Photograph offered by BlueGoldNews.com WVU and head coach Mark Kellogg face the winner of Thursday night time's sport between Cincinnati or Central Florida tonight within the Massive 12 Match.
MORGANTOWN — How totally different is event basketball than common season basketball?
Consider it this fashion:
How totally different is it to dine on the Ritz and an area scorching canine stand? How totally different is it to buy at Saks and an area greenback retailer? How totally different is it to trip a Harley and a motorcycle?
You get the purpose.
First-year West Virginia ladies's basketball coach Mark Kellogg opens Massive 12 Match play in Friday's late sport towards an opponent nonetheless unknown at this writing, both Cincinnati or Central Florida, which met late Thursday night time. sport, spent this week attempting to organize his girls for the step they’ll absorb convention event degree play.
True, they'll be taking part in the identical groups they've performed all yr within the Massive 12 common season, however there's a distinction… a giant distinction within the strain, the environment, the depth of the sport, and the reality that there aren’t any ethical victories on this format .
It's lose and go residence, and there are few flights longer than those that take a workforce residence after being eradicated from the convention event.
“It's totally different. There's little doubt about it” Kellogg stated of the event's basketball. “You hold on to each possession. Each possession has a lifetime of its personal, and which may be early and could also be late.”
WVU swept a pair of video games from Cincinnati, 68-53 and 72-43, and likewise took two from Central Florida, 76-59 and 84-43. In the event that they win, they'll play No. 16 within the nation, third-seeded Kansas State within the quarterfinals. The Mountaineers suffered one among their most heartbreaking losses of the season to Kansas State, blowing a late lead and falling, 73-64.
His workforce proved event worthy by ending tied for fourth in convention play and posting a 23-6 document within the common season.
However the ending was not what you want to it to be. The schedule was loaded with 4 nationally ranked groups within the final seven video games, so there was some concern about how good the workforce actually was because it misplaced three in a row earlier than popping out of it to win the ultimate common season by beating TCU with a powerful efficiency.
“I believed we performed TCU the way in which you're alleged to play in March.” Kellogg stated. “We held on to each defensive cease, each offensive turnover … shifting the basketball, sharing. I believed we performed prefer it was March and it was March.
“It was early March and it wasn't a event, however now you're taking part in for championships. That brings a distinct identification.”
All-Massive 12 guard and convention Defensive Participant of the Yr JJ Quinerly is predicted to be cleared to play after struggling a non-structural knee harm within the TCU sport from earlier within the week.
Kellogg spent the primary a part of this week working towards targeted on self-improvement somewhat than towards a selected opponent, however later within the week he targeted on each Cincinnati and Central Florida.
“We ready for each Cincinnati and Central Florida,” he stated. “They're fairly comparable groups, so the sport plan doesn't have to vary an excessive amount of. I've performed each of them twice, however it's been some time now, so it's fairly good.”
The Mountaineers' strain protection, run with a distinct construction than most press groups, was the distinction maker all through the common season as they led the nation in steals and fumble returns.
They misplaced some steam towards the tip, however regained it within the ultimate towards TCU, and Kellogg doesn't suppose there's any motive to suppose it gained't work come event time towards prime competitors.
“I don't suppose I'm actually nervous about it. We had performed Energy 5 groups and crushed Energy 5 groups taking part in like that, in order that was a reasonably good indication. We've been to the NCAAs a couple of instances and performed like that and had alternatives and felt like we should always have gained.
“I seen yesterday that we ended up with the most effective scoring protection within the Massive 12 in convention video games. I believe I acquired Texas by zero.1 after that TCU sport. Enjoying like that, I believe lots of people suppose we're taking part in quick, which implies individuals suppose we're going to surrender loads of factors, however you don't need to do it that approach.”