WVU knocks '2 down, 2 to go' as it looks to take advantage of its chance

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If there was any doubt what West Virginia came to Kansas City for that was erased by toppling Big 12 co-champion Texas Tech in an all-too-familiar fashion.

“We’re playing to get in the NCAA Tournament is what we’re doing,” We had a meeting we sat down and talked about it and this is our chance,” head coach Bob Huggins said.

That’s now two down with two left to go. Halfway on perhaps the most improbable thing that could happen in a season that’s been full of them.

Beating Oklahoma was one thing, but dispatching Texas Tech on a neutral floor is quite another.

This was the same Red Raiders team that had swept the Mountaineers in the regular season and won 26 games in the process to rise into the top ten. That sweep included a 31-point loss in the last meeting that forced Huggins to simply say that Chris Beard’s team “big boyed,” or out-toughed his club.

That wasn’t the case in this one as that was then and this is now.

A revitalized West Virginia team led almost from start to finish racing out to an early lead and then showing the gull to hold on down the stretch when the seasoned Red Raiders of course made a run to even briefly seize the lead. But the young Mountaineers outlasted not only the Big 12 Coach of the Year in Beard but conference player of the year in Jarrett Culver in the process.

Perhaps most impressive isn’t the win itself, it’s how the Mountaineers accomplished it. This time it was Huggins’ club that out-toughed their opponent following a vintage formula that has worked time and time again. Rebound the basketball and create more shot opportunities than your opponent.

It isn’t always the prettiest brand of basketball, but when done right it’s quite effective. The Mountaineers crashed the glass by out-rebounding Texas Tech by 14 but even more impressive the margin was 12 on the offensive glass. That resulted in 10 more shot attempt and an 11-point advantage in second chance opportunities for the 79-74 win.

“We’re guarding better and we’re rebounding better and that’s been a staple of what we’ve done over the years,” Huggins said.

The change hasn’t been by accident. It’s something that this young nucleus of players, one that consists of four newcomers in the starting lineup, has completely bought into down the stretch. Each of the players has spent time watching former West Virginia teams and focusing on what led to their success.

“We just got back to what west Virginia does. We got back to doing the things that made us come here in the first place,” freshman guard Jordan McCabe said.

It’s a team that is playing loose at the right time and there doesn’t seem to be any issues with effort or worrying about who is producing. In fact, it’s been a different player or group of players every night rising to the occasion. The most recent example is Emmitt Matthews who scored a career high 28 points after netting only 27 points in his previous three games combined.

“They believe in what we’re doing, they’re incredibly coachable. They believe we can win and it seems like every game somebody different steps up,” Huggins said.

It’s been a season full of twists and turns, more often than not on the negative side of things for Huggins but he has been encouraged by this group of players and it’s played out through two games so far.

Somehow, someway all of the goals this team had before the season are still sitting there for the taking and each of them understand that. Two games to get into the tournament but that second game won’t ever happen if the Mountaineers can’t take care of the first against Kansas.

The Mountaineers have already split with the Jayhawks in the regular season but this will be a tall task. Tipoff for the contest is set for some time after 9 p.m.

Still, this Mountaineers basketball team is making some believers with its performance down the stretch and as long as they’re still playing anything can happen in March.

“I told our guys I think this is one of the hottest teams in college basketball and it wouldn’t surprise me if they won this tournament,” Beard said of the Mountaineers.

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