WVU Guard Daxter Miles Guarantees A Win Because Kentucky Doesn't Play Hard Enough
CLEVELAND – The 36-0 Kentucky Wildcats may be the best college basketball team in the country — and just four games away from a historic 40-0 finish — but No. 5-seeded Sweet 16 opponent West Virginia has them beat in at least one category: Confidence.
“I give them their props,” West Virginia freshman guard Daxter Miles Jr. told reporters Wednesday. “Salute them to getting to 36-0. But tomorrow they’re gonna be 36-1.”
Miles said the Wildcats “don’t play hard,” and should fear the Mountaineers — not the other way around.
“They should be more intimidated,” Miles said. “Because they’re the ones who have the high standard, and we’re coming for them.”
Miles also predicted UK wouldn’t be able to pass the ball against the Mountaineers’ vaunted press, which will enter Thursday’s Midwest Regional semifinal forcing opponents into turnovers on 28.3 percent of possessions, the highest mark in the country.
When asked whether the Mountaineers’ uptempo defense would work against unbeaten Kentucky, guard Juwan Staten responded with a question of his own.
“Why wouldn’t it?” Staten said. “We’ve been playing this way all year, we’ve had success against everybody no matter what style or what type of players they have. That’s the only way we play and it’s just up to us to make it work.”
Meanwhile, Kentucky forward Willie Cauley-Stein was unmoved by the Mountaineers’ confidence.
“That’s good,” Cauley-Stein said. “It adds fuel to the fire.”
I LOVE this West Virginia team! Said it in my weekend roundup, but just to repeat myself, easily my biggest regret of the tournament was not picking West Virginia. I fucked up and I admit it. Because this is probably the most fun team to watch in the entire field. The press the shit out of you, they foul the shit out of you, they bully the shit out of you. And Kentucky does not like to be bullied. Not saying they’re soft at all because they’re not, they are just clearly affected by teams that stand up to them. You saw how much that Ellis dude got under their skin in the Cinci game. You punch them in the mouth who knows what could happen, and make no mistake about it, WVU is going to punch them in the mouth. The Harrisons aren’t exactly Steve Nash handling the ball either and that press is intense.
Not predicting a Mountaineer win but with their style of play and guards with the confidence of Dax Miles I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened. Going to be an awesome game.
PS – NEED to see Cauley-Stein go up for a poster dunk on Goggles dude. Unstoppable force meets immovable object.