It happened again.
Stop us if you've already heard this story this season (yeah, that's a classic phrase from the DeVries year that seems to be coming back). The West Virginia Mountaineers had a double-digit lead against a non-conference, Power 5 opponent, but then sacrificed the lead and eventually the game to the opponent.
Such was the case on Saturday night as the Mountaineers faced the Ohio State Buckeyes in a neutral-site contest in Cleveland that turned into a double-overtime thriller that eventually ended in heartbreak for West Virginia, as OSU walked away with an 89-88 win. Here are our initial takeaways from the devastating loss – a couple reflecting the good things we saw, and a couple reflecting the bad things.
The Good
Honor Huff Was WVU's Biggest Transfer Portal Victory This Offseason
No one on WVU's team has the ability to do quite what Honor Huff does.
He led the country in made three-point baskets last year, and he leads the country again so far this season through 12 games. He can create his own shot, he's got pert near Caitlin Clark/Jimmer Fredette range, and he is not afraid to take the ball into his hands when his team needs him to make plays. In a lot of ways, he plays a similar role to Javon Small on last year's team.
Whether it as the fadeaway corner two-pointer with just 12 seconds left in the second overtime period, or any number of the well-defended three-point shots he made in the latter portion of a back-and-forth, tightly fought game, you can see his knack to create tough offense in clutch situations and put the team on his shoulders. He scored 24 points and added five assists in the loss, and converted five three-point shots.
It's Not 'Press Virginia' In Scheme, But The Mentality Is There
Or maybe I should call it treadmill mentality? That's another Bob Huggins era throwback. Rich Rodriguez might call it "hard edge." But this team is aggressive on the defensive end, they're aggressive on hustle plays, and they're just aggressive in general. It's not a figure that can always be found on the stat sheet, though there are certain stats that can reflect it. But this team hustles, and plays a gritty game that doesn't let their opponents rest. That will behoove them in conference play.
The Bad
Ross Hodge Might Still Have Some Adjusting To Do
Ross Hodge deserves more than 12 games to determine his fate at the Power 5 level. But it's hard not to scrutinize the lack of a timeout near the end of regulation when WVU had possession and the chance to win the game but ended up turning the ball over on a questionable offensive foul. The Mountaineers had timeouts remaining, and Ross Hodge chose not to use one.
And it is particularly glaring after Hodge failed to use a timeout earlier this season with possession and seconds left in the game while needing a three-point shot, and his team ended up going for the dunk on a fast break and subsequently lost the game. That shows a potential pattern, and those costly mistakes add up in games like this.
The Drought On Power 5 Wins Continue
The Mountaineers have now played five power conference opponents in non-conference play, and they're 1-4 in those games. They managed a win over a Pitt team that looks worse with each passing day, but have flubbed the others, including a couple sacrificed double-digit leads. Now, the Mountaineers enter Big 12 play behind the 8-ball in terms of a potential tournament resume and every indication that they'll struggle mightily once the non-conference slate ends.
It looks like the the talent is there, and I'm still not doubting Hodge's talent as a coach. But these are the types of games you can't afford to lose, at least not often. West Virginia has now lost four of them in the past four weeks. Now, they'll be fighting and clawing for a postseason resume in the Big 12, if they have the ability to compete at a decent level in conference play – which is still an unanswered question.