Mountaineers turn back Sooners
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Teddy Allen scored 20 points to lead four players in double figures, and No. 6 West Virginia beat No. 7 Oklahoma 89-76 on Saturday night.
Jevon Carter and Lamont West each added 17 points for the Mountaineers (13-1, 3-0 Big 12). Trae Young led the Sooners (12-2, 2-1) with 29 points
West Virginia coach Bob Huggins wasn’t pleased with his team’s mindset while preparing for Oklahoma, so he threw them out of practice early.
“From our performance in practice (Thursday), you would have thought we were playing Savannah State — we were horrible,” Huggins said Friday morning. “We weren’t bad, we were horrible to the point that I just told them to leave.
“I was blown away by their lack of enthusiasm. It happens this time of year when there is no structure in their life. They stay up all night and sleep all day, like we all did at that age. They’re much better when there is study hall and structure.”
Huggins knew his team would have its hands full with Young, one of the game’s best players despite being a freshman. He entered the game leading the nation in scoring (29.4 ppg.) and assists (10.6).
He poured in 39 and handed out 14 assists in Oklahoma’s 90-89 come-from-behind win at 16th-ranked TCU on Dec. 30 and followed that up with 27 points and 10 assists in the Sooners’ blowout win against Oklahoma State on Wednesday night.
Earlier this year, he went off for 43 points in a 90-80 win against Oregon. At then-No. 3 Wichita State, Young scored 29 points and handed out 10 assists in an eight-point victory over the Shockers.
“I think (TCU coach) Jamie Dixon had the best solution (to guarding Young). He just said if he gets his average, fine, but you can’t give him the 10 assists. You have to cut his assists in half,” Huggins said. “I think there is some merit to that. Obviously, they played them very well and he still got his.”