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GAME VITALS

Date: Saturday, January 4, 2020

Time: 4:00PM ET

Location: Allen Field House, Lawrence, Kansas

Channel: Big 12 Now on ESPN+

Announcers: Mark Neely and Lance Blanks

Online Streaming: Big 12 Now on ESPN+

Radio: Mountaineer Sports Network on IMG (Online Stream | Radio Affiliates) | SiriusXM 81

Radio Announcers: Tony Caridi & Jay Jacobs

Betting Odds: Kansas -10, Total 139.5 via VegasInsider.com

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GAME NOTES

• This will be the 18th meeting between West Virginia and Kansas. Kansas leads the series, 12-5. All 17 meetings have been since the Mountaineers joined the Big 12 in 2012. West Virginia won last season in Morgantown, 65-64, over the No. 7 ranked Jayhawks. Kansas defeated WVU in Lawrence, 78-53, and in the semifinals of the Big 12 Championship, 88-74, last season. The Mountaineers are 0-7 all-time against Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse. West Virginia has won in every Big 12 arena except at Kansas.
• WVU is 5-2 in Big 12 openers. This will be the sixth time WVU has opened Big 12 play on the road (5-0 previously).
• On Dec. 19, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced that Bob Huggins is eligible for the Class of 2020.
• WVU’s 11-1 start marks the fifth time in the last six years WVU has started with a 11-1 record: 11-1 in 2019-20, 15-1 in 2017-18, 12-1 in 2016-17, 15-1 in 2015-16 and 14-1 in 2014-15.
• WVU’s win over No. 2 Ohio State was its first win away from home against an AP Top 5 team since defeating No. 2 Kentucky in the 2010 NCAA Elite Eight in Syracuse, New York.
• Miles McBride was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week following his career-high 21 points against Ohio State.
• In the latest NET rankings released this week by the NCAA, WVU checked in at No. 9 with a No. 2 strength of schedule. WVU’s 12 opponents have a combined winning percentage of .768 (119-36), the highest percentage in the country.
• In the latest NCAA statistics, WVU ranks seventh in offensive rebounds per game (14.3), fourth in 3-point FG% defense (25.4), seventh in FG% defense (35.9) and 13th in rebounds per game (42.0).
• Derek Culver (9.4) and Oscar Tshiebwe (8.8) rank first and fourth, respectively, in Big 12 Conference rebounding.
• West Virginia is rebounding 38.0% of its missed shots, ranking seventh nationally. The national average is 28.3 percent.
• Oscar Tshiebwe leads the country in offensive rebound percentage, rebounding 20.3% of WVU’s missed shots.
• Derek Culver is 10th in the country in defensive rebounding percentage, rebounding 29.4% of opponent’s missed shots.
• Gabe Osabuohien leads WVU with 53 deflections (43 in the last five games) and eight charges taken.

LISTEN LIVE

PROJECTED STARTERS

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

Kansas Jayhawks: David McCormack, Udoka Azubuike, Marcus Garrett, Devon Dotson and Ochai Agbaji

PREGAME READING & UPDATES

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And, as always...