The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Sports

January 21, 2010

Marshall, WVU both have room to improve

By Dave Morrison

CHARLESTON — There are a couple of schools of thought on West Virginia’s 68-60 win over Marshall Wednesday night in the Chesapeake Energy Capital Classic at the Civic Center Coliseum.

Seems either:

--- Marshall is a lot better than anticipated coming in, despite a sterling 15-2 record and an unbeaten mark (4-0) in Conference USA play, or,

--- West Virginia is over-rated and is a product of last season’s Big East Tournament run and has been severely impeded by massive expectations. As we’ve seen, nearly every coach WVU has played has made a point of calling WVU “an Elite Eight” or “Final-Four-caliber” team. That for a team knocked out of the NCAA Tournament in the first round last year.

Neither would be correct.

Marshall is not a lot better than anticipated. The Herd is what it is.

A very good basketball team.

Just ask WVU’s Da’Sean Butler.

“I’m glad I don’t have to play this team again while I’m here. This is one of the hardest-playing teams we’ve played all year,” he said.

“They’ve got a great coach, a great staff and hard-working players. Everyone on the team is a blue-collar player. They work hard on defense and execute well on offense and knock down open shots. It’s a very good team. If anybody overlooks this team, especially in their conference, that’d be a huge mistake.”

Hassan Whiteside is an excellent player. The freshman had 13 points in the first half on a variety of moves inside. He also made a three and hit all but one of his six free throws.

Is he ready for the NBA, as suggested? West Virginia’s John Flowers, last in the line of John Beilein recruits on the WVU roster, didn’t think so.

He held Whiteside to just five second-half points.

Then there was the curious case of Chris Lutz. The Marshall guard averaged 7.8 points entering the game. He is a shooter and Wednesday night he was one, hitting 5-of-7 shots, including 4-of-6 three pointers. He finished with 16 points.

Marshall’s main problem is it’s not quite as athletic as Big East teams like WVU. It showed on the glass (43-26 WVU, including 16-6 on the offensive glass).

But still, Marshall has a huge shot at winning the CUSA.

As for West Virginia, I can agree that expectations have hindered Bob Huggins’ club more than it’s helped.

But what’s really hindered this team is the fact it can’t buy a basket.

Once again, WVU shot a meager percentage from the floor (38.6 percent), but this time it managed to have enough at the end to pull out the win.

Because WVU made plays at the end.

“They knocked down a lot of big-time shots and got a lot of momentum, then closed it out late,” Whiteside said.

West Virginia has its own curious case. One Devin Ebanks.

Ebanks has seemingly disappeared. He did play 25 minutes — and had a couple of important baskets when Butler was on the bench with four fouls with eight minutes remaining — but had just six points and six rebounds.

West Virginia has to get more than that out of Ebanks, who at one time was considered a potential lottery pick.

West Virginia is solid.

It can be a Top 10 team.

But it needs a shooter or two, or things are going to get worse before they get better.

For those who can wait, I have two words for you: Noah Cottrill.

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