Quick Hits: Adjustments from the Loss to ASU, Success Against Ranked Opponents, + More

The No. 23 West Virginia Mountaineers (13-5, 4-3) are on the road to take on the Kansas State Wildcats (7-11, 1-6) Saturday evening. Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m. EST and the action will broadcast on CBSSN.

Improvements needed from Arizona State to Kansas State

Our defensive rebounding wasn’t good enough in that game and then just our defense in general in the second half. I mean, they shot 66% - you’re not winning games allowing that type of efficiency by an opponent. We’ve been doing a pretty good job in those areas, but we didn’t [against Arizona State] – in that second half especially.

Recipe for success against ranked opponents

I think our guys have played incredibly hard in those wins. I think they played together and that’s been our formula for most of the year. When we’ve been able to do that, we’ve had some success. On nights we don’t have that, it’s been more of a challenge for us.

Kansas State’s six game losing streak

When you look at them, especially in Big 12 play outside of the Houston game, their games have come right down to the wire - they’ve been right there. Led at Kansas, had Texas Tech at home, had Baylor down double digits on the road, beat Cincinnati at home. So, they’re right there, they just haven’t had the wins to show for it, but I think they’re a really talented team and they present a lot of problems for you.

Scouting Kansas State big man Coleman Hawkins (6’10”, 230-lbs)

I think what makes him good is his versatility because he can shoot it – he can shoot it from deep, and then his ability to go post. Kind of like us with a pick and pop five. They use him more as a four but still put you in some tough spots and if you’re going to switch it, he’s going to take you down to the post with a little guard and now you got to some bring some help most of the time and he’s such a willing passer that now it makes those guys on the backside really efficient from a catch and shoot standpoint. I think overall, his versatility to shoot and post and pass is what makes him so difficult to stop.

Bringing in and scouting multiple newcomers

You see a lot of teams with whole new rosters, and it takes a while for some teams to gel. Kansas State had a lot of new players and guys and different roles but as the season’s gone on, you can see that they’ve started to figure out how to play through one another and how all those pieces fit together and you see that in other teams across the country as well.

We’re still figuring some things out as our roster, with injuries and stuff like that, is we’ve had to continue to try and find new ways to things on both ends of the floor.