25 College Basketball Teams in 25 Days: No. 10 West Virginia Mountaineers
By Chris Stone
West Virginia basketball is about a whole lot more than “Press Virginia”.
Ever since head coach Bob Huggins implemented an up-tempo, full court pressing scheme back in the 2014-15 season, the West Virginia Mountaineers have become a bit of a caricature of themselves, known by the general basketball public almost exclusively for their defensive system.
The “Press Virginia” moniker has taken hold in the mouths of television analysts and on the fronts of t-shirts in Morgantown for good reason. The Mountaineers have won 79 games and made two trips to the Sweet Sixteen in the three seasons since the switch.
Compared to contemporaries, West Virginia simply stands out. The team pressed on 38.2 percent of its possessions in 2016-17, the highest mark in Division I, giving them a unique defensive profile among major conference programs. For perspective, here’s a look at how teams in the top seven college basketball conferences lined up defensively last season. West Virginia’s line is in blue:
The disappointing thing about the Mountaineers is that, like most caricatures, the out sized trait overshadows some of the other great things about the subject. The press wasn’t the only stylistic change Huggins made in 2014-15, for example. West Virginia also started intensely crashing the offensive boards. After posting a 32.4 percent offensive rebound rate in 2013-14, the Mountaineers have topped 37.0 percent in each of the last three seasons, ranking in the top six nationally each year.
Where other teams have chased efficiency by loading up on 3-point shots and eliminating opponents’ easy transition chances, West Virginia has simply chased shot volume via turnovers and offensive boards. As everyone else is trying to open the door to success with a lock pick, the Mountaineers are smashing through it with a battering ram.
In 2016-17, West Virginia averaged 73.8 true shooting attempts (TSA) — a measure of total shots that accounts for free throws — per game. Its opponents managed just 62.5. The Mountaineers TSA differential — the difference between their own TSA and their opponents’ — was the highest in Division I. They finished a full 3.1 attempts clear of eventual national champion North Carolina in the stat, a gap equivalent to the distance between the Tar Heels at No. 2 and Oklahoma State at No. 14. Here’s what that differential looks like in graph form. West Virginia is the furthest bar on the left:
Presumably, the Mountaineers will be looking for more of the same in 2017-18, but they’ll have to do so with a revamped frontcourt. Senior Nathan Adrian graduated in the spring while Elijah Macon opted to turn pro early, which leaves West Virginia thin at the big man spots. Complicating things is the suspension of forward Esa Ahmad, the team’s second leading scorer last season, who will miss the first semester due to academic issues [Note: We’re primarily interested in how good these teams will be come March, hence why West Virginia isn’t being punished in our rankings for Ahmad’s suspension].
A trio of sophomores, including Maciej Bender, Sagaba Konate and Lamont West will likely be asked to hold down the fort until Ahmad returns. Bender, a 6-foot-10 forward from Poland, is the biggest mystery of the group as he featured in just 148 minutes last season. In limited time, he showed himself to be a solid offensive rebounder and rim protector. Konate, meanwhile, has a bit more experience. At 6-foot-8, he doesn’t have the traditional size of an elite shot blocker, but he was exactly that last season due to his long arms and impressive athleticism. Given West Virginia’s press often features one of its two bigs at the top of it, keeping an eye on how Bender and Konate develop will be critical.
West will almost certainly feature as the starting small forward at least until Ahmad returns and at 6-foot-8, he has great size for the position. The sophomore was a slightly below average outside shooter last season at 34.3 percent, but he provides more consistent floor spacing than Ahmad, a low volume 3-point shooter.
Although West Virginia figures to be relatively inexperienced in the frontcourt, a pair of seniors in the backcourt will lead the way. Daxter Miles is an elite off-ball defender with a nose for passing lanes who needs to improve as a 3-point threat with the departure of Tarik Phillip and Jevon Carter is one of the best point guards in the nation. Carter’s overall brilliance is another aspect of the Mountaineers that often gets muddled by the “Press Virginia” caricature.
The 6-foot-2 point guard was the country’s Defensive Player of the Year last season, but he also makes the West Virginia offense hum. Carter improved dramatically as a shooter in 2016-17, hitting 38.9 percent of his 3-point attempts, as he led the team in scoring, assists and steals per game. The senior may not have been picked as the Big 12’s Preseason Player of the Year, but he has a great chance to challenge Kansas point guard Devonte’ Graham for the honor this season.
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As the 2017-18 season nears tip-off, it’s important to remember that college basketball teams aren’t always fully defined by their caricatures. The Mountaineers are more than just “Press Virginia.” They’ve developed into one of the most ferocious offensive rebounding teams in the country, they maximize shot volume compared to their opponents and they feature a dark horse candidate to win National Player of the Year in Carter.
West Virginia last went to the Final Four in 2010. Back then, “Press Virginia” didn’t even exist. Hell, the Mountaineers were still part of the Big East! Now, as a member of the Big 12, they’ve got a chance to get there again, battering ram and all.