Mountaineers Now Postgame Show: TCU 93, WVU 81
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00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 - Hello everybody and welcome into
00:11 the Mountaineers Now post game show
00:13 presented by Country Roads.
00:14 Air duct cleaning take me home to comfort.
00:16 I'm Skylar Callin and live from the WVU Coliseum
00:19 way up there at the top is Christopher Hall.
00:23 West Virginia falling on senior night 93 to 81.
00:26 We're gonna dive into our thoughts on this one
00:27 here in a bit, but as we always kick the show off
00:30 here with a look at the numbers.
00:32 Jesse Edwards, an incredible night offensively
00:36 when there was live action.
00:38 He had 36 points and 13 boards.
00:41 However, it was not the best of nights for him
00:43 at the charity stripe.
00:45 It's kind of weird to really talk about this game
00:47 and kind of blame it on Jesse because of the game
00:50 that he had, but those free throws
00:52 really killed West Virginia.
00:54 Rayquan Battle had 13 points,
00:56 was only three of nine from the field,
00:58 had one rebound, one assist.
01:00 Emmanuel Miller had 21 for TCU.
01:04 West Virginia is much more competitive
01:06 on the glass and in the paint in this one.
01:08 27 to 28 was the rebounding,
01:10 48 to 34 in favor of the Mountaineers
01:14 scoring inside a stark contrast
01:17 from what it was in Fort Worth last month.
01:21 But this one was ugly almost from the get go, Chris.
01:24 And I was kind of surprised by this
01:25 because of it being senior night.
01:27 TCU has not won here before.
01:30 It's been a house of fours for them.
01:31 And let's face it, they're kind of scuffling a little bit.
01:34 They've been a hot and cold team all Big 12 play long,
01:37 but I didn't see this coming.
01:39 I really didn't.
01:40 - Yeah, I figured West Virginia played better
01:43 defensively tonight since it'd be senior night.
01:46 I thought they tried to grind up one final win at home,
01:51 but same story, different game.
01:54 Cut me up from the last three games
01:57 and you could have had pretty much the same analysis.
02:00 They just don't play defense.
02:01 I don't understand how sometimes they just get worse,
02:08 but they don't close out.
02:10 They don't know how to play man to man,
02:14 one-on-one isolation defense.
02:16 They don't react.
02:17 That's same story.
02:18 A lot of these kids just haven't had to play defense.
02:21 You look at Ray Kwan where he came from,
02:24 the league that he comes from,
02:25 their third or fourth option isn't very good offensively.
02:28 You don't have to worry about the defense.
02:30 In a league like this, everybody can score.
02:33 I don't even mention post game.
02:35 You don't give them their shots at this level.
02:38 These are division one players at the highest level
02:40 and they're open, they want to make it.
02:42 And DC's not even a good three point shooting team,
02:44 but they were open a lot.
02:46 So if you leave them open
02:49 and they make some of those tough shots,
02:51 just like they did down the stretch,
02:53 those become highlighted because they become back breakers
02:59 because you gave them so many other easy looks.
03:00 Of course, once in a while, they're going to get tough shots.
03:02 So when they get so many easy looks
03:04 and you play the percentages on contested shots
03:08 and they hit ones that are daggers,
03:09 let's just play defense.
03:11 Offensively, they're fine.
03:13 Turnovers are an issue.
03:15 They were an issue again, the first half,
03:16 that's kind of been the theme on the back end of the schedule
03:19 just one half of really poor turnovers.
03:21 And they did it again tonight with nine.
03:23 And some of them are just really bad turnovers
03:25 that lead to open buckets on the other end.
03:28 And they got that a lot the first half
03:30 to really help build that lead.
03:31 But aside from, I think where they started like 7-11
03:34 or something like that from three point range.
03:36 So give them open looks, they're going to make you pay.
03:39 TCU did.
03:41 That's not a very good TCU team.
03:43 And you can make an argument that that's,
03:46 I don't even know if you can make an argument,
03:47 that's probably the worst Jamie Dixon led defense
03:50 he's ever had.
03:51 Like that, they are just really bad defensively.
03:53 - Yeah.
03:54 - But West Virginia is worse.
03:55 (laughing)
03:57 I mean, it's not funny, but it is in a sense
04:00 that they are just so bad defensively.
04:02 It's frustrating to watch because they can put it,
04:05 they can put it in the bucket.
04:06 Jesse, good game for him, don't want to diminish it.
04:09 But since he really did, or since he, that's next.
04:12 TCU doesn't really have a big man.
04:14 So he had, they get,
04:16 it was almost like TCU was just like let Jesse score
04:20 because they weren't even guarding him.
04:21 - And they were going to be,
04:23 they were physical with him too.
04:24 If he wasn't scoring, he was getting sent to the line.
04:26 And that's not, that's a win-win situation.
04:29 - I don't even know what T,
04:30 I don't know what their game plan with Jesse was,
04:33 but they were not around him at all.
04:35 So I don't know if it was just get under him.
04:38 - They had like five alley oops from Curd and Jesse.
04:41 - I don't know what the philosophy was on Jesse Edwards,
04:45 but it was bad.
04:46 Maybe they just don't know how to play defense there,
04:48 which again, weird for a Jamie Dixon team.
04:52 - So the last three games,
04:55 you're talking about the defense
04:56 and I'm an offensive minded person
04:59 in pretty much every sport.
05:01 But you look at the defense,
05:02 they gave up 93 tonight, 81 on Saturday against Texas Tech.
05:06 They gave up 81 in regulation before,
05:10 or in that game against Kansas State on the road.
05:13 And that's coming off of two games
05:15 in which they look like they,
05:16 I don't want to say they started solving
05:18 some of those issues, but they look much better.
05:20 I mean, they only gave up 67 to UCF.
05:23 They gave up 71 to Iowa State.
05:26 I mean, I don't know what happened
05:28 between those two games and these last three,
05:31 that it's just all falling apart for them.
05:34 I mean, to me, I think it's really the physicality.
05:36 And I don't know,
05:38 and TC is not the most physical team out there by any means
05:41 or any stretch of the imagination,
05:42 but it's like this team just gets bullied
05:46 every single night in the paint.
05:48 And it wasn't the case tonight,
05:50 but I just think physicality is something
05:53 this team's got to,
05:53 and it's not so much just in the paint,
05:55 it's just stopping the ball.
05:57 It's just not letting fast breaks kill you
06:01 every single night.
06:01 And I think that's something
06:03 that they have not taken pride in all season.
06:06 - Yeah, transition defense has been bad all year,
06:08 but really it's teams that move the ball really well
06:11 is where they've gotten behind.
06:13 And that's why we've gotten a lot of down-hill looks.
06:15 You do those curls, you do kind of those chase screens,
06:18 and it really gets you from behind.
06:20 And a lot of, some of it's communication,
06:22 some of it's the guy that's kind of guarding the screen
06:26 or guarding the screener,
06:28 needs to come off and just bump him a little bit.
06:30 A lot easier said than done,
06:31 especially the way college basketball
06:33 is called officiated nowadays,
06:36 but you still got to kind of stretch it out
06:38 so your guy can recover, and they're just not good at it.
06:41 It doesn't seem like they understand it.
06:42 And they get all these guys not to play defense.
06:44 Jesse Edward played two, three zone at Syracuse.
06:47 He didn't have to do a lot of that.
06:48 He wasn't out there guarding ball screens.
06:50 So a lot of guys doing things for the first time,
06:52 just never really got the hang of it.
06:54 And then you kind of can start overthinking it
06:56 and it slows you down even more.
06:59 So a lot of times they're just chasing guys.
07:01 That's how a lot of the teams that they play
07:04 are just able to get downhill
07:05 because they're just chasing from behind.
07:06 And it's just, don't want to say fundamentals
07:10 'cause it's not really something that's fundamental,
07:11 but you can just move your feet,
07:13 get your feet under you and keep a good base
07:16 so you don't get that foul call.
07:18 But again, it's a lot easier said than done
07:20 the way that these games are called nowadays.
07:24 A little bump anywhere is a foul and you get called early
07:27 and that gets in your head as well.
07:30 So, you know, a year together where they can communicate,
07:34 where they're, you know, the dozen of things
07:37 that happened, happened with injuries and suspensions,
07:42 everything that kind of went on.
07:44 This team was together this off season, you know, yeah,
07:48 of course all these kids would have about six years,
07:51 well, it's really at that point,
07:52 but the season together where they can understand
07:54 and understand the defense and see the video year together
07:57 would make a huge difference going into year two.
08:00 We always talked about it under Huggins,
08:02 like wait until their second year
08:04 when they kind of figure it out.
08:07 - Right.
08:08 - You kind of see that everywhere nowadays
08:10 where there's so much change.
08:12 Some teams get better as the year goes on,
08:15 some teams just don't because it just never clicks
08:17 for whatever reason.
08:18 So defense is pretty bad everywhere.
08:21 This was a really bad defensive game tonight for both teams
08:24 and officiating was just so bad on both ends of the floor.
08:28 - West Virginia's in the double bonus
08:29 of what, the nine and a half minute mark?
08:31 - It was so bad.
08:32 It wasn't one sided.
08:33 I'm sure one team may have got a better call here and there.
08:38 - The block that Raekwon Battle had.
08:41 - Well, they called a foul on TCU
08:44 when Jesse Edwards went up.
08:45 The kid was straight up, kid, I don't know, probably 5'10,
08:49 didn't even touch him and they called a foul on the kid.
08:52 It was so bad.
08:52 There were just so many bad calls like that
08:54 where it's just like, how do you even call that a foul?
08:57 That doesn't make any sense.
08:58 - And we could have a full episode dedicated
09:02 to how bad- - They really, I mean,
09:04 I urge fans from everywhere, there needs to be a petition.
09:09 Everyone needs to start writing NCA, letters, emails,
09:12 go back to the basic rules
09:14 'cause they are putting these officials
09:16 in some really bad positions.
09:18 The flagrant foul or no effect,
09:19 like we're at a point where if you go to a foul
09:23 to stop a ball, it's flagrant foul.
09:24 Like it's so bad at this point.
09:26 We just needed a running clock at one point in this game
09:30 and they wanted to call a flagrant foul.
09:32 What are you doing?
09:33 That is not a flagrant foul.
09:35 That's just a horrendous call, but it is what it is.
09:38 They got to do something about the rules.
09:40 They just changed the rules where it's so much offense
09:42 that it really is hard to play defense.
09:45 You can watch around the country.
09:46 The teams that are successful
09:48 have extremely good athletes
09:50 and those are the teams that are going to win
09:51 because they're extremely athletic.
09:54 And it really puts the majority of these programs
09:56 around the country in a bind.
09:58 - Yeah, I mean, I know people talk about all the time,
10:01 like bringing Press Virginia back
10:03 and I get, you know, with Huggins not being here,
10:05 really a thing, but there's no way
10:07 you could play that style now.
10:08 You would be in the double bonus with 15 minutes to go.
10:12 - There's no hell for 40 minutes.
10:14 There's no Press Virginia anywhere.
10:15 There's no full court press
10:18 'cause any bump can be called a foul and it's not consistent.
10:22 So yeah, we could go on about it.
10:25 And I have a whole theory,
10:27 if you go back to the Tim Donahy of the NBA referee
10:31 that would cut gambling,
10:32 the biggest line that stuck out to me
10:34 was he was betting on games
10:36 on how the NBA wanted the game officiated that night.
10:40 If you don't think these conferences around the country
10:43 aren't doing the same thing,
10:45 makes sense why it's so inconsistent.
10:47 So it's bad.
10:49 - We have sparked some controversy.
10:52 - It's bad.
10:53 Like watch around college basketball.
10:55 It is really, really bad.
10:57 - So I think offensively for them tonight,
11:00 I mean, they did score 81,
11:02 but there's still a lot of points left out there.
11:05 I think for them,
11:06 like Quincy Leszczynski took multiple contested shots,
11:10 heavily contested.
11:11 He's not the only culprit,
11:12 but it was the same thing.
11:13 Not enough ball movement.
11:14 Rayquan Battle, he's got to start.
11:18 I mean, I know he's here to score the ball.
11:21 I get that, but he's got to swing it.
11:23 He's got to drive and kick it at a time or two
11:25 because he's driving into traffic
11:27 almost every single time,
11:28 forcing up something that has no chance of going in.
11:32 That's something that's got to change
11:33 between now and the Big 12 tournament
11:35 if they want to have any type of success in Kansas City.
11:37 But since it is senior night,
11:40 I do want to get your thoughts on the guys
11:42 that did walk tonight.
11:44 Kirk Creasa, Jesse Edwards,
11:46 Cook Cook, Quincy Leszczynski,
11:49 Pat Sumnick, who was the sixth one?
11:51 I'm trying to remember off the top of my head here.
11:54 But basically the seniors.
11:56 Your thoughts on those guys and their impact,
11:58 even though it was quite a disappointing year
12:00 at 9-21 as of tonight?
12:03 It's weird. We live in a transfer portal world.
12:06 You only get them for a year,
12:07 and you wish you could at least have them one more year,
12:09 especially guys like Kirk that's just so animated on the court.
12:12 He's fun. He does a lot of jawing to the referees,
12:17 a little bit of trash talk here and there,
12:18 trying to get some people in.
12:20 Got it technical tonight by messing around.
12:24 Got it technical on TCU
12:25 by kind of getting them in on that one.
12:27 So Quinn, obviously, another one.
12:31 Love to see Edwards another year,
12:34 but it goes by so fast with these guys.
12:38 I know Quinn's trying to get another year of eligibility,
12:40 whether that's here or somewhere else.
12:43 It's hard to tell because I think he's only, like,
12:44 a game off is what they're contesting
12:47 because he only played seven games last year.
12:49 So I think that he was, like, a game off
12:50 or something from a medical redshirt.
12:52 So I think he's trying.
12:54 Kirk Carissa still has another year of eligibility.
12:56 I don't know what that looks like for him
12:59 as far as financially, whether it's a better friend
13:01 to play overseas or play at the college level,
13:04 depending on who wants to pay for him.
13:07 And Pat Sumnick still has another year of eligibility.
13:09 So just kind of see where those guys decide
13:13 to kind of further their career at.
13:16 Yeah, I just kind of wish you had these guys.
13:18 As far as impact on the program, no idea.
13:20 These guys came together at a time
13:23 when West Virginia was reeling,
13:24 obviously with Hogan's resignation.
13:28 And they chose West Virginia, and they've stuck through.
13:30 They have played hard throughout the season.
13:32 Yeah, hats off to them for that.
13:34 Yeah, hats off to them.
13:35 I mean, this --
13:36 Edwards, after the game, said he learned more.
13:39 He learned more here, of course, with everything that happened.
13:43 He learned more here about just all aspects of the game.
13:46 And he said, despite the record,
13:49 this was the best year he's ever had,
13:51 best fun he's ever had.
13:53 West Virginia tends to have that effect on people.
13:55 Eric Stevens still comes to games here as well.
13:59 Looks like he's going to play for West Virginia.
14:02 So these guys come in, they fall in love with it.
14:04 You just wish they could get the message.
14:07 A lot of these guys, you wish they got the message
14:08 in high school.
14:10 Obviously, they had to get a look from West Virginia as well.
14:12 But wish they could have been here a little earlier.
14:15 Yeah, I mean, I get it.
14:17 It's been a rough season, getting 9-21,
14:19 like 4-13, I think, now in conference play.
14:23 But, I mean, if you think about last summer,
14:26 Jesse Edwards, Kirk Creaser,
14:27 those guys, when that portal opened back up for that 30 days,
14:32 if they don't commit to staying here,
14:34 I mean, this thing could have been a whole hell of a lot
14:36 worse than it already is.
14:37 So hats off to those guys for sticking through it
14:41 and not giving up and not causing any friction.
14:44 I mean, this -- there could have been a lot of frustration,
14:47 and they could have kind of turned on each other.
14:49 That hasn't been the case.
14:50 They have stuck together all the way.
14:52 And, you know, who knows what we'll see in the future.
14:54 But hats off to those guys for sure.
14:57 And, yeah, I mean, it sucks.
14:59 It's a different era of college basketball
15:01 where you're not going to get the --
15:03 you may have it here and there,
15:05 but it's going to be rare when you get two guys
15:07 that come in as freshmen, like Javon Carter
15:09 and Daxter Miles did, and build a legacy for four years.
15:13 That's why Harris may be on as well.
15:16 He might be.
15:18 Beth Wilson, Pat Sumnick, V6 around.
15:20 Yeah. There's still guys.
15:22 Josiah Harris will have 10 degrees
15:23 by the time he's done, too.
15:24 Probably. Probably.
15:27 Funny thing is, before he -- before the ruling came,
15:32 they can transfer any --
15:33 every year now or whatever it is.
15:36 Because he graduated this December,
15:38 he could have actually transferred
15:42 after his freshman season,
15:44 and then after he graduated,
15:46 he could have transferred the next three years.
15:48 So he could have legitimately played
15:50 for a different team every year.
15:54 It's insane. I don't know how he does it.
15:57 '93, '81, West Virginia falls on senior night to TCU,
16:02 and we will be back here on Saturday
16:05 to recap West Virginia and Cincinnati for the final.
16:08 So we can just go ahead and do that now.
16:10 Yeah. Or just -- maybe we can switch the graphics.
16:13 They have one on the road, and they can't play defense.
16:17 So I'm going to go out on a limb here
16:20 and say that's the postgame now.
16:22 Play the points for Cincinnati.
16:25 Postgame show is they didn't play defense.
16:28 So probably going to turn it over a lot, too.
16:31 Probably so.
16:32 So, again, '93 to '81, your score tonight.
16:35 Again, we'll be back here Saturday.
16:37 Make sure you hit the subscribe button on YouTube.
16:38 I'm out of here now.
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16:45 For Christopher Hall, I'm Scott Calahan.
16:47 You've been watching the Mountaineers Now Postgame Show,
16:49 presented by Country Roads Air Duct Clean.
16:52 ♪♪