Baylor vs. West Virginia: College basketball game preview, TV schedule
Two teams who love to play defense face off with Baylor and West Virginia. Can the Bears score enough to beat a top 10 team on the road?
TV schedule: Tuesday, Jan. 9, 7:00 p.m. ET. ESPN2
Arena: WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia.
West Virginia 14-1 (3-0) have been a top-10 team all year-long and is currently riding a 14 game winning streak after losing their opening game of the season. The team’s most impressive win may have come last Saturday night when the Mountaineers defeated then-No. 7 Oklahoma, 89-76.
Jevon Carter pulled double duty for West Virginia, not only causing star freshman Trae Young to have his worst game of the season but facilitating a 9-0 run by himself to give his team a sizable lead, one they would never relinquish. The senior point guard finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, and 10 assists while confirming his status as the top defending guard in the country.
He did have some help in the game, with Sagaba Konate producing a 16-point, 13-rebound double-double. Forward Teddy Allen had 20 points off the bench and averaged 21 ppg in the past week. The Mountaineers were able to stifle the Sooners but now take on a team very similar to themselves.
Baylor 11-4 (1-2) has been dealing with health issues throughout the early season but appears to have a full roster right now. That includes TJ Maston, who missed a month’s of action due to a broken hand before dropping 20 points and nine rebounds against TCU a week ago. Jo-Lual Acuil is the current focal point of the offense, averaging 22.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg in the past couple of games.
The true scorer for the Bears should be Manu Lecomte, but the senior guard has been in a complete rut, shooting under 30% from the field in the last few games. Making matters worse for him, he’ll be going against possibly the best defender in basketball in Carter.
Next: Latest Big 12 Power Rankings
What this game comes down to is how will Baylor score against the Mountaineers? If Carter shuts down Lecomte and the WVU frontcourt slows down Acuil, there’s nowhere else for the Bears to get their offense from. Their only hope would be for the game to be in the 50s, but West Virginia has enough team scoring to prevent that. I like the Mountaineers to remain unbeaten in Big 12 play.
Prediction: West Virginia 67 – Baylor 57