3-Point Defense Lifts WVU Basketball to Another Victory

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Teams coached by Darian DeVries seem to have a knack for defending three-pointers. That has been no different in his first season at WVU, as the Mountaineers’ three-point defense stood out once again in Saturday’s 69-50 win over Oklahoma State. 

West Virginia (11-2, 2-0 Big 12) held Oklahoma State (8-5, 0-2) to just 3-21 shooting from deep. That is a paltry 14.3%, tied for the lowest mark against the Mountaineers this season.

“I think it’s probably just a product of how we guard,” DeVries said. “It kind of leads to that.” 

Opponents are shooting just 27.4% from deep against the Mountaineers this season, the best mark in the Big 12.

In four of the six years DeVries was the head coach at Drake, the Bulldogs held opponents to under 33% shooting on threes. One of the other years was only 33.2%. DeVries explained that he instructs his team to be in a position to both defend gaps to prevent driving, and to also be able to get out and defend a shooter if need be.

“We call it making one movement,” DeVries said. “You’re already in position as opposed to trying to get into position and then you’re already too late.”

The Mountaineers have held opponents below 30% on three-pointers eight times this season, including each of the last five games, all wins. Opponents’ best shooting nights against WVU this season have, expectantly, come in the team’s two losses. Pitt shot 37% and Louisville 34.6%.

“We’ve got great versatility, I think we’ve got great athleticism there. The guys do a really good job of being able to be in a ga and then also be there on the catch. That takes talent and some time, but his group has figured that out fairly quickly.”

West Virginia isn’t exactly sacrificing its interior defense either. Opponents are shooting just 42.7% on two-pointers and WVU leads the Big 12 with 74 blocked shots.

“I think the guys just do a nice job of being able to do both — cover the gaps and also be able to get out to the shooters,” DeVries said.

WVU’s numbers look good right now, in part, because of its non-conference schedule — no mid-major team shot better than 30% against the Mountaineers — but the trend has kept up through the team’s first two Big 12 games. Before holding Oklahoma State to 14.3%, Kansas shot just 25% earlier this week.

“Hopefully, the next game they don’t make 15 of them and we have to talk about why we didn’t guard the three,” DeVries joked.