Backyard Brawl Presents 1st True Test for WVU Basketball

The Backyard Brawl will be a test for WVU basketball on Friday. A passing grade will require a squad that has only played two games together to venture into hostile territory and emerge with a win over their biggest rival.

“We’re going to figure a lot of things out in those 40 minutes on Friday,” WVU coach Darian DeVries said Wednesday. “I think our guys are excited about it. I know they’re ready to play and ready for the challenge.”

Although the Mountaineers have begun the season 2-0, both games were inside the friendly confines of the WVU Coliseum against lower-level competition. 

To go on the road and take on a team from a major conference with NCAA Tournament aspirations presents a challenge unlike West Virginia has seen in the young season. That the game is against the school’s arch-rival cranks the intensity up another level.

“Anytime when you’re going into your first road game against a really good opponent like Pitt, and it’s a rivalry game, you’re going to get really, really tested,” DeVries said. “That’s something you can’t prepare for until you’re in that situation and that environment and you see how your guys respond.”

Pitt has started the season 3-0, with three wins against mid-major opponents. The Panthers are winning by an average of 24.7 points per game, shooting 50% from the floor and averaging over eight three-pointers per game.

“They’re very balanced, that’s what I think I like most about their team,” DeVries said. “They present a lot of problems with different ways they can come at you and challenge your defense.”

Reigning ACC Sixth Man of the Year Ishmael Leggett has flourished in a starting role this season. The senior guard is leading the Panthers in scoring with 19.7 points per game and rebounding with 8.0.

At 6-3, Leggett is tied for the shortest player on the team as Pitt coach Jeff Capel has assembled a towering assortment of players. That could prove problematic for the undersized Mountaineers.

Pitt has five players listed at 6-10 or above. WVU has just one, backup center Eduardo Andre.

The Panthers don’t just pound the ball inside with that size either.

“They like to get out and run and we like to get out and run,” DeVries said. “I certainly anticipate both teams wanting to run. Whether it plays out that way and the defense allows you to do that, we’ll see.”

Pitt won last year’s Brawl, 80-63, in Morgantown to snap a six-game losing streak in the series. 13 points was the Panther’s largest margin of victory since 2003. Friday will be the 191st meeting between the rivals with WVU holding a 101-89 lead in the series that dates back to 1906.

“Pitt is playing extremely well and has got a really good team,” DeVries said. “It should be an exciting game.”

Tipoff from the Peterson Events Center is scheduled for 8 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on the ACCNetwork.

For related stories, DeVries and the Mountaineers are getting ready for their first Backyard Brawl experience.

Also, Mike Asti and Cody Nespor discuss the impact of the Backyard Brawl on both WVU basketball teams.