West Virginia basketball: Three keys to victory against Arkansas

West Virginia needs to stop the turnovers in order to win

Another simple, doable task West Virginia has done a poor job of executing this season is taking care of the ball. While they do not rank near the top of the league in turnovers, the Mountaineers still average 12.6 turnovers per game. That number will need to drop to defeat the Razorbacks this Saturday.

Arkansas is no better at keeping track of the ball than the Mountaineers are. The Razorbacks average 13 turnovers per game, placing them at 178th in the nation in turnovers.

The difference in the two teams’ success is that the Razorbacks have been able to create points from these turnovers, while the Mountaineers have struggled.

This turnover battle could easily decide the winner of Saturday’s game. Both teams need the win and will scrap for every possible competitive edge they can find. When the dust settles, the team that fought the hardest, won the turnover battle, and capitalized off of opportunities such as free throws will win the game, shooting troubles permitting.

Authors prediction:

West Virginia and Arkansas are winning basketball teams with great culture and talent. If the Mountaineers head into the opposition’s gym, silence the crowd early, have more success from the floor, and create turnovers against the Razorbacks, they will emerge as the victors.

With their backs against the wall, the Mountaineers will emerge victorious against Arkansas Saturday.

The Mountaineers need this win now more than ever as they head into a tough stretch of games coming up. West Virginia will battle No. 4 Baylor on the road in their next three games before returning to Morgantown to face-off against No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 23 Iowa State.