Kansas vs. West Virginia: 5 biggest storylines for first 2020-21 showdown

2. Kansas and West Virginia rank in the top 100 in several defensive categories – and top ten in defensive efficiency

Garrett and McBride’s defensive abilities directly correlate with how good Kansas and West Virginia have been defensively in their first eight games.  Both teams, for example, rank in the top ten in adjusted defensive efficiency – Kansas ranks sixth (87.2), while West Virginia comes in at ninth (88.0).

But both also rank among the top 100 in numerous defensive statistical categories.  Both the Jayhawks and Mountaineers, in particular, are ferocious when defending from beyond the arc – Kansas holds teams to 28.7% (64th-best), and West Virginia is even better at 27.2% (40th-best).  The Jayhawks allow opponents to make seven three-pointers a game – and the Mountaineers are even better at 5.8.

West Virginia struggle defending inside the paint – but their 91th-best 46.9% defensive mark on effective field goal percentage, mixed with their outstanding defensive efficiency, is reflected in West Virginia’s points per possession.  They struggle greatly offensively, by way of points per possession – they average just 0.89 per game, but their defensive mark of 0.83 is what has made them so successful.

Kansas’ numbers – aside from beyond the arc – have been even better.  They hold teams to 47.2% inside, 45.6% on effective field goal percentage, and they allow teams to get an offensive rebound on just 23.7% of their attempts.  For context, in seven of their wins, the Jayhawks have held teams to 62 points or lower five times.

Their points per possession numbers do not differ too much from West Virginia’s, however – they average 0.92 on the offensive end while holding teams to 0.81 defensively.  And, while both teams rank in the top 10 in defensive efficiency, they also rank in the top 30 in offensive efficiency – Kansas at 26th with 109.9, and West Virginia ranks 19th with 110.9.

This will be a battle of two teams posting near-identical offensive and defensive outputs.  Both squads struggle when shooting inside, ranking in the 240s – meaning this game could be a slugfest similar to Kansas’s gritty game with Texas Tech.