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Game Day Vitals
- #20 West Virginia Mountaineers (22-8, Big XII 10-7, NCAA RPI 23) vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys (18-11, Big XII 8-9, NCAA RPI 41)
- Series Record: 2-4, last matchup was a comfortable win in Stillwater W 73-63
- Location: Lyons Den (Capacity: 14,000) Morgantown, West Virginia
- Vegas Lines: (N/A), O/U: N/A
- Date: Saturday, Mar 7, 2015, 2:00 PM EST
- Television: ESPNNews/WatchESPN App
- Radio Affiliates
Opponent Information
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- Oklahoma State Cowboys (18-11, Big XII 8-9, NCAA RPI 41)
- Head Coach: Travis Ford, Seventh year as Oklahoma State head coach, 331–231 (.592)
- Last Result - Win against TCU in Stillwater W 82-70
- Official Cowboys athletics website
- SBN Oklahoma State blog - Cowboys Ride for Free
Preview Videos
Game Preview
Bob Huggins says not sure about Gary Browne and Juwan Staten tomorrow. Browne in practice gear on stationary bike, Staten watching today.
— Mike Casazza (@mikecasazza) March 6, 2015
What Gary Browne and Juwan Staten bring to this West Virginia squad cannot be overstated, but the young bloods proved on Tuesday that they still can be quite competitive without the senior guards. A couple free throws go in and this West Virginia team seals their biggest win of the season minus their two most important ball handlers. While that does show that the WVU Basketball program has a bright future ahead, having Staten and Browne on the court healthy is paramount to what this team can do in the postseason. At this point, it should not surprise if neither seniors played on Saturday in their last home game in the WVU Coliseum and the Mountaineers must adjust accordingly.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys have hit a skid to finish their regular season losing four of the last five. Some were close, others weren't, but there is still hope for the bubble watch Cowboys who broke a four game losing streak at home against TCU on Wednesday. Le'Bryan Nash and Anthony Hickey, Jr, both dropped 20 to finish off the Horned Frogs and get this program back on track. A win in Morgantown would do wonders for the OSU resume putting the Cowboys RPI 1-50 record at .500. A loss wouldn't hurt too bad, but a RPI Top 25 away victory might just push them over the top regardless to their performance in Kansas City.
All in all, I think West Virginia fought well in Lawrence and probably deserved a win. If they can bring that same energy, WVU should lock up their seventh win against the RPI Top 50 and lock up their best regular season since the Final Four run in 2010.
Prediction: WVU 77, Oklahoma State 65