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What to watch for when Arizona men’s basketball hosts West Virginia

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What to watch for when Arizona men’s basketball hosts West Virginia


Arizona ended up blowing out Cincinnati on Wednesday night, winning by 26 thanks to a 37-13 run over the final 14 minutes. Before that it was a slugfest, as most of the games have been during Big 12 play and how they all figure to be from here on out.

Throw in the fact the Wildcats are one of three unbeaten teams left in college basketball, not to mention a unanimous No. 1 in the Associated Press poll for the first time in school history, and it can all feel a little stressful being at the top.

Tommy Lloyd acknowledged that after the win over the Bearcats, then tapped into his experience being part of unbeaten teams from his time at Gonzaga.

“I’ve been on a few of these runs before and I think it’s important to know that winning is not a burden,” Lloyd said. “The winning shouldn’t feel heavy.”

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Arizona (19-0, 6-0 Big 12) is two wins away from tying the school record for best start in school history. It can get one step closer on Saturday afternoon when it hosts West Virginia (13-6, 4-2).

Here’s what to watch for when the Wildcats and Mountaineers meet at McKale Center:

Further rotation tightening?

Arizona’s starters played 147 of a possible 200 minutes against Cincinnati, most of any game in Big 12 play and only fewer than at UConn (149) and the season opener against Florida (150). Tobe Awaka had his normal 20 minutes, which isn’t going to change with how Lloyd likes to rotate his frontcourt, but Anthony Dell’Orso only played 14 minutes and Dwayne Aristode 11.

Dell’Orso is mired in the worst slump of his UA tenure, if not his career. He’s missed his last 14 shots, his only points in the past three games coming on a pair of free throws against Cincinnati, and in six Big 12 games he’s averaging 4.5 points with 17 of the 27 coming at TCU.

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Aristode is clearly the 8th man in the rotation, out there more to spell players at the 2, 3 and 4 than anything else, but Dell’Orso was a starter a year ago and Lloyd specifically had him come off the bench this season so he could provide offensive spark. That’s happened at times, like 20 against UCLA, 13 against Alabama and the TCU performance, but if he’s not scoring he doesn’t bring much else to the table.

“Hang with it,” Lloyd said when asked about Dell’Orso. “What you do is really hard. I love Delly. I love how he’s handling this and I have a real strong belief that we’re going to get the best from Delly when we need it. Not that you don’t want it or need it every night, but he is going to deliver. So I’m going to hang with him. I’m not going to change anything.”

Arizona is 27 of 87 from 3-point range in Big 12 play, a 31 percent accuracy that ranks 12th out of 16 teams. The Wildcats hit seven apiece at Utah and TCU but are 10 of 37 from outside in the last three games.

Brayden Burries has been the UA’s most prolific perimeter shooter, both in attempts (83) and makes (29), but as a 59 percent shooter on 2s he isn’t one to hunt shots from outside. Nobody on Arizona is, not like with Caleb Love last season or others in the past, which has resulted in the UA ranking third-to-last in the country in 3-point attempt rate.

So far, the lack of 3-point shooting hasn’t hurt Arizona. But it might at some point, so Lloyd is keeping a close eye on if something needs to change.

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“I’m gonna let it play out,” Lloyd said. “It’s a figure it out as it goes deal, and it’s a game by game deal. I would have to see how a team is going to defend us just to force us to shoot a bunch of threes. When our guys are standing in the gym by themselves, they make threes. So are you not going to guard the whole team? I know isolating that single variable is so easy to do and get fixated on. There’s a lot of components to winning a basketball game.”

Arizona is getting almost 58 percent of its points on 2s, another 20 percent at the line. Against Cincinnati it had 48 points in the paint and went 20 of 28 from the line, and this season has outscored every opponent in the paint and had only six games where the other team took more free throws than it made.

Arizona only had 65 possessions against Cincinnati, per KenPom.com, third-fewest of the season behind the 63 each against UConn and San Diego State. West Virginia’s adjusted tempo for the season is 62.9, eighth-slowest in the country, and the fastest game the Mountaineers have had in Big 12 play was against Kansas when there were 67 possessions apiece.

“They try to get you in a possession game,” Lloyd said.

West Virginia is coached by Ross Hodge, its fourth different head coach in as many seasons. Hodge spent the previous two seasons at North Texas, where he had been promoted from assistant following Grant McCasland’s hiring at Texas Tech.

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Hodge’s North Texas teams were even slower than this West Virginia one, but equally strong on defense. His current squad allows 40.3 percent shooting and 62.1 points per game, though in Big 12 play it’s allowing 70.6 per game.

“Ross is one of these guys who’s been around in the game,” Lloyd said. “He knows how to win basketball games, and his teams always have a real identity on the defensive end of the floor, and then offensively they’re a team that usually has a shooter or two that can knock down multiple threes.”

Leading scorer Honor Huff is shooting 39.5 percent from 3, while North Dakota transfer Treysen Eaglestaff was 6 of 9 from 3 in Wednesday’s win at ASU.



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West Virginia

Lewis leads University rally in 51-48 win over South Charleston – WV MetroNews

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Lewis leads University rally in 51-48 win over South Charleston – WV MetroNews


INSTITUTE, W.Va.  Highlights from University’s 51-48 win over South Charleston in the Country Roads Shootout at West Virginia State University.

University (11-4):

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  • KK Lewis – 15 points
  • Luke Byrer – 11 points

South Charleston (8-8):

  • Malcolm Brown – 23 points
  • Brycen Orcutt – 15 points



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West Virginia Looking to Pluck Elite Four-Star WR Out of Pitt’s Backyard

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West Virginia Looking to Pluck Elite Four-Star WR Out of Pitt’s Backyard


Things will be picking up slowly but surely on the recruiting trail when the calendar turns to March and the dead period is lifted. In the meantime, Rich Rodriguez and his staff are trying to build relationships over the phone and make progress that way.

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On Monday, WVU learned that it had made the cut for class of 2026 wide receiver Javien Robinson (6’2″, 190 lbs) out of McKeesport, Pennsylvania. Others joining the battle for him are a cluster of old Big East foes in Miami (FL), Pitt, Rutgers, and Syracuse. He also holds offers from the likes of Akron, Florida State, Miami (OH), Temple, Toledo, UConn, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin.

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Most recruiting outlets have Robinson rated as a four-star recruit, with ESPN being the only one who has him as a high three-star. Per the folks at On3 Sports, he is the 338th-best player in the country and is ranked 279 by 247 Sports.

The scouting report on Robinson

A smooth operator. Runs crisp routes and flows in and out of his breaks without losing a step. Does a really good job of tracking the ball on downfield throws and uses his big frame to box out defensive backs or make the grab and make something happen after the catch. Probably the most impressive trait is his ability to block. He’s an elite downfield blocker, especially for his age. McKeesport has a very run-heavy offense, so it’s naturally built in that he has to block consistently on the perimeter. Most receivers come to the college level with no idea of how to be an effective blocker, and it eats up a lot of time to teach them the right technique and to do it consistently. Because he will already have that part of his job, combined with his receiving skills, he’ll be able to make a push to see the field relatively early in his career, perhaps in year one as a rotational piece on offense.

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WVU student leaders fight apathy, lecture series to be revived – WV MetroNews

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WVU student leaders fight apathy, lecture series to be revived – WV MetroNews


MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Student government leaders on the campus of West Virginia University are watching two pieces of legislation.

Colin Street

WVU Student Body President Colin Street said he made a commitment to be more legislatively engaged during this session, and the effort is energizing the student body.

Street said Monday on WAJR’s “Talk of the Town” the Student Government Association is encouraging involvement after the development of apathy following the pandemic. Street said to encourage more involvement, the size of student government at WVU has been increased from 40 to 150 members that engage with lawmakers and the campus community.

“It’s that level of inspiration that knows giving students responsibility and civic action to students can really achieve, and it’s that inspiration that will get young leaders to stay in West Virginia and help lead the state,” Street said.

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Senate Bill 675, sponsored by Sen. Mike Oliverio, R-Monongalia, would restore voting rights for students and faculty members to boards of governors statewide and is one of the measures the organization is lobbying in favor of.

SGA State Government Liaison Logan Pierce said the other bill of interest, House Bill 4081, would establish the Higher Education Health and Aid Grant program.

“It would allow institutions across the state of West Virginia to establish food pantries or fund food pantries that already exist,” Pierce said. “We’re also working on Senate Bill 675 that would restore the students’ vote to boards of governors across the state.”

Logan Pierce

Street said the student voice is an important one when it comes to fees, tuition increases, and the overall campus experience.

“Having not just the student voice but an impact with a vote behind that voice allows the university to cultivate an educational experience that’s going to geared toward students and bring more students to Morgantown,” Street said.

WVU SGA works with other assemblies through the Advisory Council of Students to keep the board of governors informed, provide information to the student body about legislative activities, and finally work with lawmakers on policy matters they favor. The task is one Street is working harder to develop.

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“That last one, ACS—the Advisory Council of Students—has faltered in the last couple of years,” Street said. “And it’s what we’ve really tried to emphasize this year in our pursuit of getting the board vote back.”

One attempt to revive civic engagement is the proposed revival of the Hardesty Festival of Ideas that will bring a wide range of speakers to campus to interact with students.

“Our student body vice president, Rozaireo Jones, has been planning the revival of the Hardesty Festival of Ideas, which will start on February 16,” Street said. “We hope to bring alumni and speakers to campus not only to engage with students and the larger Morgantown community.”



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