Bob Huggins says, “We can beat anybody”
According to West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins, the Mountaineers can beat any team in the country.
Of course, that comes with a stipulation.
"“If we don’t turn the ball over, we’re pretty good,” Huggins said talking to ESPN’s Andy Katz. “If we shoot 50-percent we can beat anybody.”"
Through 26 games, WVU is shooting 45-percent as a team from the field. That’s still higher than what Huggins says his team needs to win.
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Of course, that comes with another stipulation.
“We can win shooting 35-percent and not turning the ball over,” Huggins told Katz.
West Virginia has turned the ball over 366 times this season, an average of 14 times per game. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers have forced opponents to turn the ball over 484 times this season. That is an average of 18.6 times per game.
In the Mountaineers’ Jan. 16 tilt against Oklahoma, the team’s opponent this Saturday, WVU forced 18 Sooners turnovers, right inline with the season average. Also, the Mountaineers turned the ball over 14 times, themselves, right in line with the season average.
“They’re terrific because at one time, they were shooting 47-percent from 3,” Huggins said of the Sooners, while talking to Katz. “They just spread you so much. We’ve got to do a good job of guarding the line and chasing them off the line.”
Then, Oklahoma has National Player of the year candidate, Buddy Hield. Hield led the Sooners with 17 points in that Jan. 16 game, a 70-68 win by Oklahoma.
"“Buddy is a great scorer, an absolutely great scorer,” Huggins said. “He’s got incredible range. Who’s better than he is? I think that’s the question. I mean, when you sit down with a ballot and you’re put somebody down, who else would you put down besides Buddy Hield?“I think he’s had the best year out of anybody in college basketball. That’s what it comes down to. This year, he’s had the best year.”"
When Katz asked Huggins what the gameplan is for Hield and the Sooners, the veteran head coach offered one of his trademarked sly remarks.
“Hold him to 14,” Huggins answered. “We lost by 2. If we would have held him to 14, we would have won.”