Expectations Are High For WVU Bigs
West Virginia is headed to Washington, D.C. to take on the Georgetown Hoyas in their fifth consecutive game on the road. The matchup is part of the Big 12/Big East Battle and will be the first meeting between the former Big East rivals since 2014. The Mountaineers trail the Hoyas with a 25-27 all-time record.
The Hoyas are relying heavily on their seniors, including forward Jamorko Pickett and guards Donald Carey, Jahvon Blair, and Jalen Harris. These four players have accounted for 71% of Georgetown’s total points this season.
Blair leads the Hoyas with 40 points over the last two games. Pickett follows, averaging 13.5 points and 7 rebounds per game.
West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins believes that his bigs, including Derek Culver and Oscar Tshiebwe, will play to the Mountaineers’ advantage.
“They are pretty much perimeter-oriented,” Huggins said of the Hoyas. “That’s seemingly the wave of the future with one big and four perimeter guys. But when you have bigs like we do, you have to use them.”
West Virginia’s height should allow them to take advantage of mismatches and to have an edge for securing rebounds. The Mountaineers will be well-suited to run a high/low offense between Tshiebwe and Culver. Forward Gabe Osabouhein will likely play a large role in the Mountaineers’ ball movement, which Huggins cited as a key for the game.
When it comes to defense, if Georgetown does utilize four perimeter players, West Virginia should have more length on the floor. However, the Mountaineers will need to keep up with Georgetown’s offensive speed. The Mountaineers have been struggling to rotate on defense and stop backdoor cuts.
West Virginia will tip-off against Georgetown at 4:30 P.M. EST on FS1.
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