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OPENING THOUGHTS
Okay, one regular game left.
I have it outlined in greater detail in my other article, but the winner of this game clinches the No. 2 seed in the Big 12 Tournament.
The loser will then have to wait and see what Baylor does for the 3 or 4 seed.
Also, this weekend we bid farewell to five seniors.
Nathan Adrian, James Long, Teyvon Myers, Tarik Phillip and Brandon Watkins.
These guys have gone 91-42 and have taken this team from 17-16 and losing in the NIT First Round to a Sweet 16 and competing for Big 12 titles.
We owe these guys for re-energizing our program.
Let’s send them out with a win.
WHEN/WHERE
Date: Friday, March 3rd
Tip-Off Time: 7:00 PM ET
Where: WVU Coliseum, Morgantown, WV
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Tickets: General Public SOLD OUT ; WVU Students
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)
Satellite Radio: SiriusXM 84
ODDS
Spread: WVU by 8
O/U: 150.5
BIG 12 BRACKETOLOGY
| SEED | FIRST ROUND (MAR. 8) | QUARTERFINALS (MAR. 9) | SEMIFINALS (MAR. 10) | CHAMPIONSHIP (MAR. 11) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEED | FIRST ROUND (MAR. 8) | QUARTERFINALS (MAR. 9) | SEMIFINALS (MAR. 10) | CHAMPIONSHIP (MAR. 11) |
| 3 | BYE | Kansas State | Iowa State/TCU/Oklahoma | Kansas/Baylor/OK State/TX Tech/Texas |
NCAA BRACKETOLOGY
| MEDIA | SEED | 1ST RD OPPONENT | 2ND RD OPPONENT | LOCATION | REGION |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIA | SEED | 1ST RD OPPONENT | 2ND RD OPPONENT | LOCATION | REGION |
| ESPN (Mar. 2) | 4 | Vermont | Cincinnati/UT Arlington | Buffalo, N.Y. (Mar. 16 & 18) | Memphis, Tenn. (Mar. 24 & 26) |
| CBS (Mar. 2) | 5 | Nevada | Florida State/Princeton | Orlando, Fla. (Mar. 16 & 18) | San Jose, Calif. (Mar. 23 & 25) |
| NBC (Mar. 2) | 5 | Illinois State | Purdue/Valparaiso | Milwaukee (Mar. 16 & 18) | Memphis, Tenn. (Mar. 24 & 26) |
| SB Nation (Feb. 28) | 4 | Princeton | Notre Dame/Nevada | Buffalo, N.Y. (Mar. 16 & 18) | San Jose, Calif. (Mar. 23 & 25) |
| Sports Illustrated (Feb. 28) | 4 | East Tennessee State | Notre Dame/UNC Wilmington | Buffalo, N.Y. (Mar. 16 & 18) | New York (Mar. 24 & 26) |
THE ENEMY
Where are they from? Ames, Iowa
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Series History: Iowa State leads the series 5-4
Last Time: No. 7 West Virginia 85, Iowa State 72 on January 31 in Ames
SB Nation Blog: Wide Right & Natty Lite
Record: 20-9 (12-5 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. 2) | 6 | Providence | Arizona/Akron | Salt Lake City (Mar. 16 & 18) | Memphis, Tenn. (Mar. 24 & 26) |
| CBS (Mar. 2) | 7 | California | Kentucky/UNC Greensboro | Indianapolis (Mar. 17 & 19) | New York (Mar. 24 & 26) |
| NBC (Mar. 2) | 6 | Wake Forest/USC | Butler/Belmont | Milwaukee (Mar. 16 & 18) | Kansas City, Mo. (Mar. 23 & 25) |
| SB Nation (Feb. 28) | 7 | Arkansas | Oregon/South Dakota | Sacramento, Calif. (Mar. 17 & 19) | San Jose, Calif. (Mar. 23 & 25) |
| Sports Illustrated (Feb. 28) | 6 | Rhode Island/Syracuse | Arizona/Belmont | Salt Lake City (Mar. 16 & 18) | New York (Mar. 24 & 26) |
Head Coach: Steve Prohm (BEAR IN THE WOODS)
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KEYS TO THE GAME
- MY GOODNESS!! Can the Mountaineers play a full 40 minutes?!? Guess not...
- The matchup between Jevon Carter and Monte Morris. Carter did a fantastic job neutralizing Morris up in Ames on January 31st. Can he do it again?
- Esa Ahmad. Will he be a factor if he plays at all?
- No one-and-done possessions. Offensive rebounding will be a huge key for WVU against Iowa State, who is a great rebounding team.
HOW AFRAID SHOULD WE BE (ON A SCALE OF 1-10)?
Ten. I’m as afraid of the Cyclones as I am of going to prison.
PREDICTION THAT WILL BE WRONG
Believe me when I tell you, I DO NOT want this to be the case. But I can’t ignore facts. Iowa State is heating up and scoring more, WVU is cooling off and scoring less. I think the default prediction is to pick the Cyclones. I REALLY HOPE I’M WRONG THOUGH!
Iowa State 76, West Virginia 73