Oklahoma vs. West Virginia: College basketball game preview, TV schedule
Despite the losses that both Oklahoma and West Virginia have suffered in recent games, the Big 12 regular season title is still up for grabs. Which team continues to stay in contention?
TV schedule: Monday, February 5, 9:00 p.m. ET. ESPN
Arena: Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma
The Big 12 basketball conference is a daily grind, and these two teams playing tonight know all about it. Oklahoma 16-6 (6-4) just lost this Saturday to Texas, 79-74. Despite having a first half lead, the Sooners managed to score just 34 points in the final 20 minutes, far from what the highest scoring team in the nation normally does.
When Oklahoma plays, the stat line of star freshman Trae Young can tell the whole story. Against the Longhorns, he finished with 19 points on 7/22 shooting, including 2/14 from beyond the arc. Young did have a game-high 14 assists, but was held largely in check for the game.
His teammates have resorted back to the 11 win team a year ago, with Kameron McGusty, Christian Doolittle and Khadeem Lattin providing little impact as of late. That’s led to the recent decline of the Sooners, having lost four of their last six games.
Related Story: How good is Trae Young really?
West Virginia 16-6 (6-4) went through a tough stretch as well heading into Saturday’s game against Kansas State, having lost five of their last six games, after starting 4-0 in Big 12 play. The key reason for the slide has been the Mountaineer’s defense giving up over 80 in those losses.
It must have been a rough few practices with head coach Bob Huggins, as West Virginia responded in kind with an 89-51 beat-down over the Wildcats. Jevon Carter only had six points, but facilitated the offense quite well with 11 assists and zero turnovers. Sagaba Konate led all scorers with 19 points along with nine rebounds.
The game was also a return of “Press Virginia”, holding Kansas State to just one total point per minute in the second half, as well as only giving up five made field goals from inside the arc.
This is the second battle between these teams, as the Mountaineers got the better of the Sooners in Morgantown, 89-76. Young for OU had 29 points on 8/22 shooting, along with eight turnovers. For West Virginia, Carter had 17 points, seven boards and 10 assists. Konate had a double-double on the night with 16 and 13, while freshman Teddy Allen led the team with 20 points.
Next: Big 12 Mid-season recap and awards
This is an important game for both teams in terms of the standings, as both the Sooners and the Mountaineers are just one game back of both Kansas and Texas Tech in the Big 12. Everyone has a game against each other, but the loser of this game will be at a distinct disadvantage.
And even though this game will be at Oklahoma, the Sooners defense will once again be the team’s downfall, as the Mountaineers look to get back their identity.
Prediction: West Virginia 86 – Oklahoma 76