Tomorrow is pivotal for this basketball season.

Sure, we take on a strong team that was #1 in the country a week ago.  BUT, if we learned anything at St. John’s it’s that in the Big East… anyone can beat anyone.  Along with that is the understanding, however, that beating ‘Cuse at home will be a hell of a lot harder than taking them out in Morgantown.

A key to the game might just be as much about someone that may not play than someone that does.

Fab Melo hasn’t played the last two games and we have no idea what, when, how, who or why… other than a reported “unresolved academic” issue.  Doug Gottlieb of ESPN offered up his own suggestion as to Fab’s disappearance:

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“For my vast experience begging for grades to be raised,” said ESPN.com’s Doug Gottleib Monday during his weekly college basketball podcast with Andy Katz, who reported on the story Saturday, “its you came up a little short on a grade that kept you eligible and you said, ‘hey is there anything I can do?’ He probably has to have a grade change.”

“If he gets eligible, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Syracuse is doing something shady. This happens all over the country to regular students and to athletes. The question is does he have more pull because he’s an athlete?”

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So while WVU fans may be drooling slightly at the thought of Kevin Jones having to not matchup with the sophomore center, I don’t think it will play as much of a piece in the puzzle.

With Syracuse, I always go back to the damn 2-3 zone… and therein lies the problem.

The Orange is pesky and logical in the implementation and execution of its 2-3 zone, a zone that could spell huge trouble for us.

Let’s face it, it’s not just Truck Bryant that’s struggling.  Many of our guys are struggling hardcore to shoot well and with consistency.  Thus I hate this matchup at this time, because I just feel like you’ve got to be shooting perfectly against a 2-3, and you certainly have to be hitting outside shots.

NOT exactly where WVU is right now.

You’re not going to get quick shots and you’re not going to penetrate like you’d like, so KJ will need to be effective on the perimeter and he needs to bring buddy and roommate Truck into the mix.

Keep in mind that in five true road games this season, West Virginia has just a 1-4 record and aside from the win over Rutgers… we haven’t even been close to the same team on te court.

It’s time to grow up… play hard… and take good shots.  We’ll find ourselves down big and early if we don’t start shooting the ball better and not turning it over.  In fact, I don’t care if Fab Melo plays or not.

If we don’t play any better than we did Wednesday night, it wouldn’t help us if Michael Jordan suited up for the Gold and Blue.

Fab Melo, or not.