WVU Needs More Than Luck Against Baylor: A Vegas Preview

I have to give the WVU men’s basketball team this…they never quit. They can suck royally for 55 minutes, but battle for five good minutes and win. At least against teams they should in all honesty beat. Tonight ends the season of giving out leads that we can fight to get back. Over the next 12 games between now and the end of January, we play 5 teams who are currently ranked, six other Big East teams, and Marshall.

Tonight in Vegas, the team that luckily scraped out Huggins' 700th victory last night in overtime (via a missed layup) faces an 11-0 Baylor Bears team that is ranked 7th nationally. They'll need more than luck tonight.

6’11" Sophomore Perry Jones III is their #1 player (that isn’t a pun – his jersey number happens to be #1, though), leading Baylor with 16 points and 6 rebounds each game. Another force to be dealt with is senior forward Quincy Acy (#4) who is their top rebounder and second leading scorer. The Bears have five starters averaging in double figures, including their point guard Pierre Jackson, who dishes 4.5 assists to go with his 11 points each game.

These Texas kids are really, really good.

If Kilicli doesn’t grow a pair and put his Turkish muscle to good use; if Kevin Jones somehow gets into foul trouble early on; and/or Truck Bryant is cold from the field, WVU won’t be getting Huggs his 701st win tonight. In fact, if any or all of the above happens it is possible that the Mountaineers will give their coach his first ass whipping of the season.

It does favor WVU that Baylor is trying to remain undefeated. We can only hope WVU benefits from the pressure of a nationally televised audience watching, and the Bears’ desire to avoid their first loss. This is a HUGE prime time game on ESPN at 9:00 p.m. Great job last night WVU Vegas crowd! Keep it up.