WVU is 7-11 and 2-3 in the Big 12. They have also defeated Texas and Kansas. Lost to Houston, Kansas State and Oklahoma.
Their interim head coach Josh Eilert just did a Zoom press conference which is recapped below by Keenan Cummings of WVSports.com:
--West Virginia head coach Josh Eilert said it was a great win on Saturday and it was something they needed to have to get that confidence rolling into a two-game road swing. Eilert thinks they are trending in the right direction and showed some positive things that they are capable of doing. It's a day-by-day situation with Jesse Edwards right now but Eilert thinks they are getting close to having a full roster. It was a good performance offensively and they recorded 19 assists. They need to be that connected on offense to get good looks and they manufactured a lot more uncontested looks than they did in the past. It was a great team effort, but there is a lot to improve on the defensive end.
--Almost any opponent you play has played at least 15 games together and they have developed a lot more chemistry. West Virginia ahs dealt with so many changes to the roster that they haven't really had time to develop that and success was going to be determined by how that was built. Going to Houston for the first league game as challenging and was a set back from a chemistry standpoint, but winning two of the last three can go a long ways for them in terms of their confidence.
--Hopefully bringing Jesse Edwards back into the mix will be a smoother transition. Patrick Suemnick has done an incredible job filling that void at the five especially on the defensive end and has been a key to their success.
--More than anything connected on offense comes down to shot selection and getting uncontested, cleaner looks. They break down a lot of film trying to get those opportunities and have found over the last five of six games they're leaving a lot of uncontested shots at the table because they are forcing things and aren't making the extra pass. Sometimes it's a comfort dribble or not getting the ball out of their hands quick enough which allows the defense to rotate.
--Video is a priority for him from day one with the film breakdown and was a big part when he chose his staff. He wanted his coaching staff to be his own video coordinator because it's such a necessary teaching tool in today's game with the rosters the way they are and how much turnover there is. There needs to be a lot more teaching from a video standpoint and he has made it a priority since he took over.
--UCF was down 16 against Kansas but threw some zone at them and it threw them off. Things started going their direction and they started to see some shots fall and their defensive intensity continued to raise which allowed them to give not only Kansas but Texas problems. Dawkins is primarily a man-to-man coach, but he will throw some zone. They hang their heads on their defense and they have a very physical roster from top to bottom.
--West Virginia will need to rebound the basketball and be quick to the ball yet again or they'll have a hard time beating anybody. It's no coincidence that they out-rebounded both of the teams that they've beaten in the Big 12. They were playing on their heels against Houston and Oklahoma, but they need to turn up the intensity and pretend they have 12,000 fans rooting for them on the road.
--Jesse Edwards practiced before Kansas but he did very limited five-on-five. He was there and active but he was limited and they threw him out there for some contact drills to see where he was. He got uncomfortable trying to guard and they have to be careful that they're not pushing him too fast. Just because a guy is willing to go doesn't mean it's the best decision for him. Today when they travel down to Orlando and they will see where he's at and where his comfort level is.
--RaeQuan Battle has been all smiles since he got basketball back in his life and he has had multiple family members come to see him play. He needs that competitive fire and he needs to fuel that each and every day which is what the game of basketball does for him. He is so happy for him that it worked out in his favor.
--Eilert is crossing his fingers on travel today that they won't have any issues.
--Edwards and Suemnick can play together but they certainly will have options which they didn't have in the beginning. Suemnick has become the best five option outside of Edwards and he can fill those minutes or play the four along with Akok Akok and Quinn Slazinski. Earlier in the season he was worried about navigating foul trouble with Edwards now they can be some aggressive and have more flexibility.
--Suemnick is going to be a critical part of anything they do moving forward. Having that confidence rolling he knows how he can play and it will be in their best interest to give him time on the floor even when Edwards returns.
--It's been a theme for this team that they don't have a road win. Central Florida will be a tough place to play and they need to figure out what they're lacking on the road that they are getting at home.
