By Bob Hertzel
MORGANTOWN — The problem with being the No. 8 ranked team in America, as is West Virginia, is that you are expected to play like it.
That sometimes can be a problem, especially if you have all the outside forces pulling on a team as the Mountaineers do as they prepare to play Long Beach State in the opening game of the 76 Classic in Anaheim today.
Although they won, 69-50, in a tune up against The Citadel in Charleston on Tuesday night, it was anything but a sharp performance, especially when it came to putting the ball in the basket. Part of the reason, however, is that this a team splintered by sundry and various problems.
Point guard Joe Mazzulla is coming off shoulder surgery and has missed a year, still hampered to the point that he the left-hander can’t really shoot with his left hand. Freshman Deniz Kilicli, whom Coach Bob Huggins expects to be the big man inside that they need, is serving a 20-game suspension for playing on a city team in his native Turkey with a player who was being paid.
That he didn’t know the player was being paid or that it was against the rules of the august body that is the NCAA didn’t matter.
And Devin Ebanks, perhaps as bright a star as this team has, is just beginning to work himself back in after missing a the first game for some sort of “personal issue” that is looking more and more like a disciplinary problem or NCAA one. Huggins will not divulge the reason behind his absence.
It’s expected that Ebanks will get back into the swing during this three-game holiday tournament, one which Huggins says involves eight teams heading for the NCAA Tournament in March, but Huggins won’t commit.
“We’ll see; he hasn’t practiced,” Huggins said. “But when he comes back it should be a relief to all concerned.”
Ebanks gives the Mountaineers an important cog in what they try to do. Not only is he an athletic shot blocker who can rebound, bring the ball up court and score, but he is an excellent passer and not having him was an obvious shortcoming against Citadel.
“We tried to run a lot of three-man stuff and got open but missed the man,” said Huggins, trying to explain why his team did not get as many easy shots as it appeared it should have. “Devin is tall enough that he can see over the top and can make those passes.”
Da’Sean Butler, who figures to be the team’s high scorer almost any time he comes on the floor, especially the way they run plays for him, had rough shooting night, hitting only four of 11 for nine points.
Huggins believes his play will pick up now that Mazzulla seems ready to move into the rotation and share time with Truck Bryant at the point.
With Mazzulla out, Bryant often had to do too many things, including run the club from the backcourt, which took away from what might be his greatest asset.
“I think the guy who’s affected most (by Mazzulla’s return) is Da’Sean,’’ Huggins said.”He’s probably our best offensive rebounder and we need that, and we need him to score. Maybe he can do more of that now.’’
Huggins also wants to see his team go hard to the rim more often.
“We need to put more pressure on the rim because we don’t have a big post man and they can play behind our guys,” Huggins said, indicating that problem will be solved when he gets Kilicli in mid-January.
If WVU can beat Long Beach State it will play the winner of the Texas A&M; game on Friday, then be off Saturday. The other teams in the tournament are UCLA, Portland, Minnesota and Butler.
E-mail Bob Hertzel at hotmail.com.
