MORGANTOWN -
West Virginia University is beginning to get consistency
from both of its starting big men. Kevin Jones is having a Big East Player of
the Year season averaging a double-double. He has 17 double-doubles this
season.
Deniz Kilicli is becoming more and more consistent for the
Mountaineers and proving to be a solid compliment to Jones. He is averaging 17
points per game in the month of February.
Jones and Kilicli are averaging 35 points and 15 rebounds
over the past five games. Jones was already consistent for the Mountaineers
this season. Adding consistency from Kilicli as well could make WVU tough to
beat as the important month of March approaches.
Perhaps just as impressive, if not more, is how Kilicli is
scoring. He is not totally relying on the left hook to score his points.
Kilicli is getting more aggressive and taking it to the hole with one or two
dribbles. He is not shying away from contact and shouldn't given his 6-foot-9,
260 pound frame.
That has created more opportunities for Kilicli to score at
the free throw line. Earlier this season, Kilicli shooting free throws was a
real adventure. He averaged 53 percent from the line until the month of
February. This month Kilicli has averaged 75 percent from the line.
If Jones and Kilicli can keep giving WVU 35 points per game,
then it should allow West Virginia's guards the opportunity for some good looks
and open shots. The key for them is to knock them down.
While Kilicli needs to score for the Mountaineers, he also needs
to play defense. He went most of the game at Pitt last week without drawing a
foul, then racked up three of them in 36 seconds.
Kilicli fouled out of the Louisville game, thanks in part to
a Technical Foul. That severely limited his playing time and took Kilicli out
of a game in which Louisville appeared to have no answer against him.
WVU lost two of its big men this season when Pat Forsythe
and Kevin Noreen got hurt. Dominique Rutledge is the only other big man left
for Bob Huggins on the bench.
Bob Huggins said Kilicli has simply been listening more to
the instructions relayed at practice. That transformation has made a world of a
difference. If he can keep playing at the level he is playing now, WVU may get
the chance to see just how far the dynamic duo of Jones and Kilicli can carry
the Mountaineers in March.
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