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#4 WVU vs. #5 Villanova: Game Thread

Villanova1_medium

Come one, come all, to see sideshow freaks and a man with absolutely no control of his temper. The faint of heart should join us in this game thread at their own peril, as we cuss and discuss the epic match-up of #4 WVU vs. #5 Villanova.

And, as always...

Letsgo_medium 

60 comments  |  0 recs |

A Civilized Q & A With The Enemy: Who Knew It Was Possible?

In what appears to be a recurring theme, The Smoking Musket exchanged questions with an upcoming opponents' blog, to get a better feel for their team.  This time, it is my pleasure to introduce, Villanova Viewpoint...

1. While I did not get to watch much of your game against Georgetown, from what I saw, it seemed you had trouble handling Georgetown's size. Which is surprising because, from the stats, 'Nova appears to be a good rebounding team. Is the lack of size a concern as you face bigger teams down the stretch?

Absolutely. Our big men are few in number. The only true centers that we have are a true freshman, Mouphtaou Yarou, and Maurice Sutton, a redshirt freshman. Yarou's a decent player, but he missed most of the first half after he contracted hepatitis, so he's being eased back into the rotation. He's tall, but not real big, and isn't very polished on offense yet - he's a 14-minute player right now.

Sutton is an end-of-the-rotation guy - he'll play if the other big men are in foul trouble, but he's really a defensive specialist, and that's his only role.

So, for that reason, Antonio Pena has to play the "five", although it's not his true position. If Pena gets into foul trouble, it really hurts us, because we then have to play a really small lineup, even by our standards.

You're right - Villanova is a good rebounding team, mainly because Wright emphasizes its importance, and everyone in the program buys into the system. All of our guards rebound well, in light of their size, particularly Reggie Redding.

Also, don't forget to join us tonight for another live blog of this huge match-up.  More Q & A after the jump...

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1 comment  |  0 recs |

CSI: Morgantown, Episode II

Horatio is back on the scene:

Horatio_part_i_medium

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WVU vs. Villanova On Big Monday: Who Votes For Another 43 Points From Da'Sean?

This is Da'Sean Butler's "if I look psychotic look, defenders won't guard me as close" face.  It's been working.

More photos » Frank Franklin II - AP

This is Da'Sean Butler's "if I look psychotic look, defenders won't guard me as close" face. It's been working.

OK, I see everyone's hand raised.  And that's good, because when your best player scores 43 points, it usually means you're winning the game.

Fine, I'll admit, it's unlikely that Da'Sean Butler scores 43 points tonight.  But it's certainly not impossible, especially considering he went off for 33 just this past Saturday against St. John's.  But really, considering the options this Mountaineer teams has at its disposal, Butler doesn't need to score 43 to win.  But there are a few things that do need to happen.  What are they?  Boy, am I glad you asked...

  • Take care of the basketball.  Early in the St. John's game, we played with a certain, I don't know, out-of-controlness that led to a 16 point deficit.  It's kind of Truck's strong-suit.  Enter Joe Mazzulla, who slowed down the Mountaineer attack, found better shots, and sparked a run that eventually resulted in a 19 point blowout.  I'm not saying Truck can't do it, because we've seen that he can, but it would help if both point guards contributed to taking care of the basketball.

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13 comments  |  0 recs |

...I am just glad that the "sucks eggs" cheer looks to be finally done at the WVU Coliseum.

I was always in favor of turning our backs and ignoring the other team when introduced. Maybe we can get that started?

about 15 hours ago Charley_west_web_tiny Dr. Charley West 10 comments 0 recs

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Big Monday (2/8/10) 'Nova Gameday Edition

Ichnusa2_medium

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and daily distractions; Now nationally recognized!  We're being brought to you today by Ichnusa, in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

This is great.  Playing in a top conference, when highly ranked...the stakes keep getting higher and higher.  That said, the men have another big one tonight.  We might even be ranked as high as 3rd when the polls are released later today.  I certainly hope the weather doesn't keep the fans away tonight...it should bee a doozy.  Send in your tips, suggestions and requests.  It all starts after the jump...

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5 comments  |  0 recs |

It doesn't get too much bigger than this, considering it's Big Monday and we'll be playing the Big East leaders. When you take into account that Villanova is angry after being rocked by Georgetown on Saturday, this has the makings of a classic matchup.

1 day ago Charley_west_web_tiny Dr. Charley West 4 comments 0 recs

The turnaround from calling Madison Square Garden a deathtrap to a theater of dreams is impressive, considering before this current streak, the Mountaineers were 1-21 in The World's Most Famous Arena.

Of those 13 wins, only three were against St. John's, meaning the bulk of success has been in the Big East Tournament (not to mention the 2007 NIT championship). Let's hope this run of good fortune continues into this March at this year's installment of the BET.

2 days ago Charley_west_web_tiny Dr. Charley West 2 comments 0 recs

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Mountaineers Basketball Schedule

Next 5 Games

@ Pittsburgh Fri 02/12 9:00 PM EST
@ Providence Wed 02/17 7:00 PM EST
Seton Hall Sat 02/20 12:00 PM EST
@ Connecticut Mon 02/22 7:00 PM EST
Cincinnati Sat 02/27 2:00 PM EST

Last 5 Games

Villanova Mon 02/08 L 75 - 82
@ St. John's Sat 02/06 W 79 - 60
Pittsburgh Wed 02/03 W 70 - 51
Louisville Sat 01/30 W 77 - 74
@ DePaul Tue 01/26 W 62 - 46

19 - 4

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