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OPENING THOUGHTS
Hey guys check this out:
For a proper reaction, I will send you to Fox Sports commentator Gus Johnson...
Yeah that was pretty cool.
But now we have to focus on Kansas State.
Kansas State is the dictionary definition of a bubble team.
ESPN and SB Nation had them out of the tournament before they beat Baylor. CBS, NBC and Sports Illustrated had them in but playing in Dayton.
Rather they see the Baylor win as enough (unlikely) or wanting to cement their chances for getting into the dance (very, very likely), will determine the game in my opinion.
As always, it depends on which WVU team shows up Friday night.
WHEN/WHERE
Date: Friday, March 10th
Tip-Off Time: approx. 9:30 PM ET/8:30 PM CT
Where: Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO
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Tickets: General Public (includes Iowa State-TCU game that tips off at 6:00 PM CT)
WATCH/LISTEN
TV: ESPN2
Streaming Video: WatchESPN (or the ESPN app for smartphones)
Radio: WZST Variety 101 (100.9 FM in Morgantown) and the Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG (Radio Affiliates)
Streaming Audio: Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG on TuneIn Radio (or the TuneIn Radio app for smartphones)
ODDS
Spread: WVU by 6.5
O/U: 140
BRACKETOLOGY
| MEDIA | SEED | 1ST RD OPPONENT | 2ND RD OPPONENT | LOCATION | REGION |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIA | SEED | 1ST RD OPPONENT | 2ND RD OPPONENT | LOCATION | REGION |
| ESPN (Mar. 11) | 4 | Vermont | Virginia/UT Arlington | Buffalo, N.Y. (Mar. 16 & 18) | New York (Mar. 24 & 26) |
| CBS (Mar. 11) | 4 | Vermont | Minnesota/UNC Wilmington | Buffalo, N.Y. (Mar. 16 & 18) | New York (Mar. 24 & 26) |
| NBC (Mar. 11) | 5 | Nevada | Notre Dame/Bucknell | Milwaukee (Mar. 16 & 18) | San Jose, Calif. (Mar. 23 & 25) |
| SB Nation (Mar. 11) | 4 | Princeton | Minnesota/Nevada | Buffalo, N.Y. (Mar. 16 & 18) | Memphis, Tenn. (Mar. 24 & 26) |
| Sports Illustrated (Mar. 11) | 4 | Bucknell | Minnesota/UNC Wilmington | Buffalo, N.Y. (Mar. 16 & 18) | Memphis, Tenn. (Mar. 24 & 26) |
THE ENEMY
Where are they from? Manhattan, Kansas
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Series History: WVU leads the series 7-5
Last Time:No. 13 West Virginia 85, Kansas State 66 on February 11 in Morgantown
SB Nation Blog: Bring On The Cats
Record: 20-12 (8-10 Big 12)
Bracketology:
| MEDIA | SEED | 1ST RD OPPONENT | 2ND RD OPPONENT | LOCATION | REGION |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIA | SEED | 1ST RD OPPONENT | 2ND RD OPPONENT | LOCATION | REGION |
| ESPN (Mar. 10) | 11 | Syracuse then Minnesota | Duke/Akron | Greenville, S.C. (Mar. 17 & 19) | San Jose, Calif. (Mar. 23 & 25) |
| CBS (Mar. 10) | 11 | Wake Forest then Saint Mary's | Louisville/Winthrop | Indianapolis (Mar. 17 & 19) | San Jose, Calif. (Mar. 23 & 25) |
| NBC (Mar. 10) | 11 | Illinois State then Wisconsin | Louisville/Akron | Indianapolis (Mar. 17 & 19) | Kansas City, Mo. (Mar. 23 & 25) |
| SB Nation (Mar. 9) | 1 (NIT) | N/A | N/A | Kansas State (1st & 2nd Rds/Quarterfinals) | New York (Semifinals/Finals) |
| Sports Illustrated (Mar. 10) | 12 | Wake Forest then Cincinnati | Purdue/Vermont | Milwaukee (Mar. 16 & 18) | Memphis, Tenn. (Mar. 24 & 26) |
Head Coach: Bruce Weber
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KEYS TO THE GAME
- BARRY BROWN. The man straight up went off against the Bears with questionable morals, scoring 21 points against them (including 13 in the last ten minutes). Keep an eye on him.
- Rebounding. Kansas State is the worst rebounding team in the Big 12. Exploit that and WVU should be fine. **insert Elijah Macon**
- Get other players involved. Jevon Carter can’t be the only guy who scores. Spread the wealth a little.
HOW AFRAID SHOULD WE BE (ON A SCALE OF 1-10)?
I honestly don’t know. It depends on what WVU team shows up. K-State is most definitely a bubble team and will absolutely have a competitive edge. I’ll just say eight. I’m as afraid of the Wildcats as I am of......i don’t know......Frank Underwood I guess......yeah, he’s intimidating.
PREDICTION THAT WILL BE WRONG
Close, really tough game. Hopefully we’ll see more scoring than we did against Texas.
West Virginia 73, Kansas State 68