Darian DeVries searches for defensive improvement when WVU travels to Baylor

MORGANTOWN — On the surface, it’s almost as if Darian DeVries’ concerns about West Virginia’s defense is focusing on the wrong end of the equation.

The stats scream out about a lack of offense from the Mountaineers (15-9, 6-7 Big 12), who travel to Baylor’s Foster Pavilion at 2 p.m. Saturday.

WVU star point guard Javon Small has attempted just nine shots over the last two games, while the Mountaineers have only reached 70 points two times in the span of a month.

WVU STATS

Yet DeVries can circle back to each pivotal loss WVU has suffered — each one of them have chipped away at the Mountaineers’ strong NCAA tournament resumé — and point out where the defense let them down.

In Tuesday’s 73-69 loss against BYU, the Cougars shot nearly 56% in the second half.

TCU shot exactly 50% in the second half in a five-point win. Kansas State shot 53% in the first half and jumped out to a 19-2 lead.

The most disappointing was Arizona State walking into the Coliseum and knocking down 61.5% of its attempts in the second half for a win in what will be a major blemish against WVU’s record this season.

“In the games we’ve lost, it’s been our defense that’s let us down,” DeVries said by Zoom on Friday. “That’s how we are going to win, when our defense is really solid and disciplined.”

And that’s the thing, the numbers tell you WVU’s defense has been both.

Only Houston has given up fewer points among Big 12 teams than the Mountaineers. Kansas is the only Big 12 team to have a better percentage in guarding 3-pointers than WVU.

Is DeVries maybe being a bit nit-picky?

“Every game is going to kind of dictate itself,” he replies. “I’d love to say, ‘Hey, let’s get to 75 points every game,’ but we don’t control that as much as we would like.

“For us, the control has to come from the defensive end. Ultimately, we can’t make the ball go into the basket. Sometimes we hit them, sometimes we don’t. I know what we can control on the other end of the floor.”

And so, the Mountaineers will travel to Baylor facing a multitude of challenges that will likely come down to WVU’s defense once again in deciding its fate.

For starters, Baylor (15-9, 7-6) has simply owned WVU as of late with a six-game winning streak that dates back to 2021.

The Bears have a projected NBA lottery pick in freshman guard V.J. Edgecombe, who has gone 10 straight games scoring at least 14 points.

“He’s playing terrific,” DeVries said. “In Big 12 play, I think he’s shooting about 46% from three. When you watch the film, his speed just stands out. It’s impressive. When you have a guy like that who can put it on the ground and get to the rim and also shoot threes at that high of a clip, that’s a tough matchup.”

Baylor also has a guard in Jeremy Roach, who started 108 games at Duke. There is another talented freshman in Robert Wright III, who leads the Bears in assists while averaging 12.6 points per game.

There’s also forward Norchad Omier, a transfer from Miami, who was the only player in the ACC last season to average better than 15 points and nine rebounds per game.

So, yeah, WVU’s defense has a lot to focus on in this one.

“They’re very talented offensively,” DeVries said. “They’ve got so many guys who can shoot it and they put a lot of pressure on the rim from anywhere. They create some challenges from that standpoint.”

What the Bears lack is size, as center Josh Ojianwuna went down with a season-ending knee injury on Feb. 8, and Baylor’s bench was just two deep in its 76-65 loss against Houston on Monday.

“The biggest thing is you let them get into the paint and now they’re at the rim and kicking it out for threes,” DeVries said. “They’re so individually gifted at getting by you. That’s our challenge. We’re going to have to be really connected as a team defense.”