West Regional Semifinal Preview: West Virginia vs. Xavier

The first semifinal in the West Regional will pit West Virginia from the Big East against Xavier from the Atlantic-10. The winner of this matchup will take on the winner of the UCLA-Western Kentucky game on Saturday. With 2 wins already in the tournament, both teams will be looking to capitalize on their momentum.

Here's a breakdown of each team:

West Virginia Mountaineers

Who they have beaten thus far:
Arizona, 75-65
Duke, 73-67

Why they can win:
So far, they have shown that they can win games by outshooting and outhustling their opponents. Against Arizona, they used 11 3-pointers to ride to a 10-point victory. When Duke focused on taking away their outside opportunities, they instead grabbed 18 offensive rebounds and converted 19 of 22 shots from the foul line to grind out another win.

Why they can lose:
Rebounding can be an issue. In their last loss of the year against Georgetown, they were pounded on the boards, 36-19. The shots were not necessarily falling last game against Duke, but they made up for it by gaining a huge margin on the boards. If they do not show the same type of urgency that they did against Duke, they could shoot themselves right out of the game in a hurry.

Player to watch:
Joe Alexander is as tough a matchup as there is in college basketball. He is listed as a forward at 6-8, but plays like a guard, showing an ability to handle the ball and hit jumpers over smaller defenders. He has not shot the ball particularly well so far, going 11-34 for 32%. But, he has gone 13-14 from the free throw line to somewhat make up for his ineffectiveness. He's normally a 46% shooter, so logic would dictate that he will have a hot shooting game at some point. Throw in over 6 boards a game, and he's proven to be an all-around threat.

Xavier Musketeers

Who they have beaten thus far:
Georgia, 73-61
Purdue, 85-78

Why they can win:
Not only can they hit nearly 40% of their 3-pointers, but they will find a way to shoot more free throws than their opponents. Their first 2 tournament games have shown their ability to get to the line and convert. Against Georgia, they went 27-33. Against Purdue, they went 26-33. As the games get more intense and free throw shooting becomes more important, being hot from the line will big a big asset.

Why they can lose:
In looking at their last 2 loses, both against St. Joseph's, they allowed more attempted and made free throws. In the first loss, they lost the free throw battle 17-20 to 7-13. In the second loss, they lost 15-21 to 14-18. For a team that prides itself on being the aggressor and getting to the line, anytime they are outshot is a sign for trouble.

Player to watch:
Senior guard Drew Lavender has a great assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.5/1. Playing 34 minutes each in the first 2 tournament games, he has been the floor leader necessary to win. Last game against Purdue, he scored 18 points and dished out 9 assists. With the ability to shoot 40% from 3-point land to go along with making smart decisions, he will be a handful for opposing defenses.

SCORE PREDICTION:
West Virginia 72 - Xavier 69

Sources:
ESPN.com
USA Today