By Wendell Barnhouse
Big12Sports.com Correspondent
West Virginia coach Bob Huggins has said part of his team’s success, particularly when playing on the road, is that the Mountaineers are fearless. This week he also said, ““These guys are different. They kind of relish the moment.”
That lack of care and angst was on display Wednesday as fifth-seeded West Virginia prepared to take on top-seeded, undefeated Kentucky.
Freshman guard Daxter Miles Jr., asked by reporters in Cleveland about Thursday’s semifinal game in the Midwest Regional, said that the Wildcats (36-0) don’t play hard and that they should fear West Virginia.
"I give them their props," he said. "Salute them to getting to 36-0. But (Thursday) they're gonna be 36-1. … They should be more intimidated. Because they're the ones who have the high standard, and we're coming for them."
Before you think that this is bravado from a freshman who should know better, West Virginia senior guard Juwan Staten was asked if the Mountaineers’ press would work against Kentucky. His answer: "Why wouldn't it?"
Then asked why some college basketball analysts are picking West Virginia to win, Staten answered, "Because they're smart.”
NCAA Tournament games are won by scoring the most points, not by making the boldest statements the day before. But the Mountaineers’ confident comments certainly caught Kentucky’s attention.
"That's good," UK center Willie Cauley-Stein said. "It adds fuel to the fire."
West Virginia, a.k.a. Press Virginia, forced 23 turnovers in its third-round upset of No. 5 seed Maryland. The Mountaineers average 19.6 turnovers and they force turnovers on 28.3 percent of their opponents’ possessions.
WVU, which has never led the NCAA in any statistical category, leads Division I in steals per game (10.3) and offensive rebounds (16.5) per game. The first statistic helps fuel the full-court pressure while the second stat makes up for the fact that West Virginia makes just 41.2 percent of its shots.
“They're creating havoc, they're taking you out of your offense, they're forcing tough shots or turnover,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said of West Virginia’s pressure defense.
The Wildcats allow just 53.9 points per game, lead the nation in field goal percentage defense (35.1) and 11th in rebounding margin (7.4). Kentucky has six players who are 6-9 or taller and often has five on the floor who are 6-6 or taller.
If Kentucky’s height limits West Virginia’s second-chance opportunities through offensive rebounds, the Mountaineers’ only weapon might be their press.
"I don't know," WVU coach Bob Huggins said, when asked if the press would disrupt Kentucky's offense. "I hope so. It's going to be a long day for us if we can't."
Midwest Regional
8:45 p.m. Thursday, Cleveland, CBS.
No. 5 West Virginia (25-9) vs. No. 1 Kentucky (36-0)
How they got here: West Virginia defeated No. 12 seed Buffalo, 68-62, in the second round and No. 4 seed Maryland, 69-59, in third round. Kentucky defeated No. 16 seed Hampton, 79-56, in the second round and No. 8 seed Cincinnati, 64-51, in the third round.
Mountaineers update: West Virginia coach Bob Huggins has won eight of his 10 meetings with Kentucky coach John Calipari. Huggins has made 21 NCAA Tournaments. Only four active coaches have made more appearances. The last time WVU and KU played was in 2011, with Kentucky winning, 71-63. In 2010, the second-seeded Mountaineers upended the No. 1 Wildcats, 73-66, in a regional final. The Mountaineers have forced 40 turnovers in their two NCAA victories. West Virginia has forced the most turnovers in school history and has the second-most steals in school history. Jevon Carter leads the team with 67 steals. He has set the school record for most steals by a WVU freshman.
Wildcats update: Kentucky is the first Division I men’s team to be 36-0 and is four victories from becoming the first team since Indiana in 1976 to win a championship with a perfect record. The Wildcats’ 13 scholarship players have an average wingspan of 6-10 with five possessing a wingspan of 7 feet or greater. Kentucky has six players on its roster with at least 60 games worth of college experience under their belts. Kentucky has the most NCAA Tournament wins (118), is playing in the Sweet 16 for the 45th time and has reached the Elite Eight 34 times.
What’s next: The winner of this game will play Saturday against the winner of the game between No. 3 seed Notre Dame and No. 7 seed Wichita State