West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

[Columbuseer]

Fyi. Good article on wlu stats and preview of dominican and angelo state games.
West is #2 nationally in assist to turnover ratio at 5.0
Spadafora is #5 in steals per game at 3.22

https://hilltoppersports.com/news/20...ine-state.aspx

[boatcapt]

WLU down bi 19 at the half to Dominican. Shot sub 30% from 3 in the first half.

We'll need a MONSTER comeback to pull this one out.

[Scrub]

Ouch. That's the worst I've seen them play in a LONG time. The amount of times they simply dribbled the ball of their own feet today was unreal--just a microcosm for how out of synch they were all day. This is a team that looked like it already has one foot in the Winter Break. Too bad they have a ranked opponent waiting for them tomorrow. Better figure it out real quick.

The only good news is this: They went 1-1 in the holiday shootout last year. Put up a poor performance against Lubbock who made them pay. Rebounded well the following day. Maybe the same will hold true this year. And if this year's team mirrors last year's team in terms of how far they go, I'll be all right with that.

But they need to get back in synch in a hurry. It was easy to see that they've been off for over a week.

[boatcapt]

Yep...WLU loses 112-101. Tomorrow's game vs Angelo State is a must win if we entertain ANY hope of hosting the NCAA Regional tourney.

So tired of taking body blows inside. Of course, this game included one team that was taking and making 3's with reckless abandon. Hard to win when you can't stop them inside OR outside! Hey, at least we might have beat them on FG Efficiency...Yea... Probably not!!

[boatcapt]

Ouch. That's the worst I've seen them play in a LONG time. The amount of times they simply dribbled the ball of their own feet today was unreal--just a microcosm for how out of synch they were all day. This is a team that looked like it already has one foot in the Winter Break. Too bad they have a ranked opponent waiting for them tomorrow. Better figure it out real quick.

The only good news is this: They went 1-1 in the holiday shootout last year. Put up a poor performance against Lubbock who made them pay. Rebounded well the following day. Maybe the same will hold true this year. And if this year's team mirrors last year's team in terms of how far they go, I'll be all right with that.

But they need to get back in synch in a hurry. It was easy to see that they've been off for over a week.

Frustrating that WLU does this almost every year recently. Start out on fire doing what wins games easily in this system. Then as if someone hits a switch, the entire team starts playing AAU ball. I could see if it was one or even two players, but it seems to be every player from the top of the roster to the bottom all at once.

Like I said, tomorrow is a must win if we have any illusions of hosting Regionals.

[Ship69]

Frustrating that WLU does this almost every year recently. Start out on fire doing what wins games easily in this system. Then as if someone hits a switch, the entire team starts playing AAU ball. I could see if it was one or even two players, but it seems to be every player from the top of the roster to the bottom all at once.

Like I said, tomorrow is a must win if we have any illusions of hosting Regionals.

You're not the only team that does this nowadays. A couple of years ago I watched a generally good-shooting Shippensburg team that averaged about 35 percent from the three-point line go 4-for-34 from three-point range in a game. They also missed about half their free throws and lost in OT. Some nights it just isn't there, especially in the era of the three-pointer, which can both giveth and taketh away.

[boatcapt]

You're not the only team that does this nowadays. A couple of years ago I watched a generally good-shooting Shippensburg team that averaged about 35 percent from the three-point line go 4-for-34 from three-point range in a game. They also missed about half their free throws and lost in OT. Some nights it just isn't there, especially in the era of the three-pointer, which can both giveth and taketh away.

Every team is susseptable to an off night now and then. Sometimes teams tough through and sometimes it costs them. But for WLU, this seems to be a yearly occurrence and more than a cold shooting night. It's as if the team collectively decides they are going to forget what the coaches want and do it "their" way. They win a couple just because, but when faced with good teams, they lose. Then the team comes dragging their tails back to the coach and plays the way they should be playing and all is well again.

[Columbuseer]

Dominican had an excellent game plan. On season they had averaged over 40% from three as a team.
They hit 58% from three 11-19
they won turnovers 16 vs 21 for wlu. Wlu had 16 in first half!
they won offensive rebounds 20 to 13
They won fast break pts 13 to 4
they had 10 more FGA.
They smothered Zach rasile, limiting good looks.

Turnover and off rebounding advantage are typically in wlu's favor and are keys to victory for wlu. Not today.
We had so many unforced turnovers on forced passes, etc.

imho, this is first game where we missed bryce butler, who would carry us thru these abnormal games.

[boatcapt]

More importantly, how did this game effect our season long effective FG % and how do we rank in national statistical categories??

I kid...I KID!!!! : 🤣

[Topper_Hopper]

Columbuseer, I did not watch the game (behind a paywall). Was Dominican's 3P% a product of finding easy shots after breaking the press? Or, were they getting looks in half-court sets? (Or both?)

[Columbuseer]

Columbuseer, I did not watch the game (behind a paywall). Was Dominican's 3P% a product of finding easy shots after breaking the press? Or, were they getting looks in half-court sets? (Or both?)

Mostly, but not exclusively, in half court sets. Their offense is 5 out. Spread the floor, use dribble drive and when help defense comes, kick out for open three. Wlu had trouble staying in front of them on defense, resulting in others having to leave their man to help. Gave them open looks.

After breaking the press, which they did effectively, they generally attacked the rim. Everyone was a great finisher after contact.
Think of more talented wvsu players with more discipline. They had several players averaging well over 40% from three for season.

they had quick hands, delecting many interior passes. Seemed like they focused on extreme defensive pressure on rasile and montague to make other players beat them. The 16 turnovers put wlu in a big hole in 1st half.

[boatcapt]

Sounds like they broke the zone with a plan. It's one thing to break the zone and then drive headlong to the bucket...quite another to stop and pop from 3. One of the overlooked parts of WLUs full court press is their willingness to trade 2 for 3. Perfect world, WLU gets a steal off of the press...second acceptable world is giving up a 2 pt layup and running it back down off the inbound and draining an open 3...I've seen WLU use this 3 for 2 tactic to build a small lead to double digits in short order. After four or five possessions the look on the opponents face says we MADE five straight layups and we are DOWN more than we were??? But if you have an opponent who is smart and capable of draining open 3's, they can take advantage of our press and build their own lead... particularly when we are shooting 3s at sub-30%.

[Scrub]

Ugh. In a hole again.

[Topper_Hopper]

I am just following the live stat feed, but Angelo State shot 10-13 from beyond the arc in the first half.

[boatcapt]

Explained to me how a WLU team scores ZERO points for the last 4:30 of ANY half??

This team has some serious work to do over the Christmas break. And our only fix seems to be, shoot better, get more steals.and hope our opponents can't hit 3's or that they don't have a dominant athletic big.