COMMENTARY
MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — Before the game was even three minutes old, Derek Culver was already on pace for a 74-point night, the result of his teammates finding him for two quick dunks and then the West Virginia forward threw in a little running hook shot through the lane.
Oscar Tshiebwe had 10 rebounds at halftime, just six less than the entire Northeastern roster.
These were the funny little notes we were supposed to be throwing out about WVU’s towering duo all season, notes that came after the two forwards used their muscle and skill to power the Mountaineers past yet another opponent.
It happened Tuesday for the first time this season, which is now 10 games old, as the No. 9 Mountaineers’ rolled past Northeastern, 73-51, at the WVU Coliseum.
“Obviously they both played well today,” WVU forward Emmitt Matthews Jr. said. “I hope it happens every game from now on, because I personally feel like if they both play well and we’re making shots on the outside, then I don’t think we’ll lose to anybody.”
It is noted here the Huskies were severely outgunned and undersized and what Tshiebwe and Culver accomplished — a combined 30 points on 14 of 20 shooting — was basically what was expected of them all along.
That’s just it, though, it hasn’t happened all along.
North Texas was just as undersized as Northeastern and the WVU duo combined for all of 10 points in that game, with all 10 coming from Culver.
Kansas wasn’t quite as undersized, but the Mountaineers still held an obvious size advantage underneath against the Jayhawks.
You know how that turned out. It was Kansas forward David McCormack — yeah, he’s good, but he’s far from being a future NBA selection — who finished with a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Outside of Culver banging heads with Western Kentucky’s Charles Bassey earlier this season, no opponent has truly physically matched up — in terms of size and strength — with the Mountaineers, not even No. 1 Gonzaga.
So, why is it just now that we’re seeing the inside dominance? More importantly, will it continue?
In his postgame talk with the media, Tshiebwe said he had a long talk with WVU head coach Bob Huggins recently and that Huggins’ advice was to just go out and play and stop worrying so much about makes and misses.
“I know I haven’t been doing too good,” said Tshiebwe, who finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds against the Huskies. “Most of the time, when I’ve been playing, I’ve been thinking too much and that’s kept me from playing good. I had a good conversation with coach Huggins and he just told me I need to play hard. I don’t think I’ve been playing as hard as I need to.”
There are factors behind that. Huggins said Tshiebwe was battling a cold earlier this season. More to the point, Huggins hinted for the first time that maybe Tshiebwe’s summer work ethic wasn’t what it needed to be.
“Oscar has struggled a little bit early, but I think he’s starting to come out of it from an offensive standpoint,” Huggins said. “As I’ve told Oscar, I’m going to continue to be on his behind until he does what he’s supposed to do or what we and he expect.
“Oscar had a rough summer. He was anything but the Oscar who was supposed to give us 12 to 15 rebounds a game. I think he understands that he spent too much time touring the state of West Virginia, which there is nothing wrong with that, but you’ve got to put enough time into your craft.”
And so the Mountaineers head into the bulk of the Big 12 schedule with a little momentum.
They’re probably still wondering if this bigger-is-better theory will still hold water in the most important games of the season.
Truth is, we’re all wondering that. We’ve seen them dominate a game together just once, and it came against an opponent that they should have dominated.
“I’d be greatly disappointed if I didn’t see that out of them,” Huggins said. “They’re two talented guys.”
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