WVU-Pitt, bad timing for Mountaineers

West Virginia should have scheduled Pitt before Jan. 18, because the Panther team that played… West Virginia should have scheduled Pitt before Jan. 18, because the Panther team that played then is much different than the one that will be traveling to Morgantown, W.Va., tomorrow.

“I think, after the St. John’s game, we came together and talked about [our troubles] as a team, which we hadn’t done,” forward Levon Kendall said. “We looked at ourselves in the mirror and realized what changes needed to happen. I think we’ve [made the changes], and as long as we keep doing that, we’ll be fine.”

And the Panthers have been fine. Since the 65-62 loss at St. John’s on Jan. 18, Pitt has defeated the 2004 National Champion UConn Huskies on the road and the 2003 National Champion Syracuse Orange at home. Additionally, Pitt, on one day’s rest, welcomed Providence into its home and sent them away with an 86-66 loss.

Likewise, the Mountaineers have changed drastically since the start of the season. They started out an impressive 10-0, but, once the Big East schedule started, West Virginia’s undefeated run was ended with an 84-46 blowout loss to Villanova.

The Mountaineers went on to lose six of their next eight games, with losses to Syracuse, UConn and Boston College (twice). Non-conference Marshall also defeated the Mountaineers during that stretch.

Now, West Virginia (12-7, 2-6 Big East) will try to end its skid when the No. 16-ranked Panthers (15-3, 5-2) enter the WVU Coliseum for yet another Backyard Brawl.

Last season, Pitt beat West Virginia in Morgantown 67-58, and as for Chris Taft, only one thing sticks out from that game.

“I just remember that crazy gun before the game,” Taft said of the Mountaineer mascot that holds a musket. “I think they shoot that. It kind of bothers me.”

What doesn’t bother him or the team is the 1-3-1 zone defense that West Virginia runs. The unorthodox style has been schemed against in practice all week, but the Panthers will stick with their game plan. Feed the ball to the big men and kick it out to the shooters.

“I think stick with the same principles, going inside, outside,” Kendall said. “We shoot the ball fairly well from the wing. I think that as long as we can move the ball and get it inside and out, it’s going to open up a lot of things.”

And going inside has not been a problem for the Panthers since St. John’s either. Both Taft and Chevon Troutman have gone on a scoring parade, with average point totals in the double-digits.

In the last three games, Troutman has notched more than 14 points. Against UConn on Jan. 22, he scored 29 to lead the Panthers to a comeback victory.

Taft, who has been slumping, scored 25 points and pulled down 15 rebounds against Providence on Monday.

If that duo scores at will tomorrow night, West Virginia will obviously have to keep pace. But they have struggled from the floor, shooting only 43.7 percent (ninth in the Big East).

It is, however, from where they shoot that matters.

“They shoot a lot of 3s,” head coach Jamie Dixon said. “They’re very dangerous, they have big guys that can step out.”

The Mountaineers, on the season, are shooting 32.9 percent from 3-point land, but in this case, the statistic will give opponents a false impression of how many 3s they will actually make — which is 163 and counting thus far this season. Their percentage is so low because they have attempted 496 shots from 3.

In comparison, Pitt, which has had success from 3 this year, shooting 41.6 percent, has only attempted 281.

“It’s going to be dangerous,” Taft said of West Virginia’s ability to shoot the 3.

Even still, West Virginia does not have a player in the Big East’s top 20 scoring list. Pitt, on the other hand, has three — Krauser (16.1 points per game), Troutman (14.3) and Taft (14.1).

Tyrone Sally is the Mountaineers’ leading scorer, averaging 12.2 points per game. The 6-foot-7-inch senior forward has the size to move through the paint and the ability to shoot from anywhere on the court.

“He can really shoot it, he drives it… He is a guy that has size, but can shoot the ball well,” Dixon said of Sally. “Versatility is probably his biggest asset.”

The team’s biggest asset tomorrow?

The Coliseum. Pitt has only collected six victories and has lost 20 since the Coliseum opened in 1970. However, the Panthers have won six of their last seven against West Virginia and have not lost at the Coliseum since Feb. 8, 2001.

The game will tip off at 6 p.m. tomorrow and can be seen on ESPN 2.