West Virginia vs. Kansas: 3 keys to the Big 12 title game
West Virginia was close both times in the regular season to beat Kansas. Will the Big 12 Championship game be the charm?
TV schedule: Saturday, March 10, 6:00 p.m. ET. ESPN
Arena: Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri
Despite the round-robin craziness of the Big 12 Conference regular-season, the tournament has gone rather chalky. After winning the program’s 14th straight title, Kansas received some tough news concerning on if its top players.
Udoka Azubuike, the lone post threat for the Jayhawks, was ruled out for the tournament with a knee injury. The hope is that he’ll be fine for the Big Dance. But in the meanwhile, Mitch Lightfoot and Silvio De Souza have gotten more playing time, and done well with it.
In the quarterfinal win over Oklahoma State, the two combined for 14 points and 14 rebounds. But the star was Malik Newman, who scored 30 points. The game was close at the half, but Kansas ran away with it in the latter half.
The injury bug affected their next opponent Kansas State, who were missing their top two players. It was a no-match, with Kansas winning 83-67. Newman had another strong performance, going for 22 points.
West Virginia had a road filled with tough defenses but prevailed over both Baylor and Texas Tech. Jevon Carter averaged 17.5 ppg in those games, with Daxter Miles Jr. scoring 22 points to help beat the Red Raiders.
The Mountaineers lost both times to the Jayhawks. But here are three keys that could change the third outcome.
1. Sabaga Konate vs. The “5” for Kansas
When Konate was in Morgantown, he was a menace to the Jayhawks, including 16 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks. He’s progressed as a center and could dominate an Azubuike-less team. Azubuike had 21 points in the last game, but Bill Self will have to find a way to replace that production.
2. How the game is called
The big point of contention in the last game was the foul disparity. It was 35 free throw attempts for Kansas, to just two for West Virginia. The first number isn’t unheard of when it comes to the Mountaineers and their physical defense, but it’s hard to see a team with Jevon Carter on it only have a couple of attempts.
3. West Virginia’s second-half offense
The Mountaineers could easily be 2-0 against Kansas, after having double-digit leads in the second half. But it’s been a theme in West Virginia’s losses this season, suffering a drought in the last 10 minutes of the game.
Next: 2018 Big 12 Conference Tournament Breakdown
West Virginia needs this one, not because of the team’s resume needs it, but getting a win over their nemesis will give them the confidence needed to make a big run in the NCAA Tournament. With Azubuike out, I like for Konate to have a big game to bring the Mountaineers the title.
Prediction: Kansas 80 – West Virginia 72