Hail WV
Fansided

West Virginia basketball: three keys to victory against Texas Tech

By Christopher Mangum

Jan 31, 2022; Waco, Texas, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers forward Jalen Bridges (11) goes up for the dunk during the first half against the Baylor Bears at Ferrell Center. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 31, 2022; Waco, Texas, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers forward Jalen Bridges (11) goes up for the dunk during the first half against the Baylor Bears at Ferrell Center. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 3
Next

Saturday afternoon, the West Virginia basketball team will return home against No. 14 Texas Tech. The Mountaineers are on a six-game losing streak, and with backs against the wall, will be looking to snap that in the Coliseum this weekend.

The Mountaineers’ crushing loss last Monday night dropped West Virginia’s record to 13-8 on the season as they enter one of the more challenging stretches in their schedule. As March ominously approaches, the Mountaineers will need to find some way to get back on track to have a chance at post-season play.

Key one: rebounding

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA – JANUARY 18: Sean McNeil #22 of the West Virginia Mountaineers drives to the basket during a college basketball game against the Baylor Bears at the WVU Coliseum on January 18, 2022 in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA – JANUARY 18: Sean McNeil #22 of the West Virginia Mountaineers drives to the basket during a college basketball game against the Baylor Bears at the WVU Coliseum on January 18, 2022 in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

Throughout this season, even with the Mountaineers’ ups and downs, one thing has remained consistent: West Virginia cannot rebound the ball. The Mountaineers rank 351st in rebounds nationally as they average around 33 boards per game.

Simply put, those numbers just won’t cut it. West Virginia is 2-6 in the Big 12, in other words, last place in the conference.

Even without using statistics, the eye test will tell fans all they need to know. The Mountaineers look uncoordinated and overwhelmed when rebounding, and that will need to change.

If the Mountaineers cannot fix these rebounding troubles, they will continue to allow games like Monday’s to slip away. If the Mountaineers could have rebounded the ball better than they did, they likely would have prevented the Baylor comeback entirely.

Home/WVU Basketball