NCAA tournament: Healthy Mazzulla boosts West Virginia
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West Virginia's Joe Mazzulla, Kevin Jones and Wellington Smith talk to reporters yesterday in preparation for their Final Four game tonight against Duke. -
West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins talks with Danny Jennings at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis at practice yesterday in preparation for their Final Four game against Duke. -
West Virginia practices at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis yesterday in preparation for their Final Four game against Duke. -
West Virginia guard Joe Mazzulla.
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INDIANAPOLIS -- West Virginia has been described as an offensively challenged team by a number of people, including coach Bob Huggins.
The Mountaineers (31-6), who play Duke (33-5) at 8:47 p.m. today in the second NCAA tournament national semifinal at Lucas Oil Stadium, don't particularly shoot well, don't have many players capable of taking the ball to the basket off the dribble and rely heavily on offensive rebounding in order to score enough points to win games.
In fact, West Virginia standout Da'Sean Butler has joked several times through the tournament that the Mountaineers' "best chance to score is to miss the first shot so we can go get the rebound."
Although there is still some truth that the Mountaineers are not an offensive juggernaut, they certainly have evolved into a much better offensive basketball team over the past three weeks because they have a healthy point guard running the show -- Joe Mazzulla.
That's not to say that Darryl "Truck" Bryant isn't a good player, but his talents are more suited to playing the shooting guard. He had been miscast as a point guard because Mazzulla wasn't healthy enough to play heavy minutes.
But Mazzulla, who had a very difficult offseason surgery on his shoulder, can use both his hands and the difference in him as a player -- and West Virginia as a team -- is evident.
Mazzulla had 17 points in the Mountaineers' 73-66 Elite Eight victory against Kentucky a week ago. But his contributions in recent weeks goes way beyond points as he has run the offense, distributed the basketball and been a big part of the team's ability to break presses.
Huggins said that watching Mazzulla come back from his injury has been a pleasure because it is a testament to the rewards of hard work, but has also been a big part of the Mountaineers' success in the postseason.
He believes Mazzulla will be a key again tonight against the Blue Devils because the Mountaineers likely will have to be more efficient on offense in order to win.
First Published April 3, 2010 12:00 am
