Rapid Takeaways: Huff Heats Up, Freshman Cements Role in Rotation + More

Initial thoughts on West Virginia's win over Lafayette.

WVU Athletics Communications

Monday night, West Virginia improved to 5-0 with an 81-59 win over the Lafayette Leopards.

A few of my initial thoughts from this one...

Energy was a step down

This game was never going to be in doubt, but I was locked in on how they would play, given it's a buy game and they just routed Pitt in an intense, high-emotion rivalry game. The energy defensively, I thought, took a step back tonight, which was to be expected. It's not concerning, but I'm sure Ross Hodge would have liked not to see as many open looks for Lafayette, either from range or from two feet.

Honor Huff heating up

We all knew it was coming sooner or later, and tonight just happened to be that night for Huff, where just about everything he threw up went in. He finished the night going 8/9 from three for 24 points in 34 minutes of action. Getting this performance out of him in the team's final game before the Charleston Classic is perfect timing. The confidence never wavered in the first four games, but now he's feeling it, and that could be a problem for Clemson and Xavier/Georgia.

Does Chance Moore start?

It's not ideal to bring a guy who's missed the first five games of the season right into the starting lineup, and it's probably not fair to him to do it. I think Hodge will continue with the same starting five for the Charleston Classic and see how it goes. If Treysen Eaglestaff still hasn't shot out of his slump, then you may see Moore swap spots with him; it just won't happen on Friday night. Moore's presence will help this offense out, though, with his ability to get downhill and pressure the rim.

DJ Thomas is sticking in this rotation

Even before his career-high performance tonight, I felt like Thomas had done enough to warrant sticking in the rotation once Jackson Fields and Chance Moore return. As Ross Hodge has mentioned many times before, he plays well beyond his years. Calm, cool, collected, and confident. Tonight's performance of 25 points and three rebounds just solidified what I already thought to be true — he's staying in the rotation and will have a key role.

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