Sherman blossoming in senior season with West Virginia basketball
West Virginia is playing a different brand of basketball since the departure of sophomore Oscar Tshiebwe. That much is obvious even to the most casual viewers.
The Mountaineers are spacing the floor and playing four out with the guards being a much bigger part of the formula than they previously had been. And one player that has really benefited from the new look offensive style has been senior guard Taz Sherman.
Sherman only hit double-digit shot attempts in two of the first 10 games but has averaged 15 over the past three games.
He’s hit 18 of his 45 shot attempts, or 40-percent, and 10 of his 25 three-point tries, again 40-percent during that span. Those are impressive totals as Sherman has averaged 18.6 points per game over the last three contests as he’s become a massive piece to the puzzle.
The former junior college prospect only hit double figures five times all of last season, showcasing the jump that he has made. And now a scheme that accentuates his skill set.
“His confidence. I think he came in a year ago and he was kind of feeling his way through but he’s playing with so much confidence right now. It’s more give me the ball and I’ll go score,” head coach Bob Huggins said. “Before he kind of took a backseat to some other guys but he’s been our most consistent perimeter scorer and he can score in a lot of different ways.”
There’s a lot of truth in that as Sherman is currently the most consistent player on the roster and has turned the corner on his aggressiveness on the offensive end.
It’s a perfect storm for the perimeter player as it has allowed him to have more areas to operate when driving the ball and he has been the recipient of having the ball kicked to him for open shots.
“It’s really the start of good offense if you can get downhill on an opponent and cause help,” Sherman said. “Spread out and we can get an open shot it’s good for our offense.”
It’s a perfect mesh with Sherman’s skill set given what he brings to the table.
“Just opening up driving areas and cutting areas and lanes open up when we have that four-out offense. We have drive and kick like other teams do to us,” Sherman said.
If the Mountaineers are going to have success over the rest of the 14-games remaining on the slate, Sherman is going to be a big part of that. And he’s embracing his role as a scorer for the Mountaineers.
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