New podcast episode:
WVSPORTS.COM Is it time to panic for WVU hoops after they fall to Kansas State?
- Thread starter wesleyshoemaker
- Start date
No. This team has already exceeded expectations. They’re playing with house money trying to get to March.
Fully agree. I said starting in November and have repeated since, 18 wins and a good showing in the Big 12 tournament gets us in. Depending on what other teams do now until the end of the season, possibly even less. But this is the time of the year, teams either rise to meet the challenge or fall apart.
They just can only take so many injuries. No shame in dropping these games as the season progresses shorthanded. I’d certainly like to see some more wins, but I think DeVries has proven his worth thus far and it can still be easy to sell recruits our success despite the injuries and lack of depth.
Teams know all they have to do is force Small to have to work so hard at scoring and play aggressive enough to force bad shots from the others.
Somebody else is going to have to step up and it doesn't look like anyone else is doing so.
I think with these 2 losses and the way Pitt has mose dived shows 3 bad losses. I think it will take 19 wins.
Not sure they have enough gas to get 5 or 6 more wins.
Somebody else is going to have to step up and it doesn't look like anyone else is doing so.
I think with these 2 losses and the way Pitt has mose dived shows 3 bad losses. I think it will take 19 wins.
Not sure they have enough gas to get 5 or 6 more wins.
There’s definitely a blueprint now on how to stop us. Devries is a great coach. He will adjust.
Can adjust all we want but still need to get the ball through the hoop.There’s definitely a blueprint now on how to stop us. Devries is a great coach. He will adjust.
Great coaches have their teams prepared for the tipoff. That didn't happen. He's still got a long ways.There’s definitely a blueprint now on how to stop us. Devries is a great coach. He will adjust.
After a 7 game win streak they are 2-4 in the last 6 with 2 of those losses to the worst teams in conference with 1 of those wins against the best in the conference and ranked #2.
They left 2 winnable games out there. Have they run out gas and hit a wall due to no depth or is it poor preparation. Perhaps both. After your opponents have figured out a way to stop you it's time to adjust and prepare better than you had been.
They now have a blueprint to beat you. Coaches need to change up that blueprint. Somebody has to score besides Small.
They left 2 winnable games out there. Have they run out gas and hit a wall due to no depth or is it poor preparation. Perhaps both. After your opponents have figured out a way to stop you it's time to adjust and prepare better than you had been.
They now have a blueprint to beat you. Coaches need to change up that blueprint. Somebody has to score besides Small.
They play with 8 but whose counting. Obviously they can win with this depth due to beating top teams in conference including #2 Iowa State.
Were they "shorthanded" when they won at Kansas? Or beat Iowa State? That excuse didn't seem to be brought up then. Instead it was "Devries is a genius". Now that we've lost to two bottom-feeders, it's suddenly "we just are shorthanded". Amazing how that works, isn't it? :joy: :joy: :joy:
Do we realize that as a season progresses, players lose their legs and how that impacts many facets of basketball? Wins that were obtainable early in the season won’t be there later as shooting percentages tend to dip as well as other statistics related to being fresh vs worn down. Let’s not act like the lack of bench doesn’t hurt this team the deeper we get in the season. Also, foul trouble certainly plays a part in a case by case scenario. If you think the lack of depth doesn’t play a role, then I assume you think the last two teams we played are better than the top 10 teams we’ve beaten…
Other coaches adjust too. I would smother Smalls too. He has to be exhausted after every game.
No need to panic. I doubt any of us expected the start we had which is an overperformance. It is disappointing that we were in such a good place at the half way point in the season and we might squander it. But panic? Not at all. Perhaps if this was DeVries 3rd year, but we should all have expected head scratching losses even with the unexpected early season wins.
So, our legs were good at Kansas and home with Iowa State, but we "lost our legs" against ASU and Kansas State?
I’m simply saying having a short bench has an impact. Is it the only reason we lost? No, but it doesn’t help.
Many coaches, even ones with hall of fame credentials have lamented having short benches and how that has led to late season slumps, so you don’t have to take my opinion on the topic.
I think he’s not happy with only three top 10 wins so far this season and is sharpening the pitch forks
Nope. Just pointing out how some of the arguments give a "pass" to bad losses, and credits for the wins. Everyone should stop anointing Devries as the second coming of John Wooden.
I'm not happy with losses to ASU and being down 42-18 at the half against a BAD K-State team. Forgive me.
I didn't see any annoiting except as our new coach. He seems pretty good, has some nice wins and too many players riding the bench with ghost injuries that were supposed to make a difference. I expect more losses because other teams are going to defend us like the last two teams
I’m guilty. Sorry, I am pretty high on what they’ve been able to accomplish. Of all the great Huggins teams, none of them beat Gonzaga. None of them won at Kansas. And to do both early in year 1 (especially after experiencing 6 years of HCNB), I’ll give him a pass dealing with the short handed team and still be excited about long term potential. You are right though, the last two games were bad losses. No argument there at all.