WVU - Loyola (MD) Preview: Back On The Grind

Game Day Vitals

• West Virginia Mountaineers (5-2, 0-0 Big XII) vs. Loyola (MD) Greyhounds (4-1, 0-0 Patriot)
• Series Record: WVU leads 1-0, 83-60 last time in Morgantown
• Location: Oliver Garden (Capacity: 14,000) Morgantown, West Virginia
• Vegas Lines: N/A
  
• O/U Santas in the crowd: 1.5
• Date: Monday, December 2nd 2013, at 7:00PM EST
• Television: ROOT Sports
• Radio Affiliates

Opponent Information

• Loyola (MD) Greyhounds (4-1, 0-0 Patriot)
• Head Coach - G.G. Smith, First year as Loyola head coach, son of legendary Texas Tech coach Tubby Smith
• Last Result - Lost @ UConn 76-66
• Official Loyola Greyhounds athletics website

The Greyhound, the student newpaper at Loyola, tried to help out some athletes for Movember.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Alex Newbrough is growing his mustache for men&#39;s health awareness, donate today <a href="http://t.co/5qtnAJ8A6Q">http://t.co/5qtnAJ8A6Q</a> <a href="http://t.co/ZoSGfnqOZv">pic.twitter.com/ZoSGfnqOZv</a></p>&mdash; The Greyhound (@loyolagreyhound) <a href="https://twitter.com/loyolagreyhound/statuses/404777911032352768">November 25, 2013</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Good lord. Alex definitely is available to go pro is something other than sports after college. If this was still the 70s, the casting couch would be calling his name.

Game Preview

It would have been nice to get that win against #10 Wisconsin, but WVU came back with a lot outside of hardware from Mexico. The Mountaineers learned that they can compete with the best in the country and that is a very valuable lesson.

Loyola (MD) isn't the best in the country, but they can run. The only loss that the Greyhounds have is on the road at #13 UConn and, if it wasn't for a DeAndre Daniels second half surge, they probably would have won that one, too. Their wins haven't really been impressive, but they are able to play up to the bigger programs and the Eers qualify in that regard.

The key to this game will be stopping senior guard Dylon Cormier. Monday night will be his 100th game played for Loyola and has taken on the primary scoring role quite well this year averaging 28 points and seven rebounds. If the Mountaineers can play their game, shoot well, and shut down Cormier, we should see another W in the Oliver Garden.

Prediction: WVU 90, Loyola 71