The Mountaineers Offense is Broken
West Virginia has now fell short in six of their last seven games. The newest loss came this past weekend in Morgantown, to Oklahoma 73-62.
Mountaineer fans have had all sorts of anecdotes chronically detailing what has led to this West Virginia losing skid. Unanimously, something has stood out. Perhaps, the issue has been inconsistent shooting, plaguing the Mountaineers all year long. But, how does that make sense when West Virginia started off the season garnering win after win after win?
Well, when diving deeper into the numbers, it becomes obvious. The Mountaineers 2018-2019 campaign was one most fans are desperately trying to forget, but before we forget it, let's revisit. In that 2018 season, the Mountaineers posed an offensive efficiency rating of 0.993, ranking them as one of the worst offenses in the country. Nothing surprising there considering West Virginia went 15-21 and missed the tournament that year.
So, if you thought you wanted to forget last season, think again. The Mountaineers this season have one of the worst offensive efficiency ratings in the country at 0.983, ranking them 181st out of 353 teams in college basketball. Even worse than last years team that won 15 games. In the Mountaineers last three games, they have an efficiency rating of 0.911. In Morgantown, they have a rating of 1.055 but when they go on the road that number drops to 0.907.
The Mountaineers are averaging just 69.9 points per game. A number that ranks them 219th in the country. Not very appealing for a team now fighting for a tournament spot. The offense ranks 207th, but the defense sits comfortably at 8. Giving the Mountaineers credit where credit is due, the defense is the only reason that they have 19 wins. Maybe, the most disturbing stat, West Virginia has two guys averaging double figures, Cuvler (10.3) and Tshiebwe (11.1). Not very threatening to potential tournament foes.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to point out what is wrong with the Mountaineers, but they may need one to find the solution. Bob Huggins is a national treasure in West Virginia and he doesn't need all the blame. However, at this point in time, it may be fair to claim that Huggins is stuck in his ways. It is clear what Huggins values in his recruits. He wants you to be all-in on the defensive end. However, what happens when you forget about the other 50% of the game? You get the current state of the Mountaineers, a confusing, talented and inexperienced team.
At one point the Press Virginia style worked, and maybe it is something that they need to get back to. When you have a team that struggles on the offensive end of the floor, you need to find ways to create more shots.
The Mountaineers offense is broken. It needs fixed. And it needs fixed fast if West Virginia wants to compete in the post-season.
