West Virginia vs. Oklahoma Basketball Preview & How To Watch: Mountaineers Chasing History Against Sooners In Norman

Game Day Vitals

• #11 West Virginia Mountaineers (15-1, Big 12 4-0, NCAA RPI 13) vs. #2 Oklahoma Sooners (14-1, Big 12 3-1, NCAA RPI 4)
• Series Record: Oklahoma leads series 3-6
• Last meeting: OU 71 WVU 52, Noble Center, Feb 3, 2015
• Location: Lloyd Noble Center (Capacity: 11,562) Norman, Oklahoma
• Vegas Lines: +6 for the good guys, O/U 156.5
  
• Date: Saturday, Jan 16, 2016, 4PM EST
• Television: ESPN2
• Online Streaming: WatchESPN
• Radio Affiliates

Opponent Information

• Oklahoma Sooners (14-1, Big 12 3-1, NCAA RPI 4)
• Head Coach: Lon Kruger, 5th year at OU (94-50), career 30th year (573-354)
• Last Result - Defeated Oklahoma State 74-72
• Official Sooners athletics website
• SBN Oklahoma blog - Crimson and Cream Machine

Interwebs

Game Preview

The following is a real life text conversation I had from Tuesday night with one Matthew Kirchner.

I continue to go on about how great the @DanBeebe twitter account is, but that's not really relevant to this preview. It is tough to argue Matt's points especially now that several of the Top Ten teams above West Virginia have lost since the last rankings. I feel that my point still stands as well, that WVU was just #17 mere days ago and the six spot jump was already wild af. For the Mountaineers to "poll vault" (I'm so sorry) to #1 would be a rankings surge for the ages and, quite frankly, I'm used to getting the short end of the stick when it comes to the national media and WVU athletics. West Virginia is not going to get the benefit of the doubt from AP Poll voters as WVU basketball is not a blue-blood program. For magic to happen, more help needs to be on the way along with a major victory Saturday evening against a top-notch opponent in the #2 Oklahoma Sooners.

In case you have had your head under a college football rock until today and not heard of Buddy Hield, here's an example of what to expect:

I mean, that's not Steph Curry hitting 77 3-pointers in a row and going 94/100, but the fact that I have to one-up him with Steph Curry is saying something. Hield is the primary threat on the Sooner offense as he averages 26.6pts putting him second in the country in scoring and 11th in 3pt% going 51.8%. Last year, he scored 21pts in both games against WVU, and that was before he had really toned his long range jumper. Woof.

The problem for Oklahoma are turnovers (which should be music to your ears, By-Godders.) OU does not force many turnovers and commits too many themselves. This is quite a problem considering they're about to host the nation's leader in steals. This is like your local Little General that has a tendency of being robbed having Danny Ocean walk in for some New River Coffee because "Huggs sent him." All of a sudden, guess what? All of your Dapper Dan pomade is missing. I may be mixing my Clooney film plots, but you get the point.

This should be one hell of a game to have on alongside the NFL Playoffs. I don't care if the Mountaineers are +5.5 dogs on the road. I bought my seat on this bandwagon months ago and I sure as hell don't plan on getting off when the gettin's good. Let's go be number one.

Prediction: WVU 72, Oklahoma 71