WVU Basketball: 3 Keys To A Sweeter 16
By Phil Poling
Offensive Firepower
The Mountaineers have stunned many during the tournament so far with their efficient shooting on the offensive end. Their 48 percent clip (57-for-120) from the field is a slight improvement to their regular season mark of 45 percent.
The real improvement has come from 3-point range. For a squad that shot 32 percent from deep in the regular season, WVU’s surprised many outsiders with this new-found efficiency- including their own fans. West Virginia’s made 13 of their 25 3-point attempts in the first two tournament games, a 52 percent mark from deep. We’ve seen this boiling for some time, however.
Freshman Lamont West was 2-for-3 from deep on his way to 15 points against Bucknell. It was hardly a surprise to Mountaineer Nation, though. He lit up Texas in late February for 23 points, while making 6-of-8 from 3-point range. His other 20-point game came in a loss to Oklahoma State; he made half of his 12 threes for 21 points.
Jevon Carter and Tarik Phillip have combined to make 9-of-15 from three in the tournament and hope to continue this hot-shooting against Gonzaga. Free throws are important – as always. The ‘Eers are 42-for-55 so far from the line, making 21 each in both tournament wins.