West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

[Columbuseer]

I think it's a big advantage for a team like West Liberty in tournament settings, where you often play back-to-back games. Our women ran into two teams like that at Glenville, beat West Virginia State the first night, but sputtered the next night against Glenville. Glenville was the superior team there in any case, but their greater depth was a big factor. Didn't help that quick whistles on the Ship women's star player limited her to 14 minutes for the game, but I'm sure the final outcome would have been the same.

It is somewhat of a double edged sword. It takes a special player to accept a role that will likely result in < 25 mins a game. Some great players want to play 35 min a game and go elsewhere. They don't realize that it is not physically possible to maintain the required intensity for that period. They also have to be willing to pass up a good shot and pass to a teammate with a great shot.

As a result, other teams may have more athletic, bigger individual players.

Wlu has never won a pre-game warmup. Lol

[Columbuseer]

This is shaping up to be a very competitive game with 2 different styles.
i like chances of winner to get #2 seed, which just might help odds of going to finals.
Some season stats
iup Wlu
offense rating pts per 100 possessions. 111 124
turnover % of possessions. 18.4% 14.2%
assist to turnover ratio. 1.20 1.93
assists per game. 14.6 22.5

[JDonAB92]

Congrats!

Two MEC teams in the Elite 8 next week.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Congratulations to West Liberty. Certainly earned it.

[Scrub]

It felt like a couple of heavyweights trading blows for a while there.

IUP has a lot to be proud of this season for sure.

Porterfield was absolutely magnificent tonight.

[IUPalum]

It felt like a couple of heavyweights trading blows for a while there.

IUP has a lot to be proud of this season for sure.

Porterfield was absolutely magnificent tonight.

Porterfield was good on offense but he was repeatedly a step or two slow on D all night. That was a tough match up for him. Butler ate him alive tonight.

[Layton]

You simply can’t stop Butler at this level he is too skilled. Very worried he makes the jump

[IUPNation]

You simply can’t stop Butler at this level he is too skilled. Very worried he makes the jump

..or decides he wants better scenery and transfers to IUP.

:-)

[TopperNation]

..or decides he wants better scenery and transfers to IUP.

:-)

You would only hope lol!

[TopperNation]

This is not the most talented WL squad, but man this is lining up for my guys to at least reach the finals! I just got my hotel and tickets to the elite 8, now let's just hope that they get a good seeding and good playing time. I'm going to lose my sh..t if Ben starts pressing and it doesn't work and he continues to do it until WL is down 15, I have flashbacks of 2 years ago vs NWMS!!!!

[Layton]

Crutch vs Howlett in the championship would be an absolute storybook scenario how cool would that be?!?

[Layton]

..or decides he wants better scenery and transfers to IUP.

:-)

He certainly liked it there!

[Columbuseer]

This is not the most talented WL squad, but man this is lining up for my guys to at least reach the finals! I just got my hotel and tickets to the elite 8, now let's just hope that they get a good seeding and good playing time. I'm going to lose my sh..t if Ben starts pressing and it doesn't work and he continues to do it until WL is down 15, I have flashbacks of 2 years ago vs NWMS!!!!

How do determine that it not working? If they are getting dunk after dunk and we cannot adjust, then we may have to go to man-to-man pressure full-court and not trap.

IMHO, the purpose of the press is to create fatigue of all three types - central nervous system, peripheral and cognitive.
It may not result in turnovers and may occur in the second half.
Opponents get a step slow and their shooting % drops off a cliff - witness tonight .

NWMSU was far and away the best team in D2 when WLU drew them in the first round.
Two guys got NBA looks -one in summer league with Golden State and one who is on a two way contract with the Rockets.
The coach is arguably the best in d2 and had a week to prepare.
A week to prepare is huge.

[Columbuseer]

..or decides he wants better scenery and transfers to IUP.

:-)

That would like trading in a 2022 Ferrari to drive a 1980s Semi.

[Columbuseer]

This is not the most talented WL squad, but man this is lining up for my guys to at least reach the finals! I just got my hotel and tickets to the elite 8, now let's just hope that they get a good seeding and good playing time. I'm going to lose my sh..t if Ben starts pressing and it doesn't work and he continues to do it until WL is down 15, I have flashbacks of 2 years ago vs NWMS!!!!

This team defines unselfishness and synergy (where the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts). No one cares about their stats. Much better passing than the last 3 years.
I think we have 3 shutdown defensive guards who are also great scorers, which they proved tonight.
Many offenses today rely on great offensive guards. Shut them down and it disrupts the offense. WLU plays 5-out, so everyone can play like a guard.