Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which today asks a question: Are they doing it again?
“Everyone wants to think about how perfect last year was, but it was by no means perfect,” said point guard Joe Mazzulla. “It was around this time we started to come together. It’s the same thing this year. We believe in each other and certain people are stepping up as leaders and the others are following behind them.”
To begin, let’s understand last year’s team was in a much more favorable position when it got its act together late in the regular season. That was a top-1o team that began and ultimately ended the season with Final Four aspirations. This team? Not the same.
Yet a year ago I think WVU was a little uncertain of what it was and what it could accomplish — remember, in late February those Mountaineers were written off as opening-weekend casualties — until beating Villanova in the regular-season finale. That was tremendous tournament prep — road game, 20,000 in a NBA arena, comeback, overtime, game-winning basket. Those Mountaineers took a lot from that game and used it to power their postseason progression.
This team? Again, not the same. The uncertainty isn’t the same because, frankly, the ceiling isn’t the same, but I do think it’s fair to say everyone in that locker room believed they were capable of much better things than they’d been producing. It seemed to me the Notre Dame win put a lot of eggs into the basket WVU carried to Pitt, where the second half was a pretty discouraging outcome. Yet these Mountaineers have actually shown some things in the past two games.
They dominated Rutgers on the glass and then outrebounded UConn, which is always encouraging. The offense comes a little easier. WVU is not prolific. It scored 65 points in both wins and has only topped 70 twice in 12 games … but maybe 65 is the new 70? The Mountaineers are mostly setting up and taking better shots and getting guys in spots where they can score. Mazzulla drives. Turk and Flowers post. KJ finds places he knows. Truck gets to the foul line. So on and so forth. They still don’t shoot it well, but these are better shots. Heck, they attempted only 12 3s against UConn, teh second-lowest total this season.
An even better sign is the way WVU has played in the second half of both games. That wacky streak where the opponent scores more in the second half than the first is alive at 19 games, but WVU has actually outscored the past two opponents by eight and seven points in the second half and twice shot 52.6 percent. The Mountaineers were being outscored by 31 points in the second halves of Big East games this season.
Whatever the verdict entering tomorrow’s game, the constitution of the team believed, even in its lowest moments this season, WVU could pull itself together and be right in March, where the team has won 10 straight games. That this is at the very least being discussed is a victory for them. Every team wants to be peaking in March.
Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, don’t give up.
Sean Potts said:
He was not upset about the players in the pictures – he was upset at the old and tired looking frames.
I really don’t want to get into this because it’s being taken way too liberally and translated way too unfairly, but, yes, when Dana Holgorsen asked “How old are those?” I think he quite clearly articulated he thought the frames were old and tired looking. I didn’t ask, but I’ll have to assume he knows Pat White and Jarrett Brown both played quarterback at WVU in the past three years and has nothing against them as players.
glibglub said:
I’m working on this great piece that I’m sure Holgs would love: an abstract interpretation of a Red Bull can. Oil on canvas. Real classy. So, if you’re a well-heeled booster and want to gift him with something nice for his office . . .
All better now …
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