Mountaineer Chuck on the Road in Vegas: Missouri State Preview

Huggs goes for win #700 tonight in Las Vegas. Not to blow my own horn, but my wife gave me the trip to Vegas as my Christmas gift, so I’ve got a lot riding on making sure we beat Missouri State. That’s because the odds of beating 8^th ranked Baylor on Friday night are not as good, so I’m hoping the ‘Eers get it done this evening and I can be there for this historic moment.

As WVU did last week, Missouri State (7-3) knocked off Texas A & M – Corpus Christi 66-53 this past Monday. Unlike our team, they got off to a fast start (leading 41-19 at half) and never trailed. This may not bode well for our slow-starting basketball team. Missouri State had four different players score in double figures against TAMCC. They spread the ball around really well and for all intents and purposes have five players averaging in double figures (Downing and Gulley each average 9.9 PPG).

I’m betting that being in Las Vegas and playing for Huggins’ landmark victory will create first half intensity and offensive output that we’ve not seen a lot in WVU’s first 10 games. I’m not literally betting on that happening. I’m saving my money for poker at The Bellagio. But I’m confident our team’s fast start will happen; less so about my chances of winning at the tables.

The basketball game is at 8:00 p.m. Eastern (5:00 p.m. in Vegas) and can be seen on ESPN3. It can also be seen in person if you happen to have married a woman who is cool with sending her husband and high school sons to a basketball tournament in Vegas for Christmas. What are the odds of that?