1. Rasir Bolton can create for himself offensively.
I wrote yesterday, “The team lacks guys like Georges Niang, Deonte Burton, and Marial Shayok who can create for themselves offensively.” I was wrong. Now, Bolton isn’t in that echelon (though one could argue he’s close to Burton). But he created for himself last night, carrying an otherwise impotent offensive effort to a near-upset of one of the best teams in the country.
2. The rest of the offense was still impotent.
21 turnovers. Only eleven assists. Woof.
3. Let the big men eat.
Solomon Young and George Conditt were only used for 17% and 8% of possessions while on the court, respectively, but the two shot a combined 5-for-8, made one of two free throws, and turned the ball over just once. If fear of Derek Culver kept the ball away from the bigs, that’s maybe fair, but at the same time, Culver didn’t block a single shot, and that’s only the second time this year that’s happened.
There’s a line about how if you’re shooting 50% on threes, you aren’t shooting enough. Well, if Derek Culver blocks zero shots, you aren’t going at him enough.
4. Not a bad night defensively.
There were good things and bad things here. Iowa State did not win the battle on the defensive glass, allowing West Virginia to pull down an even-higher-than-their-average 40% of possible offensive boards. Iowa State also let West Virginia take 37 free throws, a rather bonkers number of free-throw attempts. West Virginia’s offensive approach is, odd as it is to say it, not predicated on making shots. It’s predicated on maximizing shot attempts. The Mountaineers are fairly good at protecting the ball, fairly good at getting to the line, and great at extending possessions by generating second chances. Iowa State didn’t do anything to rattle any of those things, but the Cyclones did hold West Virginia shooting even more in check than it normally is, so credit for that.
5. It was encouraging.
It wasn’t what we wanted, and the difference between this and other games was just Bolton taking over, but that’s more than we’ve gotten so far. It’s progress of some sort, at least.
