Matt May over at TCP has a breakdown of the game and who we should get to know on the West Virginia team.
#5 WEST VIRGINIA vs. #4 KENTUCKY
NCAA Tournament - Third Round
When: 12:15 p.m.; Saturday, Mar. 19
Where: St. Pete Times Forum; Tampa, Fla.
TV: CBS; Radio: Big Blue Sports Network
Last Meeting: Mar. 25, 2010 - West Virginia 73, Kentucky 66 (NCAA Tournament Elite Eight; Syracuse, N.Y.)
Records: West Virginia (21-11); Kentucky (26-8)
Notes: Kentucky leads the all-time series 13-5, but is 0-1 against West Virginia in the NCAA Tournament?The lone NCAA meeting came last season when the Mountaineers stunned Kentucky 73-66 with a trip to the Final Four on the line?In that game the Cats missed their first 20 three-point attempts in the spacious Carrier Dome while West Virginia uncharacteristically hit 10 in the victory?Six of West Virginia's top contributors this season played in that game a year ago?UK guard Darius Miller missed all six of his shots in that game, while guard DeAndre Liggins scored seven points and had five rebounds?West Virginia's coach is Bob Huggins.
MOUNTAINEERS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Darryl 'Truck' Bryant
Junior, Guard
2010-11 Statistics: 11.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists
Like Da'Sean Butler a year ago, West Virginia goes as Bryant goes this season. The junior is a playmaker whose toughness and resiliency often drives the Mountaineers, even if is statistics don't scream superstar. Butler missed the Elite Eight victory over Kentucky last season with an injury but he surely remembers what Butler did in pushing the Mountaineers past the Cats. Bryant is tied for the team lead in steals (26) and has the most free throw attempts (148) but shoots just 33 percent from the field overall and 31 percent from three-point range.
Casey Mitchell
Senior, Guard
2010-11 Statistics: 13.7 points, 2.9 rebounds
It's rare in college basketball for a team's leading scorer to come off the bench but that's the position West Virginia finds itself in after it moved Mitchell to the role of sixth man. Mitchell did start 17 games for the Mountaineers but seems comfortable in the reserve role. He has connected on 38 percent of his three-pointers (65-of-172) and is a tremendous free throw shooter (86.6 percent).
Kevin Jones
Junior, Forward
2010-11 Statistics: 13.3 points, 7.4 rebounds
Jones is a big, physical forward who can also step out and shoot the basketball, although his numbers from three-point range this season are not near as good as one would expect (29.7 percent). He has been hot lately and made 3-of-4 from deep in the opener against Clemson. Jones played a tremendous game against Kentucky a year ago, hitting 3-of-6 three-pointers on the way to 13 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
John Flowers
Senior, Forward
2010-11 Statistics: 9.4 points, 6.4 rebounds
Flowers is the type of long, athletic frontcourt player that has given Kentucky problems this season, which could come into play should the two teams meet again. Despite weighing just 215 pounds Flowers leads the team by a large margin with 74 blocked shots and has also made 21 three-pointers. Flowers had four points, four rebounds and four assists in last season's game.
Joe Mazzulla
Senior, Guard
2010-11 Statistics: 7.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists
You can bet Kentucky coach John Calipari still has nightmares of Mazzulla running through his head after the little used point guard filled in for an injured Darryl Bryant in last season's game and absolutely killed the Cats. Mazzulla is a pass-first, scrappy floor general that burned the Cats for 17 points a year ago.
No comments:
Post a Comment