2017 NCAA tournament preview: West Virginia

West Virginia Mountaineers: 26-8, 12-6 in the Big 12

Head coach: Bob Huggins (10th season)

Players to watch: Jevon Carter (13.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.9 APG), Esa Ahmad (11.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG), Nathan Adrian (9.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG), Tarik Phillip (9.4 PPG, 3.1 APG)

Season recap: The Mountaineers registered six wins against top-50 RPI teams—including home victories against Kansas, Baylor and Iowa State paired with road triumphs against Virginia and Iowa State. Despite an early four-point loss to a weak Temple team at home, West Virginia finished its non-conference schedule 11-1. Aside from a two-game skid that included losses to Oklahoma and Kansas State, the Mountaineers had scattered defeats throughout the season. 

The bedrock of West Virginia’s success is its incessant fullcourt press. Ranked by statistician Ken Pomeroy as having the fifth-best defense in the country, the Mountaineers only surrender 66.3 points per game. With four players averaging more than 1.0 steals per game—led by junior guard Jevon Carter who averages 2.6—West Virginia leads the country with an average turnover margin of 8.1, which is 3.0 better than the second-best team UNC-Asheville. 

As much attention as the Mountaineer defense receives, its offense has also been among the best in the Big 12. West Virginia has posted 82.0 points per game in part by pushing the ball in transition off of turnovers. The offense features a balanced array of scorers, with five players averaging more than eight points a game. Ball movement is also a huge feature of the Mountaineers' scoring, as they rank in the top 20 in the nation with 16.7 assists per game.

How they make a run: The notorious press allows West Virginia to easily advance through the opening rounds and proves too difficult for top teams lacking experienced guards to overcome later in the tournament.

How they falter: Veteran guards easily navigate the press, and West Virginia’s offense cannot compete in a shootout without the benefit of fastbreak points.