West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Top scoring offenses in D2; through games Wednesday, December 04, 2024:

1 Coker 117.2
2 Nova Southeastern 108.6
3 Bluefield St. 103.8
4 Mount Olive 103.4
5 Lake Erie 101.6
6 Tampa 98.7
7 Chaminade 98.5
8 Valdosta St. 97.5
9 West Liberty 97.3
10 Gannon 97.0

Go a bit further and you will find USCB (coached by former IUP assistant Ron Fudala and assisted by former WL player Luke Dyer).

They are now 8-1 and very legit. They are running a similar system (I don't know all the nuances). But, it's basically the same thing. They will be an NCAA team.

[TopperNation]

U. G. L. Y.

This team can't shoot. The number of outright airballs and bricks last night was really disconcerting. It's not even that they're not running the system or the ball is sticking. They're moving the ball, getting open looks, and then bricking the open look. And you can see it effecting their confidence too. There was one moment in particular from last night where the ball whipped around the perimeter--all 5 guys touched it on that possession . . . and they never got a shot up. They didn't appear to be whipping the ball around to work for a better shot. Three dudes had wide open looks on that possession and none of the wanted to pull the trigger. They're getting gun shy and that doesn't work in a WLU system.

And you know the stronger teams in the MEC are well prepared to take advantage of a WLU team that can't shoot.

You beat me to it, as this has got to be the worst 3 point shooting team WL has had in the last 15 or so years (27%)! They simply can't shoot the ball and it's time to worry, because this is beyond having off nights. I'm not sure what can be done, but Harper feels like the only reliable shooter (44%) at this point, and that's not really his game. If I was game planning against WL, I would simply play zone or a box and 1 on Harper and force someone else to make a 3 pointer on a regular bases.

Not sure how we got to this point, but man these guys can't shoot!

[Columbuseer]

You beat me to it, as this has got to be the worst 3 point shooting team WL has had in the last 15 or so years (27%)! They simply can't shoot the ball and it's time to worry, because this is beyond having off nights. I'm not sure what can be done, but Harper feels like the only reliable shooter (44%) at this point, and that's not really his game. If I was game planning against WL, I would simply play zone or a box and 1 on Harper and force someone else to make a 3 pointer on a regular bases.

Not sure how we got to this point, but man these guys can't shoot!

Wish I could figure out the reason for the variability in 3 pt shooting. Could make $$$$ as a shooting consultant.
player. 2023-24. 2024-25
spadafora. 44% 20%
Woodward. 0% 57%
clanet. 35% 18%
Autry. 22-23 38% 26%
harper. 29% 44%
D'augustino. 17% 25%

[boatcapt]

You beat me to it, as this has got to be the worst 3 point shooting team WL has had in the last 15 or so years (27%)! They simply can't shoot the ball and it's time to worry, because this is beyond having off nights. I'm not sure what can be done, but Harper feels like the only reliable shooter (44%) at this point, and that's not really his game. If I was game planning against WL, I would simply play zone or a box and 1 on Harper and force someone else to make a 3 pointer on a regular bases.

Not sure how we got to this point, but man these guys can't shoot!

We are fast approaching a point were I would rather trade half of their 35 three point tries were we make 27% for two point shots were we are making 50%+. Crank up the half court D with our superior athletes to limit their two point shots and hope we can burry them in a blizzard of dribble-drives, short jumpers and putbacks.

Probably going to be pretty ugly (by WLU standards) but it's clear that this team ain't going to win by the three. In the words of Deadpool - MAXIMUM EFFORT!!

[Columbuseer]

Hopeful that wlu has broken out of their 3 pt shooting slump against d&e.
offensive rating of 133 in game, which is much better than average of 125 of past great wlu teams.
imho they still have much room to grow.


player.. D&E 3s. D&E% 2023-24. 2024-25
spadafora. 5-6. 83% 44% 20%
Tinsley. 5-6. 83%
Dragas. 2-3 67%.
Autry. 3-5. 60% yr22-23 38% 26%
D'augustino. 1-2 50% 17% 25%
harper. 1-3. 33% 29% 44%
shull. 1-6. 17%
Woodward. 0-0. 0% 0% 57%
clanet. 0-3. 0% 35% 18%
Shuler. 0-0. 0%

[Scrub]

Hopeful that wlu has broken out of their 3 pt shooting slump against d&e.
offensive rating of 133 in game, which is much better than average of 125 of past great wlu teams.
imho they still have much room to grow.


player.. D&E 3s. D&E% 2023-24. 2024-25
spadafora. 5-6. 83% 44% 20%
Tinsley. 5-6. 83%
Dragas. 2-3 67%.
Autry. 3-5. 60% yr22-23 38% 26%
D'augustino. 1-2 50% 17% 25%
harper. 1-3. 33% 29% 44%
shull. 1-6. 17%
Woodward. 0-0. 0% 0% 57%
clanet. 0-3. 0% 35% 18%
Shuler. 0-0. 0%

The second half last night was finally vintage WLU basketball. I, too, hope it's a sign of what's to come. Won't be much time to bask in the glow of a good performance, though--Charleston comes to town on Wednesday.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

The second half last night was finally vintage WLU basketball. I, too, hope it's a sign of what's to come. Won't be much time to bask in the glow of a good performance, though--Charleston comes to town on Wednesday.

Charleston is 5-5. Joe's freshmen nearly beat them. I wouldn't worry too much.

[Scrub]

Charleston is 5-5. Joe's freshmen nearly beat them. I wouldn't worry too much.

Ah, but it's one of those "throw out the records" kind of rivalry games. I expect a war regardless of how their season is going so far. And that's true when WLU plays UC, WVSU, & Fairmont. Doesn't matter how good they are; they want to beat WLU and they know how to beat WLU.

I imagine it's a bit like the year (was it last year or the year before?) when a weakened IUP team either beat or barely lost to (there were some late heroics or even OT) a seemingly stronger Mercyhurst team. Can't remember the scenario exactly (I know I tuned in to some of it, but I can't remember the full context), but the records suggested Hurst would walk in that game, but IUP was up for the challenge, diminished or not.

That's the kind of game I expect on Wednesday and again on Saturday when the Toppers head down to Institute, WV. Tough 2-game stretch here. Records be damned.

[boatcapt]

Well, a win is a win, but boy they make it TOUGH on themselves. WLU comes "ROARING" back from scoring TWENTY SEVEN (not a typo) first half points to claim a 76-70 win over Charleston. All the previous woes have returned. Still, 9-0 is better than the alternatives. But make no mistake, WLU is on a razor wire of success were we are relying on individual great plays at critical moments and bad plays by our opponents at equally critical points in our games to power our wins. WLU has been 9-0 in the past but this 9-0 seems paper thin. Up next is an always tough WV State team at their house THEN tough games in LV against #10 Colorado Mines and against 6-0 Missouri S&T.

[Scrub]

Well, a win is a win, but boy they make it TOUGH on themselves. WLU comes "ROARING" back from scoring TWENTY SEVEN (not a typo) first half points to claim a 76-70 win over Charleston. All the previous woes have returned. Still, 9-0 is better than the alternatives. But make no mistake, WLU is on a razor wire of success were we are relying on individual great plays at critical moments and bad plays by our opponents at equally critical points in our games to power our wins. WLU has been 9-0 in the past but this 9-0 seems paper thin. Up next is an always tough WV State team at their house THEN tough games in LV against #10 Colorado Mines and against 6-0 Missouri S&T.

Yup. A win against Charleston is always a good win. But this current edition of the Hilltoppers is right at the precipice of something. Either a) breaking out and become really good or b) the wheels coming completely off. It wouldn't be a shock if they go into the break at 12-0 or at 9-3. Both are entirely plausible. The one solace is that no one can take those 9 wins away (regardless of how they were acquired).

[boatcapt]

Yup. A win against Charleston is always a good win. But this current edition of the Hilltoppers is right at the precipice of something. Either a) breaking out and become really good or b) the wheels coming completely off. It wouldn't be a shock if they go into the break at 12-0 or at 9-3. Both are entirely plausible. The one solace is that no one can take those 9 wins away (regardless of how they were acquired).

I could see 12-0 or 9-3 as very real possibilities. They just don't seem to be improving as the season is going by. Except for Harper, none of the new players seem to be living up to their advanced billing. There is a lot we seem to be lacking, but one of the major things is the ability to explode. Be that in the form of 'black outs,' 3 pointer-steal-3 pointer-steal-3 pointer variety or just a dagger 3 after five lightning quick pinpoint passes at a critical moment, we just seem to lack the ability to explode like we have in the past. We seem to be more plodding than in the past...we sort of build our lead over the course of a game...at the end of the game you look up and see we won by 10 points but you can't remember any point were the other team seemed outmatched or were we were simply superior...After 1/4 of the game we are up by 2...at the half up by 5...after 3/4 up by 8 and then win by 10.

You are right, we are stacking wins early which will pay dividends come playoff selection time. As the saying goes, you can't win a championship early in the season but you can lose it so as concerned as we are, we are taking care of business. 9-0 at least gives us somthing to build on if we do catch fire.

[Scrub]

I could see 12-0 or 9-3 as very real possibilities. They just don't seem to be improving as the season is going by. Except for Harper, none of the new players seem to be living up to their advanced billing. There is a lot we seem to be lacking, but one of the major things is the ability to explode. Be that in the form of 'black outs,' 3 pointer-steal-3 pointer-steal-3 pointer variety or just a dagger 3 after five lightning quick pinpoint passes at a critical moment, we just seem to lack the ability to explode like we have in the past. We seem to be more plodding than in the past...we sort of build our lead over the course of a game...at the end of the game you look up and see we won by 10 points but you can't remember any point were the other team seemed outmatched or were we were simply superior...After 1/4 of the game we are up by 2...at the half up by 5...after 3/4 up by 8 and then win by 10.

You are right, we are stacking wins early which will pay dividends come playoff selection time. As the saying goes, you can't win a championship early in the season but you can lose it so as concerned as we are, we are taking care of business. 9-0 at least gives us somthing to build on if we do catch fire.

I would say: aside from Harper, the other newcomer who is actually impressing so far is Tinsley. His shooting has gotten more consistent the last few games. His length is a real problem for opposing guards on the perimeter. And he seemed to be the only one that could keep Charleston's bigs off the boards last night in a tough rebounding night. I like what I see from Tinsley so far.

(Which--unfortunately in the current climate--means it's precisely the time to start worrying about whether he'll still be here after March or whether he's merely putting down some tape he can send to the coaches at College of Charleston [facepalm])

[Columbuseer]

FYI

A Dummy’s Observations on WLU at Univ. Charleston 12/11/24

Charleston (UC) Game Plan
UC is in transition, with a new coach for this season. They are a blend of experienced seniors, D1 transfers, and
promising freshmen. They are elite shooters, making over 40% of their 3-point shots. Add in a 7-0 D1 center and
they are a dangerous team. Their record is misleading, for they have played a difficult schedule against 4 top 15
teams.
The UC strategy seemed to be:
• PASSED – Play deliberately in the half court to slow the pace of the game.
• PASSED – Win the rebounding battle. UC outrebounded WLU 49 to 40, although WLU rebounded much better
in the second half.
• PASSED – Take advantage of the 7-0 center Loveday to alter shots on defense and attack the rim on offense.
• PASSED – Keep WLU off the offensive glass. WLU got a mediocre 21% of potential offensive rebounds.
• FAILED – Take care of the ball and avoid getting sped up in their game. UC had 19 turnovers, which led to 20
WLU points.
• FAILED – Shoot at their average from three, when WLU collapses on the big center inside. UC only shot 7-26,
or 27%, far below their average of 40%. WLU shot better in 2nd half, finishing at 33% from three.
• FAILED– Try to get Harper and Woodward in foul trouble in increase the UC inside height advantage.
However, WLU did not take the bait, wisely avoiding fouls on inside shots, even at the risk of UC scoring.

Keys to the WLU 76-70 victory
WLU shooting was subpar overall at 9-27 (33%) from three, and only 68% on FT. WLU’s offensive rating was worst of the season at 98 (0.98 points per possession) compared to 90 for UC.

WLU showed that they have the versatility to win even when the opponent:
• Shoots better % FG %, Effective FG% and True Shooting %.
• Outrebounds WLU
• Has a significant height advantage inside, which altered many WLU shots.

IMHO, for most traditional basketball teams, this performance would result in a loss.

WLU offset these deficiencies by:
• Creating fatigue and turnovers due to lack of depth by UC, leading to 16 fast-break points. Starting at about 11
minutes left in the game, WLU outscored UC 20-4 in the span of 6 minutes, essentially putting the game away.
The half court defense is impressive, which is keeping WLU in games that most teams would lose. WLU held
UC to an offensive rating of 90. WLU was not much better at 98, somewhat due to careless turnovers in the
last 2 minutes of the game.
• Although 7-0 Loveday altered shots and scored 17 points, he could only play about 3 minutes at a time, before
he had to leave the game for 3 or 4 minutes to rest. The WLU pace took its toll on him.
• Tremendous effort and pressure on UC, forcing 19 UC turnovers, of which 13 were steals, resulting in 19
points from turnovers, compared to 9 for UC.
• Given that WLU is strong defensively, when they are not shooting well, it is important to avoid shooting fouls,
which leads to easy opponent points. WLU was very smart, as UC only shot 5-10 free throws.
• Limiting UC to 11 fast break points, while WLU had 19 points.
• Taking care of the basketball, committing only 7 turnovers, most of which occurred during a careless final 2
minutes of the game, with WLU up by 15 points. WLU had a very good 2.14 assist to turnover ratio.
• Tremendous effort inside to score two-point goals when the threes were not falling.
• Younger players showing much more composure and better decision making. Tinsley played 23 minutes,
establishing himself as first big man off the bench.
• Tinsley (4-5 80%) and Dragas (1-2 50%) continue to shoot well.

Areas for Improvement for WLU
• They remain inconsistent, where they have not put a full game together.
• They are still shooting threes below their potential.
• There were a few instances where some players were trying to do things out of their comfort zone, when they
should focus on their strengths.
• WLU was not particularly effective in sharing the ball with only fifteen assists.

[Columbuseer]

FYI

Select top 50 National Ranking as of Friday Dec 13 - West Liberty

5th - Assists per game 21.1
8th – Assist to Turnover Ratio 1.76
8th – Scoring Offense 95.9
10th – Fast Break Points 21.62
14th – Turnover Margin 6.8
21st – Turnovers forced per game 18.75
28th – Scoring Margin 13
28th – 3pt made per game 10.2
36th – Steals 10.0

[TopperNation]

FYI

Select top 50 National Ranking as of Friday Dec 13 - West Liberty

5th - Assists per game 21.1
8th – Assist to Turnover Ratio 1.76
8th – Scoring Offense 95.9
10th – Fast Break Points 21.62
14th – Turnover Margin 6.8
21st – Turnovers forced per game 18.75
28th – Scoring Margin 13
28th – 3pt made per game 10.2
36th – Steals 10.0

Thanks for that stats! The stat that WL is ranked 5th in the nation in assist per game is really shocking to me, it's even more shocking that they make 10 3's a game. The way WL shoots the ball I would think it would be around 5 to 6 made 3's per game.