Here’s what KU coach Bill Self said about team’s defense in loss to Mountaineers
Former West Virginia men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins climbed the stairs of WVU Coliseum on Saturday night, shaking hands with well-wishers as the Hall of Famer headed from his prime lower-level seat to the parking lot after the Mountaineers’ 91-85 victory over No. 3-ranked Kansas.
Avoiding the court-storming of the student section, Huggins shook hands with some media members as he passed by press row on the venue’s upper level. Perhaps he was contemplating what he’d just witnessed: a rare defensive breakdown by KU.
West Virginia hit nine 3-pointers in 14 attempts during the first half as the teams played to a 51-51 tie.
In Huggins’ 11 games (six wins) versus KU in Morgantown, his Mountaineers scored a series high of 92 points against the Jayhawks in 2014. That’s one more than interim head coach Josh Eilert’s Mountaineers (7-11, 2-3), in his first game against the Jayhawks, put up against KU (15-3, 3-2) on Saturday.
Huggins went 6-5 versus KU teams coached by Bill Self in Morgantown; Eilert is now 1-0. Huggins stepped down as WVU coach last June after a drunk-driving arrest in Pittsburgh.
“I thought they were great,” KU’s Self said of the Mountaineers. “I thought everybody on their team played exceptionally well, especially the first half offensively. They were terrific.”
West Virginia’s RaeQuan Battle hit three 3s and scored 23 points, while Kerr Kriisa hit three 3s and scored 15 points. Seth Wilson knocked down three 3s for nine points as WVU finished 12-of-21 from 3-point range to KU’s 7-of-23.
While Self was complimentary of the Mountaineers, who hit 51.8% of their shots overall to KU’s 53.3%, he had some criticisms of the Jayhawks’ defense.
Here’s a sampling: “Our ball-screen defense was atrocious,” Self said. “We lost the game because we couldn’t guard. We didn’t come as turned up as we need to be.”
Kevin McCullar hit two 3s and scored 24 points, while Hunter Dickinson had 19 points, five rebounds, five assists and four turnovers. Johnny Furphy hit three early 3s and finished with 13 points.
Self, who preaches aggressive man-to-man defense, was asked to describe his feelings at halftime in a 51-51 shootout.
“Two things,” he said. “How can we shoot 62 or 64% (61.3% and 6-of-12 from 3-point range in the first half) and be tied at halftime, and how could they go 9-of-12 (14) from 3 and be tied with us at halftime?
“The first-half defense was pretty optional. Offensively we executed and got what we want. We screwed up at the end of the half (letting WVU beat the buzzer and score). Instead of going in with the lead, it’s tied. It’s my fault. We have to drill those situations better.”
He continued.
“There were not a lot of things to be happy with the first half, except we made shots. At halftime, I told them, ‘We didn’t guard them; they didn’t stop us. The score is 0-0. Let’s start fresh this half.’ That obviously wasn’t very good advice.”
KU’s McCullar, who hit 10 of 14 shots, was displeased over KU’s defensive effort.
“It was definitely a poor defensive game. Our intensity from the jump (was not acceptable),” McCullar said. “You’ve got to get them off the 3-point line. Run ‘em off, do a better job on closeouts and scouting report. We’ve got to clean things up. We have a quick turnaround Monday (game against Cincinnati at Allen Fieldhouse).”
McCullar said he was not surprised by West Virginia’s 12-of-21 three-point marksmanship.
“Coach told us they could shoot the ball really well. We did a poor job guarding the 3-point line,” he said.
Nick Timberlake, who was 2-for-5 beyond the arc and scored 12 points, said: “We’ve got to guard 3s, box out (KU was outrebounded 31-22), take care of the ball. Little things. We need to learn from it, move on. We’ve got a quick turnaround. We’ve got Cincinnati on Monday (a game with an 8 p.m. tipoff).”
Or as Self said: “The league is a monster. We need to get back, get them off their feet, watch tape and have a 30-minute practice (Sunday), hopefully have a good scout, try to get as much rest as we can. Rest is as important as anything else when you get quick turnarounds.”
This story was originally published January 20, 2024 at 7:12 PM.
