Tony Haynes: A Preparation Challenge for Pack

By Tony Haynes

Raleigh, N.C. – Just a few days removed from its first road game of the year, NC State is about to travel into hostile territory once again with very little time to get ready for an opponent that has become renowned for its unorthodox offensive and defensive systems.

Following Sunday’s 67-62 setback at Virginia, the Wolfpack had virtually no time to dwell on its first defeat of the year, not with West Virginia next up on the schedule. Coach John Beilein’s Mountaineers seem to enjoy making their opponents squirm over game preparation. And by the time the Pack returned to the practice floor on Monday, coach Sidney Lowe and staff were already giving their players a crash course into West Virginia basketball 101, a session that was about as enjoyable as a three-hour calculus exam.

NC State and West Virginia will both carry 5-1 records into their meeting Wednesday night at the Charleston Civic Center.

“West Virginia is different,” said Lowe. “They run that 1-3-1 zone, then they’ll drop that back into a 2-3. Their man-to-man is a switching man-to-man. They really try to take you out of running your offense. We had to work on that [Monday]. One day preparation may not be enough to work on something like that.”

And he didn’t even mention the West Virginia offense, which offers up a potpourri of screens and cuts that are designed to open up backdoor opportunities and openings from the 3-point line.

After ranking second in the nation last season with an average of 10.2 per game, the Mountaineers are at it again, converting on 9.8 threes through six games this year. They average 28 3-point attempts per contest.

“It’s a dangerous team from an offensive standpoint because you don’t know what they’re going to do sometimes,” Lowe said. “It’s passing and cutting, it’s pick-and-roll, and reading the defense. When you can put five guys on the floor that just understand how to play, it’s difficult. They still have shooters and they shoot the ball extremely well.”

Like NC State, West Virginia has a lot of new parts. Gone are the likes of versatile center Kevin Pittsnogle, Mike Gansey, and Patrick Beilein, players who helped the Mountaineers qualify for the ‘Sweet 16’ last season and the ‘Elite Eight’ two years ago.

The current West Virginia squad features only one returning starter (forward Frank Young) and eight freshmen. The leading scorer though six games has been guard Darris Nichols, who averages 12 points per game.

Interestingly, West Virginia hasn’t played a game since losing to Arkansas 71-64 in the championship of the Old Spice Classic in Orlando back on November 26^th.

“We had a gap here where we could have played a game last Saturday, but we elected not to play, figuring we could get six extra days of practice in to make ourselves better,” Beilein said. “We’ve really been spending our time shoring up our weaknesses and enhancing our strengths.”

Defense has certainly been a strength for the Mountaineers thus far. Relying on its aggressive 1-3-1 zone after made baskets, West Virginia is forcing 23 turnovers per game, while holding its opponents to just 50.5 points.

“They believe in it and they play it extremely well,” Lowe said of West Virginia’s defensive style. “Their theory is to force you to do something different, something that you’re not accustomed to doing. You have to be patient in your offense and take what they give you.”

The Wolfpack will be without senior point guard Engin Atsur for the second straight game. Since pulling a hamstring against Michigan more than a week ago, Atsur hasn’t practiced, although Lowe said he did get in some shooting on Monday.

With Atsur still ailing, the Pack will again rely on its ‘iron six’ rotation. Junior Gavin Grant, the team’s leading scorer with an average of 17.5 points per game, logged 40 minutes against Virginia on Sunday. Three others – Brandon Costner, Ben McCauley and Courtney Fells – played 38 minutes.

The all-time series between West Virginia and NC State is dead even at seven games apiece. In the last meeting two years ago in Raleigh, the Mountaineers prevailed, 82-69.

North Carolina State University Athletics

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