Three Keys For A Mountaineer Victory Over Iowa State
Tonight, West Virginia will look to defend their home court as the Iowa State Cyclones come to Morgantown for a Big 12 showdown. The Cyclones are sitting at 9-12 and 2-6 in Big 12 play, so they are in desperate need of a win to keep their March Madness hopes alive. West Virginia should be ready for anything as the Cyclones will throw everything they have at the Mountaineers. But if West Virginia can follow these three keys, the Mountaineers should come out with a win.
1. Resurgence of Oscar
Oscar Tshiebwe came into this season as a McDonald's All-American and one of the highest rated recruits to come to West Virginia in a long time. He is one of the most athletic and talented guys in the Big 12, and when he is clicking, he is one of the best players in the entire country. But for a guy who is supposed to be a first round draft pick, there have been times where he reminds Mountaineer fans that he is just a freshman who just started playing basketball four years ago.
His last two games were prime examples that showed his youth and inexperience. He had just eight points and eight rebounds vs Kansas State, which for an average player is a solid game, but for Oscar this isn't living up to expectations. His Mountaineers were able to pull out the win but if he had played better it wouldn't have been just a nine point home victory. Against Texas Tech, he only had four points and three rebounds. If he is going to be a leader on this team, he can't have performances like this.
Oscar always plays better at home. I look for him and Derek Culver (who I nicknamed "The Twin Towers", because they remind me of Tim Duncan and David Robinson) to both have solid games and help lead the Mountaineers to a victory.
2. Slow Down Tyrese Haliburton
Sophomore, Tyrese Haliburton, is the star player for the Cyclones this season. In 37.2 minutes per game (wow that is a lot) he is averaging 15.7 points on fifty percent shooting from the field, six rebounds, and six assists. He contributes in all facets of the game and makes the game easier for his teammates.
I have seen multiple NBA Mock Drafts that have Haliburton going anywhere from the number two overall pick to the number eight overall pick. Either way, he is going to be a lottery pick this upcoming draft and he is playing like it.
Look for West Virginia to double him and force the ball out of his hands. They will try to make the other beat them and pressure Haliburton as much as possible. If the Mountaineers can slow him down, they will have a good chance of flustering the Cyclones and putting them in positions of discomfort, which will lead to turnovers and easy points for West Virginia.
3. Limit Turnovers
When the Mountaineers aren't beating themselves up, they are one of the top teams in the country. West Virginia doesn't turn the ball over that much compared to their opponents. The Mountaineers are averaging 14.6 turnovers per game and forcing their opponents to commit on average 16 turnovers per game. But normally the Mountaineer turnovers are mental mistakes and could have easily been avoided. When the Mountaineers defeated Texas 97-59 at home, West Virginia only committed eight turnovers, which proves that if they take care of the ball, they can blow out any team they face. West Virginia cannot give the Cyclones more chances to score and turning the ball over will help Iowa State get out in the open court for easy buckets.
Tonight's game will be a good test for the Mountaineers as they are facing a quality Iowa State team led by a future lottery pick.
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