Despite 13 turnovers, the West Virginia Mountaineers managed to come up big against the No. 3 ranked Kansas Jayhawks.
The West Virginia Mountaineers did the unimaginable Saturday night when they beat Kansas. 12,000 faithful fans braved the harsh weather to cheer on their hometown team and made all the difference when the game was tight. Kansas head coach Bill Self is now 5-7 against the Mountaineers in Morgantown while West Virginia interim coach Josh Eilert snagged his first win against Kansas as a head coach.
Takeaway #1: Hunter Dickinson is still very good
While it may not show in the loss, Dickinson is still one of, if not the top big men in the Big 12. His size alone is very intimidating when trying to drive into the paint. He had two blocks, two steals, and five rebounds. Those may not be his best numbers, but he was still a threat.
Many times the West Virginia Mountaineers got congested in the paint while Dickinson stood guard, protecting the bucket. He also did this cleanly, only committing two fouls the entire game.
On offense, his size plays a huge advantage as well. He excels at being able to just catch and shoot above any opponent easily. His 19 points made him the second-leading scorer just below Kevin McCullar who had 24 points.
Dickinson’s moxy and confidence reminds me of an NFL quarterback; he’s not afraid to take risks and that rubs off on his teammates. Although he struggled against the Mountaineers, I predict that he’ll be a force in the NBA in the not-too-distant future.
Takeaway #2: Pat Suemnick continues to blow everyone away
Tonight, Suemnick was able to outplay an All-American who is regarded as one of the best players in the league. Coming from a guy who didn’t see too much of the floor last season, that’s pretty prolific.
“I don’t think about all his accolades. I’m thinking about his weaknesses,” said Suemnick, about Dickinson.
Suemnick also added that coach Eilert told the team pregame that Kansas didn’t even come out for a pregame shoot-around like most teams. He knew they were being overlooked by the Jayhawks and he, along with his teammates, weren’t going to let them get away that easily.
“I’m sitting there like, really, you guys are just looking right over us… They’re overlooking us like this, alright let’s take it from them,” said Suemnick.
Suemnick managed to score 20 points, a career-high, while also snagging 6 rebounds. He also went 4-for-6 from the foul line, which he sometimes struggles to do. I’d say he made a statement, if not to Kansas, then to the entire league on why he shouldn’t be overlooked.
With Jesse Edwards still out (although he did warm up with the team) Suemnick has continued to step into that four-and-five position that the team was lacking.
Takeaway #3: West Virginia dominated their free throws
In the past, West Virginia Mountaineers teams have struggled when it comes to making free throws, especially in crucial situations. Saturday, however, that was certainly not an issue.
They managed to go 21-for-25 from the foul line, many of those coming at the end of the game when it really mattered. In the last 34 seconds of the game, the Mountaineers hit 9-of-10 free throws.
Quinn Slazinski made the first one, missed the second, and was fouled going up with the rebound. He made his next two after that. Kerr Kriisa and Noah Farrakhan both proceeded to make six free throws in a row, sealing the victory with only two seconds left in the game.
Funny enough, the Mountaineers won the game 91-85. If you didn’t do the math, that’s a six-point victory.
It takes a strong player to make those free throws in such a tight game, let alone a game where knocking off the number three team in the nation is at stake. While the few Kansas fans in attendance tried to throw them off, they proceeded to act as if no one was even watching.
Next game for West Virginia: at UCF (Wed., Jan. 23 – 7 p.m.)
Next game for Kansas: vs. Cincinnati (Tues., Jan. 22 – 9 p.m.)