MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Sean McNeil would love to add another chapter to his own scouting report.
The West Virginia guard knows he’s always been considered a shooter, something he never shied away from last season while scoring 29.7 points per game and shooting 43% from 3-point range at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio.
“I was brought here to score the ball,” McNeil said. “When I’m on the perimeter, I think guys look for me.”
But this is no longer junior college and McNeil is starting to show some confidence in his game that doesn’t involve the long shot.
More to the point, McNeil is finding success in faking the 3-pointer and taking a dribble to get a shot closer to the rim.
The result? Defenders have been so concerned with guarding McNeil behind the line that they generally go flying by him.
“It’s confidence for me. I’ve stopped thinking and just shoot the ball,” McNeil said. “The scouting reports are out. People know I like to shoot. It’s easy for me to shot fake and watch guys fly by. I can take a dribble, or two, and either shoot it myself or get a teammate a shot.”
His game has picked up after a slow start in which he connected on just 4 of 14 from the field over the Mountaineers’ first four games.
Since then, McNeil is shooting 47% (17 of 36) from the field and he’s averaging 10.7 points over his last three games.
“It’s just playing hard. That’s what I was brought here to do,” McNeil said. “You’ve got to be a little bit different to play for coach (Bob) Huggins. Playing hard is the one thing you have to do to get on the floor, so that’s what I’m going to do.”
Over the hump?
Taz Sherman was another junior-college product brought in this season to provide a spark on offense.
He shot 3 of 4 from the field in the Mountaineers’ 83-57 win against Nicholls State, but that hasn’t been the norm for him this season.
“I think of myself as a good shooter and a good scorer,” Sherman said. “When I miss as many shots as I did, it’s kind of unusual for me. I was a little bit frustrated at first. You have to have amnesia and forget about all of the missed shots I had and move on to the next play.”
He’s still shooting 33% on the season but feels his game is beginning to improve.
“I’m still trying to get in the flow of things,” Sherman said. “Hopefully this game will get me over the hump.
“I’m comfortable. I just have to make shots like I know I’m capable of.”
Another sellout
The Mountaineer Ticket Office announced Wednesday that the Jan. 11 game against Texas Tech is sold out.
That’s the Big 12 home opener for the Mountaineers (9-1), who will travel to Youngstown State on Saturday.
It’s the second Big 12 game to sell out this season. WVU announced earlier that the Feb. 1 game against Kansas State is also sold out.
