West Virginia vs. American: College Basketball game preview, TV schedule

SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 23: Head coach Bob Huggins of the West Virginia Mountaineers recats in the first half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament West Regional at SAP Center on March 23, 2017 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

After getting the brakes beat off of them in the second half against an underhanded Texas A&M team, West Virginia has a shot to get back on track against American University.

TV schedule: Wednesday, Nov. 15, 7:00 p.m. ET. Check Local Listings

Arena: WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia

The Mountaineers had a rather disappointing showing on national TV, losing 88-65 to the Aggies. Losing Esa Ahmad may have more of an effect on the team than anyone realized. The two players who stepped up for the opening game were James Bolden, who led the team with points on 5/11 shooting from distance, and senior leader Javon Carter, who had 13 points and seven assists.

The problem was the supporting cast, with Daxter Miles and Teddy Allen shooting a combined 2/13 from the field. Center Sagaba Konate was also quiet, with just four points and six boards. With Ahmad out, these guys, in particular, are going to need to step up or else the bottom could fall out.

Their first chance comes against American, a Patriot League team who went just 8-22 the previous season. In their only game played this season, they were blasted by Kansas State, 83-45. Laurynas Motuzis was literally the only player who contributed in a meaningful way with 17 points. Stretch forward Matt Cimino hit a couple of threes in limited minutes and finished with eight. Outside of them, no one else had more than five points.

In a game like this, expect “press Virginia” to come out in full effect. Last game they forced 18 turnovers, one of the few positives from the game. Against a team much less athletic and unequipped to handle a constant full-court press, the mistakes are going to add up for American.

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Despite what happened on Friday night, West Virginia should still be good but will need to find a third consistent scorer along with Carter and Bolden. If that can happen then the Mountaineers should keep things afloat for Ahmad’s return; if not, then Bob Huggins will have to worry about games where they can’t force turnovers.

Prediction: West Virginia 80 – American 48