West Virginia is off to an 11-2 start this season, one of the best openings first-year head coach Darian DeVries could have asked for.
It’s important to dive into the stats behind the team to see where the Mountaineers are proficient and where they need to clean up details compared to the other 15 Big 12 teams.
Offensively, West Virginia isn’t ranked particularly high in any key categories. The Mountaineers rank 13th out of 16 in points per game, 13th in field goal percentage, and eighth in 3-point percentage.
It’s worth noting that points per game are also influenced by pace of play. WVU plays a somewhat slower game, resulting in fewer possessions and, therefore, fewer points. The Big 12 leader in points per game, UCF, averages 76.6 points but also plays at the 13th-fastest pace in the country.
A more telling stat is their shooting percentages. While West Virginia’s shooting has been serviceable so far, improving those percentages will be crucial down the road as we get further into the season.
Where the Mountaineers have excelled is on the defensive side of the ball. And as the saying goes: defense wins games.
West Virginia ranks third in opponent points per game, second in opponent field goal percentage, and first in opponent 3-point percentage. The Mountaineers also lead the Big 12 in blocks per game, averaging close to six.
The Mountaineers have made life difficult for opposing offenses — and that’s without being fully healthy.
WVU’s second- and third-leading scorers, Tucker DeVries and Amani Hansberry, have been sidelined due to injury in recent games. A fully healthy offense, paired with the defense the team is already playing, is why the Mountaineers are expected to compete every night in one of the toughest conferences in college basketball.
