West Virginia Basketball: 3 takeaways from Mountaineers win over Bellarmine

West Virginia Basketball beats Bellarmine to improve to 3-3. Takeaways from the win and why Kerr Kriisa will have a big impact on the offense soon.

Returning home to the WVU Coliseum, the Mountaineers were able to snap their 2-game losing skid. West Virginia dropped both appearances at the Fort Myers Tip-Off with losses to SMU and Virginia.

WVU defeated Bellarmine 62-58

It wasn’t the prettiest game by any stretch of the imagination, but a win is a win. The 2023-24 version of the Mountaineers should be happy with any win they can get, as this is a shorthanded team coming off of a rollercoaster of an off-season. WVU played 8 guys tonight, 2 of which didn’t record a field goal attempt. It was a tightly contested game throughout, but the Mountaineers earn a 4-point victory in the first of a 4-game home stand.

Notable Performers

Jesse Edwards – 17 points | 14 rebounds | 3 blocks

Quinn Slazinski – 16 points | 5 rebounds | 3 assists

Kobe Johnson – 13 points (11 in 1st half)

Ofri Naveh – 10 points | 6 rebounds | 2-3 3PT

With the victory, WVU improves to 3-3 on the season. Here are three takeaways from the game.

1. The 2023-24 Mountaineers will have more than their fair share of offensive struggles

Through 6 games the Mountaineers point totals are as follows: 67, 65, 70, 58, 54, 62. Scoring 54 against UVA may be something you’d expect. Typically, West Virginia scores more against teams like Monmouth, Bellarmine, Jacksonville State, and Missouri State. Of course, this is not a typical season for the Mountaineers. Against Bellarmine, WVU shot 3-16 (18.8%) from 3-point territory. Two of those makes came from Ofri Naveh, who was shooting 16.7% from 3-point range coming into the game. Several of their rotation players are struggling to make shots, including Josiah Harris, who is hovering around 25% shooting from the field.

2. Kerr Kriisa will help with the offensive struggles

Kerr Kriisa is officially 6 games through his 9-game suspension by the NCAA. There is no doubt that Kriisa’s services will help the Mountaineer offense, but how much? The Arizona transfer averaged nearly 10 points per game and 5 assists last season. WVU has to survive just three more games without Kriisa, who will have a positive impact on this team’s offensive abilities. While the experience that Kobe Johnson has been able to get running the offense is valuable, Kriisa unlocks another level for this team.

3. Seth Wilson is an X factor for this team moving forward

Of Kobe Johnson, Josiah Harris, and Seth Wilson, Wilson had proven himself to be the most capable scorer a season ago. In small sample sizes, Wilson contributed some much needed points in big moments last season. Seth Wilson made a couple big 3-point shots against UVA to give the Mountaineers a chance to win. For the Mountaineers to make any noise in conference play, Wilson will need to make shots consistently. Jesse Edwards, Quinn Slazinksi, and Kerr Kriisa need someone to step up and lighten the load for them on the offensive end.

Upcoming Schedule 

vs St. John’s | Friday, December 1st | 7pm | ESPN 2

vs Pitt | Wednesday, December 6th | 9pm | ESPN 2

vs Drexel | Saturday, December 9th | 4pm | ESPN+