Basketball

He became a local legend in just two years at West Virginia when he  led the Mountaineers to the Elite Eight and Sweet 16. He suffered a career and life threatening infection that cost him his first shot at making it in the NBA, played professionally in Europe and is still up to his usual form while playing for the NBDL Erie BayHawks.

But through it all, Mike Gansey has more fond memories of playing at WVU than at any other stop along his roller coaster basketball career that is far from over.

“I wish I could go back and play five minutes on that floor,” Gansey said. “Every time I go back, eight million memories go through my mind.”

Read more: Gansey Keeps Chasing Hoop Dreams

There was one common feature on the face of every West Virginia player following Monday night’s 82-75 home loss to fifth-ranked Villanova: frustration.

It was understandable, coming from the fourth-ranked Mountaineers, who were denied their seventh straight win and first elusive victory over a top-10 rated ball club in three opportunities.

Villanova, coming off a 13-point loss at Georgetown on Saturday, had an answer for anything and everything WVU tried.

The Wildcats’ tandem of superstar guards, who lead their four-guard offense -- Corey Fisher and Scottie Reynolds -- were everything everyone thought they were. The Mountaineers did not produce an on-the-ball defender who could corral either guard consistently in the contest. Not Devin Ebanks, not Truck Bryant. Not even Joe Mazzulla could harass Villanova’s guards enough to give WVU a fighting chance.

Read more: Super-Nova Guards Race Past "Stagnant" 'Eers

This game features two Final Four-caliber teams that are playing well and trending upward. Villanova's loss to Georgetown notwithstanding, the Wildcats did not play poorly. Rather, Georgetown was at its very best at home and had to put up more than 90 points to win.

West Virginia is getting better guard play from Darryl "Truck" Bryant and Joe Mazzulla, and the length, athleticism, defense and rebounding of the Mountaineers have helped overcome some shooting woes. Expect a high-scoring Big East game and a physical battle from tip to buzzer. Villanova is an attack team that looks to stress the defense and make plays. With fearless, playmaking guards like Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher and Maalik Wayns, the Wildcats will strike quickly, using wing ball screens, down action and drags in transition to get into seams and force West Virginia into help.

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In three marvelous minutes during the first half against Pitt, West Virginia found its post presence on offense, sixth man off the bench and instant crowd favorite. Deniz Kilicli, a 6-foot-9, 260-pound freshman center from Turkey, showcased a pair of silky-smooth hook shots that would have made Kareem Abdul-Jabbar smile, in the midst of a scoring surge that gave WVU a 10-point lead in the earlygoing.

More importantly, sixth-ranked WVU (18-3, 7-2 BIG EAST) seized a whirlwind of momentum from Kilicli and never relinquished the lead en route a 70-51 blowout over their arch-rivals, in the Backyard Brawl.

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