Carter, Miles Showed the Definition of Senior Leadership in Comeback Win

It may not seem like a huge win - West Virginia was ranked and an eight point favorite - but the comeback win against Missouri is the kind of game that can set the tone for a season.

For starters, it prevents a second early loss, and it keeps WVU's impressive streak of being ranked alive. It also is another early season tournament victory, and the feeling of lifting any trophy is positive in itself.

But there is much more that comes from this win than just another game in the "W" column; we learned a lot about this team in the process.

Jevon Carter is Who We Thought He Was

Source: Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire
via Getty Images

The go-ahead three pointer in the final minute was massive. It was massive for the game, and it was even more massive for Carter, who without a doubt still remembers how last season ended. Having the confidence to pull up and take that shot ("semi-contested" as the announcers discussed earlier in the game) shows that, regardless of what happened last year, Jevon knows he can be the guy. What 

makes him truly great, though, was what started the run seven minutes earlier.

With 7:38 to play and Missouri holding a 16 point lead, Wesley Harris missed a shot and the Tigers got the rebound. It looked like a loss was inevitable. But Carter did what he does: he pressured the ball, got a steal, and laid it in at the other end. The next three possessions for Missouri resulted in three more turnovers, culminating in a frustration foul and a technical. Four made free throws later, the 16 point deficit had been cut in half in exactly 60 seconds.

The most incredible stretch, though, was the one from 4:48 to 4:09 left in the game after Missouri had expanded their lead back to 11. Carter racked up three steals and six points - steal, free throws, steal, jumper, steal, layup - in those 39 seconds to pull the Mountaineers within five. Simply amazing.

The Other Half of the Dynamic Duo

Daxter Miles has shown flashes of greatness over his three-plus years at West Virginia. Listening to Huggins in post game interviews over the years, he's been open with his frustration after games where Dax just didn't show up. After putting up 23 points in the regular season finale against Iowa State last year, he turned around and scored 16 total in three games in the Big 12 tournament. In the NCAA tournament he scored two points against Bucknell before going off for 18 against Notre Dame. Then, in the final game against Gonzaga, he shot 3-11 from the field and went 0-2 at the line.

The simple fact is, this team needs Miles to be great. Outside of Carter and Miles, it's a bunch of freshmen and sophomores still getting their feet under them. There is no doubt Carter is Batman, but he needs his Robin to show up consistently. And in this game, he was great.

After starting the season shooting 63% from the line, Dax made 14 of 15 free throws against Missouri. Those extra five made free throws above his average were the difference in a win and a loss. His impact went well beyond the free throw line, though.

Miles added two steals, a couple of buckets (including a very tough contested shot), and a clutch rebound during WVU's late run, and his energy boosted the entire team. He finished the game with 26 points, five rebounds, four steals, two assists, and only one turnover.

The Youngsters Can Step Up Too

Sagaba Konate is a shot blocking machine. Through his first five games of the season (remember he didn't play against American) he'd racked up 19 blocks, which was good for top five in the country in blocks per game. Despite only registering one against Missouri, he still sits tied for eighth nationally.

Beyond the blocking, just the presence of Konate underneath the basket is enough to affect the game. Against Long Beach State, for example, after getting two huge blocks in the first half, the 49ers turned it over two more times soon after because they didn't want to get swatted again.

Unfortunately for the Mountaineers, early foul trouble and a late technical meant playing most of this game without their only real force under the basket. Luckily his fellow young teammates picked up the slack. Teddy Allen gave 11 good minutes, scoring eight points. Chase Harler played relentless defense, though it didn't show up on the stat sheet.

Wesley Harris was the biggest contributor, and he showed why he's earned a spot in the starting lineup. Harris was one point away from a double-double, putting up nine points to go with 10 rebounds (three offensive), three steals, an assist, and a block. Two points, two rebounds, and the block all came in the final three minutes of the game.

Source: AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

Finding Ways to Win

On a night when nothing went right for 30-plus minutes, and without much contribution from two key players - Konate and Beetle Bolden, who have both been outstanding this year - the Mountaineers found a way to overcome a 16 point deficit late in the fourth quarter and come away with a victory.

Huggins still has a lot of work in front of him this season, but as he's said in the past, it's always better to learn lessons while winning games than to learn them while losing (which was a trademark of the Harris-Henderson-Miles era). 

One thing is for sure, though: our senior guards are as good as advertised (if not better), and they have what it takes to carry this group to another successful season.