263rd out of 364 teams nationally.

Three-Point Shooting

The Mountaineers relied heavily on three-point shots Friday but didn’t shoot well. In their first two home games this season, they shot well from beyond the arc. However, in a tough road environment with a rowdy crowd, WVU felt the pressure. The Mountaineers shot 6-for-29 (20.7%) from three, making just two in the first half. Pitt, meanwhile, hit 10-of-27 (37%) from deep. WVU also struggled from the field overall, shooting 24-of-62 (38.7%).

Experience

For many West Virginia players, games like this are uncharted territory. Leading in minutes played, Tucker DeVries has some experience in big-time matchups, but every night will be a battle this season, similar to last night, especially when conference play begins. Here is his stat line from some of those major career games:

• Sophomore Year, NCAA Tournament Round 1 vs. Miami: 1-for-13 FG, 1-for-11 3PT, 3 PTS, 8 REB, 2 AST
• Junior Year, NCAA Tournament Round 1 vs. Washington State: 6-for-18 FG, 1-for-4 3PT, 14 PTS, 3 REB, 6 AST
• Friday Night, vs. Pittsburgh in the Backyard Brawl: 2-for-10 FG, 1-for-5 3PT, 6 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST

Another player worth mentioning is Toby Okani, who appeared rattled by the “Oakland Zoo” student section atmosphere. At one point, he airballed two consecutive free throws. These crowds will only get tougher. WVU is set to play five of the current top-10 teams in the country this season.

WVU also has true freshmen like Jonathan Powell and KJ Tenner playing significant minutes, so experience in these types of games will progress throughout the year. 

Free Throws

The Mountaineers have been average from the free-throw line, shooting 71.4% on the year, which ranks 161st nationally. Friday was their worst performance at the line this season, as they shot 8-for-15 (53.3%).

WVU will look to clean up its mistakes and bounce back at home Wednesday against Iona, which has started the season 1-3.