clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

West Virginia Hopes To Continue Building With Road Trip To Oklahoma

There’s been a clear upward trajectory for the Mountaineers over the past three games. A win today against the Sooners would continue the progression.

NCAA Basketball: Oklahoma at West Virginia Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Hot off a thrilling triple overtime win over the TCU Horned Frogs, the West Virginia Mountaineers (11-17, 3-12 Big 12) travel to Norman, Oklahoma looking to continue their upward trend as the Big 12 Conference regular season comes to a close.

The Sooners enter the game having lost six of their last eight games, including last Monday’s 78-61 loss to the Iowa State Cyclones. A win today in Norman will give the Mountaineers their first true road win of the season and the regular season sweep of the Sooners.

Freshman Jordan McCabe exploded for his first career double-double and Derek Culver recorded his sixth of the season against the Horned Frogs. The freshmen duo look to be the foundation of the West Virginia basketball program moving forward, and today’s game gives them another opportunity to continue their growth.

WHEN/WHERE

Date: Saturday, March 2nd

Tip-Off Time: 2:00PM EST

Where: Lloyd Noble Center, Norman, Oklahoma

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 387

ODDS

Spread: Oklahoma -10

O/U: 142.5

THE ENEMY

Where are they from? Norman, Oklahoma

Series History: Oklahoma holds a 9-8 series advantage against the Mountaineers. West Virginia has won five of the last six meetings in the series, including the last four meetings.

Last Time: West Virginia 79, Oklahoma 71 on February 2, 2019 in Morgantown, West Virginia

SB Nation Blog: Crimson and Cream Machine

Record: 17-11 (5-10 Big 12)

Record in 2017-18: 18-14 (8-10 Big 12)

Head Coach: Lon Kruger (8th Season)

NCAA Basketball: Oklahoma at Iowa State Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

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. 10.6 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. 11.9 ppg, 9.7 rpg
10 Jermaine Haley G 6-7 215 Jr. 4.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg
5 Jordan McCabe G 6-0 183 Fr. 3.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg

Oklahoma

No. Name Pos Ht. Wt. Class Stats
No. Name Pos Ht. Wt. Class Stats
35 Brady Manek F 6-9 222 So. 11.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg
21 Kristian Doolittle F 6-7 232 Jr. 10.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg
24 Jamal Bieniemy G 6-4 181 Fr. 3.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg
0 Christian James G 6-4 213 Sr. 15.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg
1 Rashard Odomes G 6-6 217 Sr. 6.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg

HOW AFRAID SHOULD WE BE (ON A SCALE OF 1-10)?

Zero. Again, there’s no real reason to be afraid. These last few games should just be about working toward building for next season by getting the young guys minutes and valuable experience. A win would just be a bonus.

PREDICTION THAT WILL BE WRONG

The Mountaineers are gonna do it. West Virginia picks up their second consecutive win as McCabe, Culver and Haley combine to lead the Mountaineers to a 6-8 point win.

West Virginia 74, Oklahoma 68