OPENING THOUGHTS
I don’t know about you guys, but I thought WVU played very well considering it was their first game. Five freshmen saw more than ten minutes of playing time and they all combined for 25 points and 19 rebounds. Not bad for game one!
As good as they looked, that is not how I want them to look next week in Brooklyn. Poor free throw shooting and bad second half defense is something that teams like Illinois, Temple and Virginia will exploit.
Coming to Morgantown this week are the Delta Devils of Mississippi Valley State University. Not even a strong team at their level. I think this won’t really be a good measuring stick of what WVU can do, seeing as how their opponent is so bad. That considered, it’s something to bridge the gap until the Oklahoma football game.
WHEN/WHERE
Date: Monday, November 14th
Tip-Off Time: 7:00 PM ET
Where: WVU Coliseum, Morgantown, WV
Tickets: General Public ; WVU Students
WATCH/LISTEN
TV: ROOT Sports Pittsburgh
Radio: WZST Variety 101 (100.9 FM in Morgantown) and the Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG (Radio Affiliates)
Streaming Audio: Locate the Mountaineers Sports Network from IMG on TuneIn Radio (or the TuneIn app for smartphones)
ODDS
No odds as of yet.
THE ENEMY
Where are they from? Itta Bena, Mississippi
Series History: WVU leads the series 1-0
Last Time: West Virginia 88, Mississippi Valley State 71 on January 2, 1993
SB Nation Blog: Mid-Major Madness
Record: 0-1 (Lost to Northwestern, 94-63, on Friday)
Record in 2015-16: 8-27 (6-12 SWAC)
Head Coach: Andre Payne
KEYS TO THE GAME
- Keep an eye on Marcus Romain. The senior guard for the Delta Devils carried the team last year with 18.6 points and 5.4 assists. The Brooklyn-native might be worth watching. Emphasis on ‘might’
- Maybe work on those free throws? Games are won and lost on the foul line. Can’t expect to compete in conference play if you’re unable to make a free throw.
HOW AFRAID SHOULD WE BE (ON A SCALE OF 1-10)?
Once again, I’m sitting at 1. Mississippi Valley State is not a very good basketball program and after the way the Mountaineers played on Friday, I think they’ll be fine. I’m about as afraid of the Delta Devils as I am of JD’s basketball skills.
PREDICTION THAT WILL BE WRONG
Honestly, if WVU doesn’t win by more than 20 than it’s a bad sign. MVSU is not even good in the SWAC and isn’t a team that plays with much enthusiasm. I do take a little bit of pity on them because their first home game isn’t until January 7 and have road games at Michigan State, Indiana, Gonzaga and Iowa State.
West Virginia 101, Mississippi Valley State 51