BUFFALO, N.Y. - When members of WVU's team and those attending the Mountaineers' NCAA victory over Notre Dame flash back to the 83-71 decision, they'll no doubt remember Jevon Carter celebrating at game's end.
He was half dancing, half dribbling and full exhorting the West Virginia crowd to cheer as the clock wound down.
They'll probably remember the 18 Notre Dame 3-point attempts that clanged off the rim. They'll also probably remember Matt Farrell, whom Fighting Irish coach Mike Brey a day earlier compared to NCAA and Duke great Bobby Hurley, being held to eight points.
Mostly, though, they'll remember WVU's guard play from the day. In sum, it was stellar. Carter, Dax Miles and Tarik Phillip were not only terrific on defense, they also converted 17 of 29 field goal attempts (58 percent), 7 of 10 3-point attempts (70 percent) and 13 of 15 free throws (86.6 percent) to go with nine rebounds, eight assists and, perhaps most importantly, just three turnovers. Toss in the shutdown of Bobby Hur, er, Farrell, mix in five steals and two blocks, and you have quite a day.
Yet let's flash back one more time, shall we? To the fall. Before WVU practices began.
It was then that Mountaineer coach Bob Huggins was asked about his backcourt, and this is what he said:
"Those three guys have the potential to be as good [a backcourt] as any in the country," said the coach. "Dax is on the verge of being a three-year starter. Tarik has two years under his belt - and had a heck of a year last year. J.C. got better as [last] season went along. He hadn't played point guard and we asked him to - and I think it affected other parts of his game. I think he's very comfortable there now.
"All three are terrific defenders. They make the pressure go. They can all make shots and bounce it."
On Saturday, the college basketball world saw his prediction blossom.
"Did I know they were that good?" Huggins said after the Notre Dame win. "I know they put in an enormous amount of time in. They are in the practice facility 12 months out of the year. And it's great when you don't have to tell people to go in and they just do.
"Tarik came in not as a very good shooter. He's a pretty good shooter now. J.C. came in not real consistent. He's pretty consistent now. They want to get better."
The three were at their finest on Saturday.
"We know they can come out and do that almost every game," said WVU forward Nate Adrian. "When they do, it helps us a lot."
Actually, the timing of the trio's shot-making on Saturday may have been more important than the totals. In the second half, for instance, Notre Dame standout Bonzie Colson, who finished with 27 points, drew the Irish to within 48-44. Then came punches thrown. Phillip hit a trey. Then Farrell. Then Carter. Then Phillip. It turned into a mental beatdown by WVU's guards.
Late, when Notre Dame tried one last-gasp rally, Matt Ryan hit a 3. But Carter answered again to make the score 75-66.
"We have the best group of guards in the country," Carter said. "We truly believe that. When it's time to play, we go out there and give it our all. We put forth 100 percent."
He said the proverbial chip remains on his shoulder, especially because the guards have been lauded for their defense more than their offense.
"A wise man once said, 'Remember where you came from,' " Carter said. "We always keep that in the back of our minds. For the three of us, it wasn't an easy path to get to West Virginia. We had to grind it out every step of the way. We just wanted to get out on that court and prove things to the other schools that missed out on us."
Carter said he breaks up six to seven hours of hoops work every day. And his motivation?
"March Madness," he replied. "I want to come out here and be a winner. That's why I came to West Virginia: to win."
Adrian, by the way, had an observation on Carter.
"The best thing Jevon did today was take away their point guard," he said. "That was more important than any points he scored."
Farrell was said to be so distraught afterward he didn't appear in the postgame press conference.
"We had great flow, right from the start," Miles said. "We've had some pretty good practices leading up to the tournament. Just great flow on both sides, offense and defense."
Miles' outburst might have been most surprising. He had two 23-point performances this season, but took only four shots, making one for two points, against Bucknell.
"It feels good, man," Miles said. "I think this was one of the most complete games, offensively and defensively. I just believe in my guys. We just have to stay focused now and stay in the gym."
"We put a lot of work in in the summertime believing we had a tough group of guards," Phillip said. "The first couple years here people thought of us as defensive players, but the coaching staff instilled a lot of confidence in us. They helped us develop an offensive game."
And not just within the three.
"We have a tough group of guards, man," Phillip said. "We have about five or six of them that could play on a high level for any team. We have them all on one team. And we've bonded together. We rotate on and off the one or two guards the other teams have. It's pretty tough for them."
Farrell certainly wilted. Notre Dame was vanquished. And for WVU, it's on to San Jose for the Sweet Sixteen.
"It feels good," Carter said with a smile. "All the hard work is paying off."
Contact Mitch Vingle at 304-348-4827 or mitchvingle@wvgazettemail.com. Follow him on Twitter @MitchVingle.