On St. Johns:
Eilert said the team executed the game plan for the most part, but key moments down the stretch is what especially cost them the win. He mentioned a lack of discipline and failure to win 50-50 balls specifically, noting that St. Johns had more hunger.
He also noted Quinn Slazinski’s history with St. Johns and that he was glad the game could be put behind them. He said he wished he put less personal emotion into the game to make sure it was all team focused, though he said Slazinski’s heart was in the right place.
Eilert discussed how the Mountaineers 40+ free throws were intentional by Rick Pitino, as he didn't care how many times they went to the free throw line because his main goal was to tire out the shorthanded team, which effectively happened. He also mentioned that it was part of St. Johns’ game plan to put their head down and see what the refs would or wouldn’t call when being aggressive offensively against Jesse Edwards, stating that nothing offensively was called, especially in one crucial play late in the game.
On players specifically Eilert mentioned it was a breakout game for Josiah Harris who had been in a slump, while also noting that Seth Wilson’s struggles continued and that he is being hard on him to continue to shoot when open. He also mentioned how Edwards struggled defensively due to lack of aggression.
Related: West Virginia must find grit despite challenges
On lack of depth:
Eilert discussed how it is hard to hold players accountable for messing up or taking off plays because there are no replacements, and how this could be something that players are aware of which in turn, allows them to not fight as hard. He acknowledged that this does at times seem to happen, but that they are still playing their hearts out.
He mentioned how the team would consider bringing in players mid semester if there was someone that would be available that could positively impact the team.
On Akok Akok, he said he hasn’t been cleared but things are still trending in a positive direction. He is heavily looking forward to the return of Kerr Kriisa, which is just two games away.
Eilert also discussed how being short handed makes it hard to have as aggressive of a playstyle as he would like. For one, they cannot risk getting players into foul trouble. He also mentioned how the team is having to wait to shoot until late in the shot clock to make sure that they aren’t constantly being run up and down the court with lack of subs available.
On Net Rankings:
Eilert said the net rankings came out today and that he felt sick seeing WVU ranked at 209. He said the strength of the Big 12 will significantly help them out, and he expects his team to be very competitive when back to full strength. He was adamant about the fact that where they are currently at is rock bottom, and that they will only continue to rise as the season progresses. Eilert also mentioned the significance of losing the Monmouth game, which he said will haunt them.
On Recent Practices:
Eilert discussed that thus far chemistry has been a major focus of practices, building up the players' feel for playing with and getting comfortable with each other. Because of this, they have kept a lot of the same lineups when competing in practice, something he said he recently changed to amp up the competitiveness. Eilerty noted that the last two days of practice have been the most competitive all season and that he was pleasantly surprised on how the team turned the page.
On Conference Scheduling Next Season:
When asked about the potential 20 game conference schedule last year, Eilert said he vouched against it in a meeting with the Big 12, opting for the 18 game schedule instead. He said this will help limit the amount of travel teams will have to do, eliminating an extra trip out West for the Mountaineers and allowing them to still have a bye week, something Eilert deemed necessary. Ultimately, he said the Big 12 has the final say and the deciding factor will be money, as they will be able to televise more games.
On the Pitt Rivalry:
Eilert said that he talked a little to the players about the significance of the Pitt matchup, but that it was unnecessary as they were already well aw3are. He said some of the players spoke up about it and they’ve been competing in practice like never before to get ready to make West Virginia proud. He added that all of the players attended the Backyard Brawl football game, which only increased their desire to win.
----------
• Talk about it with West Virginia fans on The Blue Lot.
• SUBSCRIBE today to stay up on the latest on Mountaineer sports and recruiting.
• Get all of our WVU videos on YouTube by subscribing to the WVSports.com Channel
• Follow us on Twitter: @WVSportsDotCom, @rivalskeenan, @zachanderson_11
