Mountaineers Now Postgame Show: Pitt Wins the Brawl in Morgantown
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00:00 [MUSIC]
00:09 It is the Mountaineers now post game show brought to you by Country Roads,
00:13 air duct cleaning, take me home to comfort.
00:15 I'm Skylar Callie and that is Christopher Hall live from the WVU Coliseum at
00:19 the very top steps.
00:20 West Virginia falling to pit in the backyard ball 80 to 63,
00:25 the 190th edition of the rivalry.
00:28 A look here at the numbers West Virginia once again did not shoot the ball well,
00:32 22 to 53 from the field, three of 20 from beyond three point range.
00:37 Turnovers look to be a problem early on but they only had nine on the day.
00:41 Jesse Edwards, 20 points, nine boards on eight of 11 shooting.
00:45 Quince Lusinski led the Mountaineers in scoring with 22.
00:48 And Chris, I think it all starts here with Blake Henson,
00:53 29 points, nine of 15 from three point range.
00:57 That is a school record and anytime you give up nine three pointers to a single
01:01 person or to a team, let alone a single person, you're gonna have a tough day and
01:05 that's exactly what happened tonight.
01:08 >> Yeah, and I can say a majority of those were, there was a hand in his face.
01:14 Kid was definitely feeling it, it was a career high.
01:17 He just had his program record, nine three pointers,
01:20 obviously it was a career high and points for him as well.
01:24 So kids played phenomenal, when they started hitting early,
01:28 you could see how much Pitt wanted that game, you lose six straight.
01:33 They smelled blood in the water, that's the best game I've watched the last two
01:38 games, I think it's safe to say that's the best game they played all year.
01:42 It kinda is what it is, we've talked about it after every game,
01:47 West Virginia short handed, always felt like the talent was there in the starting
01:52 line, you could see that tonight, they just didn't have the talent.
01:57 Quinn's always put up numbers, so it's Jesse, you've mentioned it a few times,
02:02 they really need that third score.
02:04 Seth is just in a slump to the point where he was go for
02:07 11 last game or something like that.
02:10 And he wasn't released the triggers tonight,
02:14 just kinda didn't take some open looks that he had and
02:18 that's not what you want from him, you need him to keep shooting and he didn't.
02:25 Obviously it doesn't go on Seth, you're asking West Virginia kinda keep up with
02:28 Pitt scoring and they just don't have the talent.
02:31 I'm not sure if Kirk could have helped, Rayquan could have helped, maybe,
02:35 maybe you start putting them, making them feel a little pressure if you start
02:39 making some shots, you could definitely see the pressure in West Virginia when
02:43 Henson kept making threes in the second half.
02:45 So it's that kinda night for West Virginia,
02:49 it's unfortunate it happened against Pitt.
02:51 >> Yeah, and you mentioned Seth Wilson, his shooting slumps,
02:56 it feels like this whole team, but
02:58 one kid that it just seems like he can't buy a shot right now, either is Josiah Harris.
03:03 I mean, he is getting open look after open look, be it from three or mid range, and
03:07 he just can't get nothing, man.
03:09 I mean, he has just been struggling.
03:12 And when those two guys can't get shots to fall,
03:15 you're gonna be going up an uphill battle.
03:18 >> Kinda add to that real quick, Josiah got a little gun shy as well,
03:23 because he keeps missing.
03:24 So, Ofer, he'll shoot.
03:27 >> Yeah, he don't care.
03:28 [LAUGH] >> Gotta love that kid,
03:31 he's definitely gonna be a fan favorite.
03:33 Hopefully if he gets to stick around, he'll definitely be a fan favorite in
03:36 the future.
03:37 >> Yeah, he's an interesting piece because he's so raw, and
03:41 I hate using the term raw, cuz what is raw?
03:45 But you can just- >> Raw at this level.
03:47 >> Not fully developed.
03:48 >> He's a basketball player, he's just raw at this level.
03:50 He's got a lot to learn.
03:52 >> He's just gotta thicken out a little bit, fill his frame.
03:56 And once he gets stronger, I think he's gonna be a dynamic three level scorer.
04:01 But again, it goes back to what we already mentioned, that third score.
04:06 It seems like every night, Jesse Edwards,
04:09 Quince Lozinski, they're gonna get you 18 to 20 points.
04:13 But that's not gonna be enough, you're gonna have to have somebody step up.
04:17 It doesn't have to be the same guy every week, or every week,
04:20 I'm thinking football still.
04:22 It doesn't have to be the same guy every single game,
04:24 it can be a mixture of things.
04:26 Like last year, how it was always one game be Emmett, the next day it would be Trey.
04:30 The next game it would be Keidron Johnson, and
04:32 it was just always somebody different.
04:34 You don't really have that right now.
04:36 It's really Quinn and Jesse just trying to put this team on their back.
04:39 >> Yeah, I mean, that pretty much sums it up there.
04:41 I mean, they just gotta find something from somebody else,
04:46 get this guy's confidence up, which it's hard.
04:48 When now you're sitting at three and five.
04:51 >> Yeah. >> And nothing is falling.
04:52 So Skana, I was kind of exhausted after the game,
04:57 seemed a little mentally frustrated, to say the least.
05:02 >> I'm sure.
05:03 >> He's searching for answers with guys that, some of these guys,
05:07 so this guy wasn't gonna be on this team.
05:11 Had they been able to pick them up, everything that didn't happen, happened.
05:15 He's coming off the bench probably as a second or
05:17 third option at that position.
05:20 So- >> Yeah.
05:21 >> It's, I guess we can kind of end this on a positive note,
05:26 that Akook Akook came back to play.
05:29 Good to see him after him collapsing on the floor in George Mason.
05:33 >> Yeah.
05:34 >> So it was great to see him come out.
05:35 He got a great ovation from the crowd.
05:38 It's just, I think just seven and a half minutes, not surprised at all.
05:44 But yeah, made an immediate impact on the defensive end.
05:47 I think once he gets kind of comfortable, he'll make an impact.
05:51 He can be that third scorer from West Virginia.
05:53 He can shoot from the outside, and he can score on the rim.
05:57 I haven't really seen enough of him driving at the basket, his ball handling.
06:01 But I think when you can get it to him in the paint, he can score, and
06:04 he can set up outside.
06:05 So that's a huge welcome addition.
06:08 And he only got, I think, what is it, one more game without curve.
06:11 So things could start ramping up in a better direction for West Virginia.
06:15 Just unfortunate it couldn't have these guys ready for the big game.
06:19 >> Yeah, I mean, West Virginia's shooting and really,
06:22 their overall offensive efficiency has been well documented in all
06:27 the struggles they've had.
06:27 But honestly, I think you could argue the defensive end is just as big,
06:32 maybe if not bigger, of a concern for this team.
06:35 Because they are just getting crushed off the dribble every single night.
06:41 There's really no rim protection.
06:43 I mean, Jesse, he'll get you two or three blocks a game.
06:46 That's just purely based off his length and his size.
06:49 I don't know that he's really got that knack of being a shot blocker,
06:54 like a Saga Balcanate was or anybody like that.
06:57 But I think he's just because of his length.
07:00 But you really don't have anyone to clean that up on the back end.
07:03 You don't have the physicality underneath to really clean things up either and
07:07 make things tough.
07:08 I think really, to me, the miscommunication and
07:13 the late switches that happen are a big reason why Pitt and
07:18 many others have had so much success on that end of the floor.
07:20 I think defense is a big problem too.
07:23 >> Yeah, and most of that's coming in the second half.
07:26 Pitt only had six points in the paint in the first half.
07:30 And I think some of it is just not trying to get in foul trouble there in
07:33 the second half and some of it's just not having fresh legs.
07:36 So yeah, defense is a concern.
07:38 I'll let him question himself after the game,
07:41 maybe they should switch up zone a little bit in the first half,
07:45 even though it was closed.
07:46 But it's easier to sit there and say that after the game.
07:49 Hindsight is 20/20 maybe, but I just think right now,
07:54 the program got blown up and they just have to kind of write.
07:59 Don't wanna say write this season off quite yet, but it's kind of looking that
08:04 way, we'll just kind of see what happens here in the coming weeks,
08:07 see if he can get Raekwon back.
08:10 It's absurd that he's not playing right now, but it's just kind of a wait and see.
08:15 Can Ukuku get more minutes as the season goes on,
08:19 was helped allow that, what's his team gonna look like with Kerr?
08:23 We really haven't seen it because he just joined the program over the summer.
08:28 We're kind of waiting on how he fits into all this and
08:31 I'm sure there's gonna be some growing pains when he comes on.
08:34 I'm not gonna get it, kind of get every feel everything out with Kobe and
08:38 all this, he's sliding it too.
08:42 When he comes back, they've done that, no under Huggins, the one and
08:46 two would just kind of take turns after the starting five rolled out.
08:51 So, kind of see how that one plays out, but yeah, it really is just that's waiting
08:55 to get the roster back and see where this team is at mentally.
09:00 Probably not looking good for Drexel's out of there,
09:02 he'd already made that prediction.
09:03 But there he went in the Villanova and won, so.
09:07 >> Yeah. >> When you're kind of reeling and
09:09 you just got blown out by your rival at home, I'm sure mentally this team's
09:15 exhausted from everything that they've had to kind of endure here in the last
09:19 couple months.
09:20 >> First win, Chris, first win for Pitt over West Virginia since January 30th of 2012.
09:27 It's been over a decade.
09:28 >> It was law of averages and it took a blown up West Virginia program for
09:33 the wind, they can celebrate it, we can mark it as an asterisk and move on.
09:39 Say get you next year, we'll beat you in football again and
09:42 get you in baseball in the spring and just kind of move on.
09:45 Look, Lady Mountaineers are actually a women's basketball team.
09:49 They're on the feed, just beat Penn State.
09:51 >> Yeah, yeah.
09:52 >> Get them coming up here soon and get that win under the belt as well.
09:57 >> Yeah, it's not going to get any easier.
09:59 You mentioned Drexel, who's been playing well.
10:02 UMass is off to an okay start at four and two.
10:05 Then Radford comes to town, you got Toledo, Ohio State, and
10:09 then you get into Big 12 play.
10:10 Yeah, you start with Houston, by the way.
10:12 [LAUGH] >> Yeah.
10:13 >> No. >> Is it at Houston?
10:15 I can't remember.
10:16 >> Yeah, it's at Houston, their first Big 12 game.
10:18 So it's- >> By then,
10:20 you should have a cute, probably playing, getting a 20 minutes.
10:23 And again, Kurt will have his feet wet within this offense.
10:26 >> It may be Rayquan's eligible by then.
10:29 I'm not gonna hold my breath on it, but- >> We'll see what happens.
10:33 It's gonna be a different team here in the coming weeks.
10:36 >> Yeah.
10:36 It's been tough to endure, for sure.
10:39 It's been really tough to kind of go through this and
10:42 hear the Pitt fans get to have their fun in the Coliseum tonight.
10:45 But it is what it is.
10:49 Just gotta move on and hopefully they can start scratching some wins,
10:52 put the team together and make a run in the Big 12 tournament.
10:55 Maybe sneak into the NCAA tournament late in the season.
10:58 There's a lot of quality wins left on that schedule that they can really turn this
11:03 around and they won't even be thinking about that loss tomorrow.
11:07 So got a long way to go and again, don't wanna write this season off yet, but
11:12 we're getting there.
11:13 >> Yeah, we certainly are.
11:15 Again, Pitt, winners of the 190th edition of the Backyard Brawl, 80 to 63.
11:22 They improved to six and three on the season.
11:24 West Virginia falls to three and five.
11:27 The Mountaineers will be back in action Saturday evening for
11:31 an early tip off sort of early evening, four o'clock.
11:35 That one will be streaming on ESPN Plus and Big 12 Now.
11:39 So we'll have the recap for you for that one between West Virginia and Drexel.
11:44 See if the Mountaineers can get off the schneid.
11:47 They're against the Dragons, a quality team, another one coming to Morgantown,
11:50 another opportunity for West Virginia.
11:52 We'll see what happens on Saturday and that'll do it for us here tonight.
11:56 So for Christopher Hall, I'm Skylar Callin,
11:58 you've been watching the Mountaineers Now post game show.
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12:06 Thank you guys for watching.
12:07 Have a great night.
12:08 >> Free Ray Quan.
12:09 [MUSIC]