After a tough overtime loss to Baylor, Darian Devries talks about what he expects to see from a hot Cincinnati team and what the Mountaineers can do to find a spot in the NCAA tournament.
Since the last time the Mountaineers faced off against Cincinnati, the Bearcats have been an impressive 3-1 while scoring an average of 85.75 points per game. They have been led by guard Jizzle James who has averaged 22.2 points in the last four games. James was held scoreless in his last meeting with the Mountaineers.
When asked about James’ recent performances DeVries said, “That’s a big difference for them and then it’s now everybody else gets freed up a little bit.”
It will be crucial for the Mountaineers to limit Cincinnati’s high powered offense as they’ve shown their potential since their last meeting. DeVries has made it clear that he doesn’t expect Cincinnati to miss opportunities like they did last time they met and the Mountaineers need to capitalize when they do.
A hot topic for this West Virginia team is their free throw disparity. For the season, the Mountaineers have shot 381 free throws compared to their opponents 461. When asked about this DeVries didn’t show much concern. “We’ve got to do a better job in that area of keeping people off the line. There’s certainly some of those fouls that are within our control that we’ve got to do a better job of,” DeVries commented. He expects more discipline out of his team and plans to get their free throw percentages up as well.
At this point in the season, the Mountaineers have to play close to perfect to stay in NCAA tournament contention.
DeVries made it clear he plans on taking it one game at a time but is confident that his team has what it takes. “I feel like we have enough components, we have a team that can make the NCAA tournament and win some games,” he commented.
Cincinnati is the first of a tough six game stretch for the Mountaineers as they look to find themselves a spot in the NCAA tournament.
