Bob Huggins looks to tie Rupp with a win over Missouri in the Big 12/SEC Challenge

WHEN/WHERE

Date: Saturday, January 25, 2020

Tip-Off Time: Noon ET

Where: WVU Coliseum, Morgantown, West “By God” Virginia

Tickets: Tickets are available via StubHub

WATCH/LISTEN

TV: ESPN

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: SiriusXM 83

ODDS

Not yet released

THE ENEMY

Where are they from? Columbia, Missouri

Series History: The all-time series between West Virginia and Missouri is tied at 2-2.

Last Time: No. 23 West Virginia 83, Missouri 79 on November 26, 2017 in the championship game of the Advocare Invitational in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

SB Nation Blog: Rock M Nation

Record: 9 - 9 (1-5 SEC)

Record in 2087-19: 15 -17 (5-13 SEC)

Head Coach: Cuonzo Martin (3rd Season)

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

PROBABLE STARTERS

Based on previous game’s starters

West Virginia Mountaineers: Emmitt Matthews Jr., Oscar Tshiebwe, Derek Culver, Jermaine Haley and Jordan McCabe

Missouri Tigers: Mitchell Smith, Reed Nikko, Dru Smith, Mark Smith and Javon Pickett

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

Five. Let me be clear here: Missouri is bad. But that doesn’t mean there’s not a precedent for a West Virginia team coming out flat and losing a game they should win by a large margin. If the Mountaineers lose, it’s by their own doing.

PREDICTION THAT WILL BE WRONG

This won’t be a Texas-style #beatemdown, but I expect the Mountaineers to win this one pretty handily. Our greatest kaiju, Oscar Tshiebwe, is coming into his final form and it’s going to be tough for anyone to match up with him. Maybe local hero Spencer Macke gets some playing time again and adds to his career statline in the final minutes.

West Virginia 81, Missouri 63