West Virginia vs. Texas A&M: College basketball game preview, TV schedule

SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 23: Head coach Bob Huggins of the West Virginia Mountaineers recats in the first half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament West Regional at SAP Center on March 23, 2017 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

The West Virginia Mountaineers open the 2017-18 college basketball season with a match-up against the Texas A&M Aggies. Who comes out on top in this old-school Big 12 showdown?

TV schedule: Friday, November 10, 6:00 p.m. ET, ESPN

Arena: Ramstein Air Force Base, Ramstein, Germany

Fresh off a 2016-17 campaign that saw the West Virginia Mountaineers fall excruciatingly short time and time again, Bob Huggins’ Mountaineers come into the 2017-18 college basketball season with high expectations.

After finishing tied for second in the Big 12 last season, the Mountaineers were runners-up to the Iowa State Cyclones in the Big 12 Tournament and lost by just three to the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the Sweet 16. This team will feel that they should have been able to come away from last season with more than just a trip to the Sweet 16 and an impressive 28-9 record, and that should drive them throughout the 2017-18 season.

As the preseason No. 11 team in the country, West Virginia will feel as if they have been slighted yet again and deserved a spot in the top 10.

WVU will have a chance to prove that in the first game of the season, as they travel to Ramstein Air Force base in Germany to face off with the No. 25 Texas A&M Aggies.

The Aggies have one of the strongest frontcourts in all of college basketball, but their preseason ranking suffers from outside perception of the SEC. Texas A&M have what it takes to be a top 15 team in college basketball and push the Kentucky Wildcats in conference play. This team is a lock for the NCAA Tournament and, like South Carolina last season, has the talent to make a deep NCAA Tournament run.

Related Story: Texas A&M season preview

When it comes to the game in Germany, it seems as if these two teams are polar opposites. West Virginia’s backcourt is phenomenal while Texas A&M boasts an ultra-talented frontcourt.

I really want to say that Texas A&M bullies West Virginia down low and gets the upset, but, with so much time to prepare, I think Huggins has this team ready for whatever the Aggies throw at them — especially now that Robert Williams is suspended for the Aggies.

Next: 5 burning questions for the Big 12

West Virginia wins in one of the best games of opening day – and a potential preview for a later round of the NCAA Tournament.

Prediction: West Virginia 78, Texas A&M 70