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LET’S GET HYPE
Some games just mean more.#BeatPitt pic.twitter.com/anWp6R7XFg
— WVU Basketball (@WVUhoops) December 7, 2018
WHEN/WHERE
Date: Saturday, December 7th
Tip-Off Time: Noon ET
Where: WVU Coliseum, Morgantown, West Virginia
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WATCH/LISTEN
TV: ESPN2
Streaming Video: WatchESPN
Radio: Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG (Radio Affiliates)
Streaming Audio: Locate the Mountaineers Sports Network from IMG on TuneIn Radio (or the TuneIn app for smartphones)
Satellite Radio: XM 199, Sirius 211
ODDS
Spread: West Virginia -11.5
O/U: 147.5
THE ENEMY
Where are they from? Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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Series History: West Virginia leads the all-time series 97-88, Pitt leads the world in eating shit.
Last Time: West Virginia 69, Pittsburgh 60 on December 9, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
SB Nation Blog: Cardiac Hill
Record: 7-2
Record in 2016-17: 8-24 (!! 0-18 ACC!!)
Head Coach: Jeff Capel (1st Season)
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PROBABLE STARTERS
West Virginia
| No. | Name | Pos | Ht. | Wt. | Class | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Name | Pos | Ht. | Wt. | Class | Stats |
| 23 | Esa Ahmad | F | 6-8 | 225 | Sr. | 15.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg |
| 21 | Wesley Harris | F | 6-8 | 200 | Jr. | 7.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg |
| 50 | Sagaba Konate | F | 6-8 | 250 | Jr. | 13.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg |
| 3 | James Bolden | G | 6-0 | 175 | Jr. | 11.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg |
| 14 | Chase Harler | G | 6-3 | 210 | Jr. | 7.4 ppg, 1.3 rpg |
Pitt
| No. | Name | Pos | Ht. | Wt. | Class | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Name | Pos | Ht. | Wt. | Class | Stats |
| 15 | Kene Chukwuka | C | 6-9 | 225 | Jr. | 5.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg |
| 1 | Xavier Johnson | G | 6-3 | 190 | Fr. | 16.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg |
| 2 | Trey McGowens | G | 6-3 | 185 | Fr. | 10.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg |
| 3 | Malik Ellison | G | 6-6 | 215 | Jr. | 10.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg |
| 5 | Au'Diese Toney | G | 6-6 | 210 | Fr. | 9.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg |
HOW AFRAID SHOULD WE BE (ON A SCALE OF 1-10)?
Ten. I’ll be completely honest here, this game will tell us if this West Virginia team is going to be a complete disaster for the entirety of the season or if there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. A win today is imperative, doubly so because it’s Pitt. Abandon all hope if we lose.
PREDICTION THAT WILL BE WRONG
We get a 180 of what we got on Tuesday vs. Florida, as Lamont West and Esa Ahmad decide they remember how to play basketball. We get the trickle down effect going and by the middle of the first half it looks like we’re an actual team. Mountaineers win in a close one.
West Virginia 73, Pitt 69