West Virginia Basketball: Keys to an upset over Gonzaga in Jimmy V Classic
By Andrew Tineo
West Virginia Basketball has the chance to take out the No. 1 team in the county in Gonzaga in the Jimmy V Classic.
The early college basketball season has been headlined by some of the biggest events, featuring a multitude of Top 25 matchups. Gonzaga has been the most impressive team in all of College Basketball up to this point. They strangled Kansas’s suffocating defense and put up 102 points on the Jayhawks.
They added to their resume, when they blew out Auburn the very next day, 90-67. Many people around the country have pegged the Bulldogs to be the team to beat and after this week, more have stood by that statement. For West Virginia, they have played solid basketball, headlined by an elite frontcourt.
Over the course of November 25th-27th, West Virginia would win three in a row, securing the Bad Boys Mowers Crossover Classic. They defeated South Dakota State, VCU, and Western Kentucky in the championship to claim the trophy. They got to 70 points in each game and we’re very good at rebounding the basketball.
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The Mountaineers haven’t been the most impressive team in College Basketball, but have done their job. West Virginia isn’t built to blow teams. Out of their 21 wins last year, only five of them were by 15 or more points. The less than 15 includes tight games with Akron, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, and Youngstown State. However, this is the same team that beat #2 Ohio State and #1 Baylor.
This team only lost one starter from last year and brings back one of the best frontcourts in the country. They also have depth at guard with All-Big 12 players and a bench that includes a five star in Guard Jordan McCabe.
We take a look at the three keys for a victory and how West Virginia can become legitimate contenders. Not only for the Big 12 but for the National Championship.