Rapid Takeaways Following West Virginia's Drubbing of Mercyhurst

Initial thoughts from West Virginia's comfortable win over Mercyhurst.

Nov 30, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Amir Jenkins (2) celebrates a made three pointer during the first half against the Mercyhurst Lakers at Hope Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Sunday evening, the West Virginia Mountaineers took care of business against Mercyhurst with a blowout win to improve to 6-2 on the season.

Just a few quick takeaways from this one.

Amir gives Deuce vibes

Emmitt Matthews Jr. tweeted the comp out a couple of weeks ago, so I can't take credit for that, but ever since I saw that post, I can't unsee it. He really does have a lot of similarities to Deuce in that the offensive game had some punch, but the shot wasn't fully developed early in his career, much like Amir. Defensively, he is super scrappy and can be a pest on the ball. If that three-point shot continues to improve, which it already has, he'll be a well-rounded player.

Fields getting his feet wet

Troy transfer Jackson Fields made his Mountaineer debut today after missing the start of the season with a wrist injury. I didn't expect him to get big minutes, but I thought he would get a little more burn than he did. In the limited sample size we did get to observe, you can see the athleticism Ross Hodge has been talking about. He can guard multiple spots because of how well he moves his feet and what really caught my eye was how active he is away from the ball offensively. Even if he gets denied, he's constantly fighting for position, switching blocks, or coming up to set a screen. Love the activity.

Answered the bell defensively

Ross Hodge was none too pleased with how his guys played in the final eight minutes against Clemson and then for much of the game against Xavier defensively. Yes, the Musketeers hit a bunch of contested shots, but he noted that the ball pressure wasn't very good and that they allowed it to go wherever it wanted. I expected them to get back on track defensively today, and they certainly did. They eliminated second-chance opportunities and defended well without fouling. Obviously, you can't take much from this because of the level of competition, but still, they did what they were supposed to do.

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