Elite 8 Here We Come
West Virginia was able to make it to their first Elite 8 appearance since 2005 after holding off 11th-seeded Washington Huskies. If I were to say that the Mountaineers were to have a season-high of turnovers, would you think we even would of had a chance to win? The Huskies defense managed the Mountaineers to give up the ball a total of 23 times, 13 of them being in the first half. This was the first time all season that they exceeded the 20 point mark.
The first half consisted of poor offense, not crashing the boards, ultimately leading to what the Huskies do best, scoring in transition. Turnovers was also a big factor in the first half as the team was learning how to play without their starting point guard for the first time. This led to a lot more ball handling for Da’Sean Butler and Devin Ebanks. Ebanks unfortunately contributed to most of the turnovers as he finished with 8.
Kevin Jones paved the way for West Virginia, pouring in a game-high 18 points and eight rebounds. Jones has been a key element in their success throughout the Big East Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. Da’Sean Butler finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.
Da’Sean Butler injured his right hand in the win which has brought up much discussion if it will affect of play against Kentucky. Butler has said that it will not affect his play as he shot well in practice, hoping it will carry over to Saturday’s game.
With Darryl Bryant out for the rest of the Tournament, Butler would be a devastating blow if he was not active. West Virginia is seeking their first Final Four appearance since the 1959 Jerry West team that lost in the NCAA Championship.
While snapping the Huskies hot streak of nine straight victories, the Mountaineers improve their streak to ten games.