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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
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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)
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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. | 10.6 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