Ross Hodge’s West Virginia squad isn’t playing to the rhythm of traditional box score metrics. If you’re judging them by points per game, you’re missing the bigger picture.
This team, much like Hodge’s groups at North Texas, thrives-or at least tries to-on a different beat: points per possession. But even that stat needs context, especially when you're dealing with a team that plays one of the slowest tempos in college basketball.
West Virginia doesn’t just slow the game down-they practically put it in molasses. Hodge’s deliberate, grind-it-out style means possessions come at a premium.
That’s by design. Fewer trips down the floor, fewer chances for chaos, and ideally, more control.
But here’s the rub: when you’re constantly digging out of early holes, that same slow pace becomes a liability.
That’s been the story for the Mountaineers (14-8, 5-4 Big 12). The talent is there, the defensive discipline is there, and the system has proven it can work.
But the trend of sluggish starts and first-half deficits is becoming a problem they can't scheme their way out of. When you're already playing with fewer possessions than most teams, every wasted trip down the floor gets magnified.
There’s no margin for error when you’re trying to claw back into games with a clock that feels like it’s sprinting while you’re jogging.
Losses earlier in Big 12 play-to Iowa State, Houston, and Arizona-don’t fit this exact mold. But Saturday’s home loss to Baylor?
That one stung. West Virginia ran out of possessions, ran out of time, and eventually, ran out of gas.
They’ve managed to dodge disaster in similar situations before, but this time, the comeback script didn’t have a final act.
The Mountaineers are in a tough spot. The system is built to control pace and limit volatility.
But when you’re consistently playing from behind, that same system can start to feel like a straitjacket. It’s a delicate balance: stay true to your identity, or adjust on the fly to survive.
For Hodge and his team, the next stretch of Big 12 play may force them to find that answer-fast.