West Virginia Basketball: Keys to an upset over Gonzaga in Jimmy V Classic

Excellent shooting from beyond the arc.

This Gonzaga proved that they can score and in bunches as well. The trio of Timme, Kispert, and Suggs is going to shoot the ball at an abnormal rate, alongside Florida transfer Andrew Nembhard. The Mountaineers have to counter this, by shooting the ball well. Over the course of the first week, West Virginia did not do that well, shooting just 31 percent from beyond the arc.

That stat ranks 140th in the country. Fortunately for West Virginia, the Zags have not been great at defending the perimeter. Throughout the first five days of the season, Gonzaga has given up almost 36 percent from that part of the floor.

The West Virginia backcourt has a mixture of youth and experience with McBride and McCabe being on campus for their second season. Guys like Sean McNeil and Taz Sherman are getting bigger roles this year and are needed to step up.

Sherman has been the bright spot, shooting 63 percent from beyond the arc, but no one else on the team has been a legit threat. That has to change in order for West Virginia to pull off the massive upset.

Bob Huggins has had his fair share of big wins over the past few years, including beating Kansas and taking down Baylor twice, when ranked in the top five. Huggins plays his own kind of style with elite perimeter defense and this year, a loaded frontcourt.

The Mountaineers are going to have to make some big-time stops and shots to win. The game will start at 7 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN.