Mountaineers look to get even with Texas

The Mountaineers shot a dreadful 31 percent from the floor to produce their lowest point total of the season.

Huggins said he doesn’t plan to make any drastic changes, however, to the approach that worked so poorly in the first meeting between the two teams.

“We have a ritual we go through every game and it doesn’t vary who we play,” Huggins said. “Like most games in this league, this is a hard game. They are extremely well coached and do a lot of good things. We have to do our thing and hope we make some shots this time.”

While the Mountaineers come into Texas for this 7 p.m. game on ESPN2 flying high after Jonathan Holton rejoined the team and gave it a jolt of energy for Saturday’s TCU game, one of the few Big 12 Conference laughers they have played, they limp into Texas probably short another key player.

Against the Horned Frogs, starting guard Daxter Miles Jr. was carried from the bench to the locker room by teammates with what was believed to be a hamstring injury.

His availability for Texas was unknown on Monday when coach Bob Huggins spoke with the media on the Big 12 coaches’ weekly conference call.

“He did not practice yesterday,” Huggins said.

When asked if he thought Miles might be able to play against Texas, Huggins said, “Not if he doesn’t practice today. I don’t play players who don’t practice.”

Miles has struggled a good deal with his shooting and scoring this season after putting in a strong freshman season. He is averaging 10.1 points a game while shooting just 42.7 percent from the field. His 3-point shooting, however, has been awful at 27.6 percent and his ball handling has also suffered this year, as he shows 32 assists and 32 turnovers.

If Miles can’t play, Huggins would have the option of starting Jaysean Paige, but Paige prefers to come off the bench and plays better in that role. Huggins could start Tarik Phillip, who normally comes off the bench with Paige, and run two point guards in the starting unit against Texas’ pressure defense.

Smart knows that his Longhorns will be facing a difficult assignment in the Mountaineers.

“In terms of pressure I don’t know they will change much,” Smart said. “The biggest adjustment for them is getting Holton back in last game. When you look at their press, it just wasn’t as good without him.

“I could see them playing more of their zone (to change things). Others have. It is pretty aggressive and effective in its own right.”

But WVU held Texas to 56 points, so it isn’t like the Mountaineers need to make many defensive adjustments.

They will, however, need to turn up the pressure for in the first game WVU forced a season low eight turnovers, including only one from the Texas starting five. Point guard Isaiah Taylor never let the press get to him at all.

“It’s huge to have someone who doesn’t get rattled against traps. West Virginia is as good as anyone in the country at getting you rattled,” Smart said.

The Longhorns had been getting better as the season went along and Smart’s team absorbed his system, but last week they dropped two games to nationally ranked teams, although there is no shame in a last second, three-point loss at No. 3 Oklahoma.