Keys for West Virginia Basketball to avoiding an upset to Morehead State

1. An overwhelming majority of Morehead State’s production comes from inside

More than anything else, most of the Eagles’ point distribution over the course of the season has come from inside the arc – and that is greatly concerning for a West Virginia team that has struggled to shut teams down in that area.

The Mountaineers have fared fairly well in preventing teams from reaching their average in point distribution when it comes to three-pointers and free-throws, but have been abysmal in locking teams down inside the perimeter, allowing teams to shoot 51.3% (239th) – all the while allowing teams to haul down 31.3% of their missed opportunities, which ranks 286th in the country.

Look no further than West Virginia’s back-to-back losses to Oklahoma State, where the Mountaineers were obliterated in the paint, being outscored by the Cowboys, 94-60.  Subsequently, West Virginia’s defense in guarding Oklahoma State inside the perimeter was woeful, with the Cowboys maintaining a clip of 58.8% – including a 67.4% mark in the regular-season finale, which is the worst two-point percentage allowed by West Virginia since March 2nd, 2019.

That is extremely concerning for a WVU team that is about to take on a Morehead State squad that thrived on inside play through the OVC Tournament.  In the wins over Southeast Missouri State, Eastern Kentucky, and Belmont, the Eagles outscored all three teams in the paint, finishing with a combined margin of 110-78 – and shot 57.1% (24-42) in the title game against Belmont.

West Virginia is among the nation’s worst in preventing teams from scoring inside, with opposing teams receiving 53.5% of their point distribution from two-pointers – while the Eagles see 53.0% of their offense come from that area.  Most of that success stems from Johni Broome, who shoots over 57% from inside and attempts at least 10 two-pointers per game.

The Mountaineers must limit Morehead State’s opportunities inside, and prevent the Eagles from receiving any easy putbacks and/or layups.  If shots are not falling outside for West Virginia, then this game could turn ugly quickly – in favor of Morehead State.