West Virginia vs Baylor Basketball Preview & How To Watch: Mountaineers Host Bears In Top 15 Matchup

Game Day Vitals

• #14 West Virginia Mountaineers (18-4, Big 12 7-2, NCAA RPI 13) vs. #15 Baylor Bears (17-5, Big 12 6-3, NCAA RPI 26)
• Location: WVU Coliseum (Capacity: 14,000) Morgantown, West Virginia
• Series Record: Baylor leads series 1-7
• Last meeting: WVU 70 - Baylor 80, Sprint Center, Kansas City, Big 12 Tournament, March 15, 2015
  
• Vegas Lines: (-6.5) for the good guys, O/U: 147.0
• Date: Saturday, February 6, 2016, 8:00 pm EST
• Television: ESPN2
• Online Streaming: WatchESPN
• Radio Affiliates

Opponent Information

• #15 Baylor Bears (17-5, Big 12 6-3, NCAA RPI 25)
• Head Coach: Scott Drew, 13th year at Baylor (247-165, .600), career - 14 years (267-176, .603)
  
• Last Result: Loss to Texas in Waco, 67-59, February 1, 2016
• Official Baylor Athletics website
• SB Nation Baylor blog: Our Daily Bears

Interwebs

Game Preview

I'm still not sure that West Virginia's 81-76 victory over Iowa State on Tuesday wasn't a weird fever dream caused by my apartment being insanely dehumidified. I did the whole nine yards of getting a humidifier, blasting my shower at full temperature, boiling water on all four stovetop circles to the point where condensation is building up on my windows.... yet this box score still exists.

There are several things on that table of wonder that stick out, but it is undeniable that Devin Williams balled out. That line (17pts/18rebs) is stupid, but it's stupidity is matched by how dumb my happiness is for seeing him go 7-7 from the line and a Team FT of 77.3%. SEVENTY SEVEN POINT THREE FROM THE FREE THROW LINE?????

WVU has been sleepwalking through the past few games and that second half looked like what this team should be and has already looked like before beginning its slumber party. The only hope is that they build on it and what better time to find out than when the other team who won in Ames comes to town?

Baylor is one of those dime-a-dozen Big 12 squads who are talented, experienced, well-coached, and very much in the conference title race. You know, one of those types. Everyone's favorite Rico Gathers (13pts/10.4rebs) returns to Morgantown and joins everyone's other favorite Taurean Prince (15.1pts/5.9rebs) down low in Baylor's 1-1-3 zone. As Huggs discusses in the Playbook above, Texas beat it by going inside and OU shot the lights out. WVU does neither of those consistently well in the half court offense, so the Baylor Bears are once again a bad matchup for the Eers. It'll be close either way, so that -6.5 number is shady as hell. I'm thinking we split this series this season, so this one goes to the good guys.

Prediction

WVU 77 - Baylor 72

#FreeHolton