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WILL THIS BE THE ONE?
The West Virginia Mountaineers (10-16, 2-11 Big 12) showed serious signs of improvement in their matchup in Morgantown with the No. 23 Kansas State on Monday but ran out of steam in the final minutes of the game, letting the Wildcats cruise to a win on a 14-0 run late.
The Mountaineers have yet to win a true road game this season, but with the possible signs of life we saw on Monday it looks as though West Virginia is due to break that streak.
A win in Waco could provide the spark West Virginia needs to dig themselves out of last place in the Big 12 standings, with three of their final four games after today looking winnable.
WHEN/WHERE
Date: Saturday, February 23rd
Tip-Off Time: 2:00PM EST
Where: Ferrell Center, Waco, Texas
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WATCH/LISTEN
TV: ESPNU
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 385
ODDS
Spread: Baylor -12.5
O/U: 139.5
THE ENEMY
Where are they from? Waco, Texas
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Series History:
Last Time: Baylor 85, West Virginia 73 on January 21, 2019 in Morgantown, West Virginia
SB Nation Blog: Our Daily Bears
Record: 17-9 (8-5 Big 12)
Record in 2017-18: 19-15 (8-10 Big 12)
Head Coach: Scott Drew (16th Season)
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PROBABLE STARTERS
Based on previous game’s starters
West Virginia
| No. | Name | Pos | Ht. | Wt. | Class | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Name | Pos | Ht. | Wt. | Class | Stats |
| 15 | Lamont West | F | 6-8 | 222 | Jr. | 10.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg |
| 11 | Emmitt Matthews Jr | F | 6-7 | 195 | Fr. | 3.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg |
| 1 | Derek Culver | F | 6-10 | 255 | Fr. | 11.5 ppg, 9.2 rpg |
| 10 | Jermaine Haley | G | 6-7 | 215 | Jr. | 3.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg |
| 2 | Brandon Knapper | G | 6-0 | 180 | r-Fr. | 5.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg |
Baylor
| No. | Name | Pos | Ht. | Wt. | Class | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Name | Pos | Ht. | Wt. | Class | Stats |
| 33 | Freddie Gillespie | F | 6-8 | 240 | Jr. | 5.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg |
| 11 | Mark Vital | F | 6-5 | 230 | So. | 6.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg |
| 4 | Mario Kegler | F | 6-7 | 230 | So. | 9.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg |
| 10 | Makai Mason | G | 6-1 | 185 | Sr. | 15.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg |
| 12 | Jared Butler | G | 6-3 | 185 | Fr. | 9.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg |
HOW AFRAID SHOULD WE BE (ON A SCALE OF 1-10)?
Ten. This game is winnable if West Virginia can avoid running out of steam late. However, this will remain at Threat Level Midnight throughout the remainder of the season. Pray for the least embarrassing outcome possible at this point.
PREDICTION THAT WILL BE WRONG
West Virginia shows more signs of improvement, but ultimately goes on to lose by 10-15 points again.
Baylor 79, West Virginia 66