West Virginia head coach Darian DeVries addressed the media prior to the home match-up with Cincinnati. WVSports.com provides a summary of what was said.
--DeVries said that they have to do a better job of keeping people off the line and some of those fouls are in their control. A lot of it is they are in a good position but don't reach at the end. The focus is finishing at the end and that's the four to six they can eliminate.
--DeVries said that getting to the rim is a big part of getting to the foul line and what they can do to get there better. You have to play to the strengths of your team and put them in spots to be successful. Javon Small gets in there a lot and should get rewarded over time if he keeps driving.
--DeVries feels that they have good officials in the league and he doesn't worry about officiating. They have a hard job to do.
--Cincinnati is playing with a lot of confidence. They went to UCF and won and came back home and played well. They have found themselves over the last four games.
--Even in the game against West Virginia, Cincinnati was very aggressive with offensive rebounding and they've been scoring it well so there haven't been as many opportunities to get those offensive rebounds.
--Most of it is Jizzle James he's been playing at a very high level and it's freeing other people up. He is making hard shots and putting a lot of pressure to stop him and slow him down.
--DeVries liked the shots his team got at Baylor but they didn't go down. That's what it is as long as they're taking good ones and the guys they want shooting the ball shooting them it's what they want. Their focus is on what they can do better on what they can control.
--DeVries said their identity is to be physical and tough and they've done a good job of that it's just a matter of cleaning up those reach fouls. Have more discipline. That's 4-6 points per game that they can control. They have to keep them off the line.
--From that day when West Virginia played Cincinnati to how they're playing now, they are playing with confidence and their talent is really good. They're a very good team and West Virginia knows that and understands that.
--West Virginia did a pretty good job of taking away their lobs against Cincinnati in the first meeting. The Mountaineers made a lot of hard shots in that game. From the way the game played out, they can't count on the same things and have to make the proper adjustments defensively to handle both.
--Not really the same problems at the foul line in the Missouri Valley Conference.
--DeVries said that they've lost some games on the midweek but he doesn't care if it's Thursday or Saturday they need to play well. They've had some bad fortune with bad weather on weekday games.
--DeVries said you are adjusting a little because you're taking some more losses at the power four level, but it's always about the next game. He watches the game they just played and then flips it to the next opponent.
--It's two different types of pressure at Drake and then here. West Virginia is in a league that has really good teams and there are games that you aren't going to have it. But it's about winning as much get int the big picture.
--DeVries said they have the components and the makeup of a team that belongs in the NCAA Tournament but they have to continue to win games. They are in the stretch run and none of that matters, they have to continue to win games.
--It's February, all the games are magnified and they all matter but there is increased importance on each game and no game is bigger than Wednesday.
--Cincinnati defended Javon Small a lot of different ways in the first meeting,
--DeVries said the Big 12 is exactly what they thought it would be. Physical, tough, great coaches and great players. There are no nights off and with a 20-game schedule, it's a good one. They have to get their guys ready to finish the 20-game slate and every opponent is a quadrant one or two opportunity.
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