Spread: WV -10
Total: 134
Moneyline: Not released at time of issue
Tip off: 7 PM EST
AKRON
Akron was very successful last year. They finished with 23 wins, though they were only 9-7 in the MAC. They lost to Notre Dame 69-56 in the opening round of the NCAA tournament, but their defense was what enabled them to make the Big Dance to begin with. Last year, the Zips only allowed 0.98 points per possession against conference opponents, while scoring a respectable 1.05 themselves.
Nikola Cvetinovic made the All-MAC 2nd team last season but has gotten off to a poor start this season and is only playing 21.3 minutes per game, compared to his 27.7 last year. This is his senior sesson, and we were hoping for strides from a player who averaged 11.7 poitns per game and 6.9 rebounds per game last season. He has been efficient, but his usage is down and he’s only putting up 8.3 points per game, despite shooting only 1% worse from the floor. A huge reason is that he isn’t getting to the line. Cvetinovic will have to play more aggressively for the Zips to be at their best.
Quincy Diggs and Nick Harney have been a little better, but the Zips don’t have any premier players and for that reason it is difficult to imagine them making serious waves in March. Diggs is putting up 11.2 points per game, but a player as talented as Diggs really should get some assists. He looked like he understood that against Duquesne, when he totaled 9 assists, but in every other game this season he has had only 1 assist. He creates shots, but he usually chooses to take them himself rather than share the wealth with Zips teammates.
They aren’t on the same level as in conference opponents VMU and Kent State but if Diggs and Harney can continue to hit well from the floor (Harney, in particular is shooting 57.9% from the floor so far), the Zips could possibly make it to the round of 32 in March. It would be a colossal success and miracle season to make the Sweet 16.
WEST VIRGINIA
The Mountaineers are favored by 10 in this game for a reason. Last year, they finished 21-12 and posted an 11-7 in conference record in one of the toughest conferences in the country in the Big East. They lost to Kentucky in the second round of the NCAA tournament, but only by 8 points and it was an impressive performance from a heavy underdog. Their in conference defense was superb, allowing only 1.01 points per possession last season.
They did a great job of banging the offensive glass last season, as most Bob Huggins’ teams do. They are great at creating their second shot opportunities and don’t settle for bad looks, and when they do, they get it back anyway. They collected 39% of their own shots last season. They did shoot the worst percentage in the entire Big East though, from inside the arc (45%) and beyond it (33%).
Darryl Bryant was a huge reason why, as he shot 32% on threes and a Duhon-like 34% on twos. This season he has improved the overall field goal percentage to 42.5% but is shooting even worse from distance (25.0%). Inefficiencies aside, Bryant is the second best Mountaineer with a 15.3 point per game scoring average. The 6’2″ senior put up 18 in the blowout win over Alcorn State, and as he has went, so have the Mountaineers; against Kent State he shot 4 of 13 from the floor and the Mountaineers lost their only game so far.
Huggins is also a great recruiter. He consistently brings good athletes in to the program which makes building great defensive teams that much easier. Returning Byrant, leading scorer Kevin Jones, Deniz Kilicli, and redshirt freshman Kevin Noreen should make West Virginia an interesting team this season. Those three, along with Jabarie Hinds, a 5’11” freshman waterbug point guard, will form a strong core that could enable the Mountaineers to make a run in March.
It may all end up being about Kevin Jones when it is all said and done. After two very solid seasons of averaging 13+ points per game, he has upped the ante this year and taken more offensive responsibilities on himself. He is averaging 15 shot attempts per game and is hitting 9.3 of them (61.7%) while also ripping down a team high 12.3 rebounds. The 6’8″ senior figures to be drafted in 2012, how high he goes depends on what he does now.
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