No. 7 West Virginia, Kentucky meet with both struggling (Jan 27, 2018)
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- While a sold-out WVU Coliseum awaits Kentucky's first visit in 47 seasons, West Virginia coach Bob Huggins is more concerned by recent history.
His No. 7 Mountaineers (16-4) have lost three of their last four games while wading into the deep end of the Big 12 pool. Let down by several facets, the offensive execution has featured the steepest drop-off. Stagnant ball movement have left Wooden candidate Jevon Carter dribbling on the perimeter desperate to create looks.
Carter's 73 shots over the four-game span were by far the busiest stretch of his career. The do-it-all point guard will need help against the tall, long-armed defense of Kentucky (15-5) during Saturday's marquee matchup in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
"People tell JC 'you've got to put this team on your back,' but that's not what he is," Huggins said. "He's the consummate team guy. He's been out of character because he's trying to do things he hasn't done."
While Carter found other ways to contribute, he finished 0 of 6 from 3-point range Monday at TCU, an 82-73 loss in which West Virginia went nearly 10 minutes without a basket while missing 13 straight shots. The Mountaineers were 7 of 27 from deep overall and slipped to 271st nationally in 3-point accuracy.
"And we haven't scored in transition," Huggins said.
Kentucky avoided a three-game losing streak by beating Mississippi State 78-65 on Tuesday but comes in unranked for the first time since 2014. His roster yet again stocked with elite freshmen who could be one-and-done draft picks, coach John Calipari's meshing of skills and egos hasn't blended as smoothly as previous years.
The Wildcats are 0-2 against ranked opponents this season, falling at Tennessee (76-65) and on a neutral court to Kansas (65-61).
"We're one of those teams that's a little bit behind --whether it be execution or toughness -- but we're trying to figure things out," Calipari said. "Thank goodness we're still in January."
Projected lottery pick Kevin Knox, a 6-foot-9 forward with shooting range, leads Kentucky in 3-point attempts, scoring (14.6) and playing time. Calipari suggested Knox's 32 minutes per game are too taxing and would prefer they be reduced to 28.
The same goes for point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as Calipari mulls a return to the platoon system he used with the 2015 squad that started 38-0.
That team, of course, crushed West Virginia 78-39 in the Sweet 16. Carter (16.9 points, 6.5 assists) and fellow senior Daxter Miles (13.1 points) are the only holdovers from that blowout defeat.
West Virginia sophomore center Sagaba Konate is emerging as one of the country's most energetic shot-blockers, vaulting up with both hands to make plays in the restricted arc. At 6-foot-8 Konate will be giving away inches to Kentucky's trio of middlemen Nick Richards, Sacha Killeya-Jones and Jarred Vanderbilt, who returned three games ago from a foot injury.
