WVU Basketball Can’t Afford Another Slow Start vs. Houston

Getting off to a slow start was one of the biggest reasons WVU basketball lost both of its games last week.

West Virginia (13-6, 4-4 Big 12) went down 10-2 to start its game against Arizona State and then began down 19-2 on the road at Kansas State, ultimately losing both contests.

If the Mountaineers are to end their losing skid and topple No. 6 Houston, they cannot afford to have another misstep out of the gates.

“That’s something we’ve talked about this week, the slow starts are tough,” WVU coach Darian DeVries said Tuesday. “When you’re playing a team like Houston, it can be double tough.” 

The Cougars (16-3, 8-0) have not spent a lot of time trailing this season. Their margin of victory on the season is 21.1 points and they’ve won 12 games in a row.

“When they’re playing with a lead, it’s challenging to try and crawl back into the game because of the way they defend and rebound,” DeVries said.

The Mountaineers’ slow starts haven’t been contained to one side of the ball either. Against ASU, WVU made just one of its first 10 shots while the Sun Devils opened 4-9. At KSU it was even worse as the Mountaineers made their first shot then missed their next 11 while the Wildcats made five of their first six.

“We sometimes get frustrated because they’re making shots and we’re not,” said sophomore guard Sincere Harris. “So I think we end up tending to spread away from each other on the defensive side instead of staying packed in and helping each other out.”

As much as WVU would like to get off to a hot start on offense, playing sound defense to slow down Houston is even more important.

“A game in the 80s, we’re probably not winning that one,” DeVries said. “We have to make this a game where every possession is valued more. Possessions are so important, taking care of the ball is so important…Every possession has to be a priority. There’s just not enough of them in the game to overcome it if you don’t.”

Getting off to a fast start isn’t as easy as making one or two changes, because slow starts aren’t caused by one or two simple issues. It’s a delicate balance of execution, aggression and energy.

“You have to do everything you can to minimize mistakes, but you can’t lose your aggression at the same time,” DeVries said. “If you’re playing on your heels because you’re afraid to make mistakes, you’re going to make more. We still have to be aggressive and play to win the game.”

“Just play hard,” was Harris’s solution. “I’m going to do my part, I’m going to bring more energy. I think I was lacking so I’m going to bring that for everyone to feed off.”

Being at home will also help, as Houston makes its first-ever trip to the WVU Coliseum. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. and be broadcast on ESPN+.

For a related story, consecutive losses cost WVU basketball top 25 ranking.