The No. 11 West Virginia Mountaineers scored a huge statement win on Tuesday, shooting down a big bird in the form of the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks to gain solo leadership of the top spot in the Big 12 standings.
Another huge challenge awaits WVU, however, as it is about to face No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners in Norman. Oklahoma has won two games in a row following its epic showdown with Kansas. Will the Mountaineers bring down another top five team? Or will the Sooners be the ones to end WVU’s eight-game win streak?
Read on for more about this game. You can also check out our list of the five best college basketball games to watch this week.
[sc:MarchMadness ]West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Oklahoma Sooners Preview
Where: Lloyd Noble Center, Norman
When: Saturday, January 16, 4:00 PM ET
Line: West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Oklahoma Sooners – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the West Virginia Mountaineers (15-1, 4-0 Big 12)
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]We don’t know which was more impressive: the Mountaineers beating No. 1 Kansas 74-63 on Tuesday or young WVU fans knowing the lyrics to a John Denver classic. Either way, the Mountaineers are now on cloud nine after earning their first victory against a top-ranked program in 33 years.
The Mountaineers employed their usual pesky defense on Kansas, who committed a season-high 22 turnovers. West Virginia’s ball-pressure style of defense has been a terror for its opponents this season, so don’t expect the Mountaineers to change the script against the potent offense of Oklahoma. The Mountaineers’ opponents rank first in the nation with 20.9 turnovers committed per game, mostly because they can’t handle WVU’s swarming D.
As for the offense, the Mountaineers must also be looking to keep driving to the basket just like they did in the Kansas game, wherein they scored 33 points from the foul line. That should prove effective against the foul-prone Sooners, who pick up 16.6 fouls per game, 21st in Division I ball.
The Mountaineers are averaging 85.3 points per game with Devin Williams leading the charge. The junior forward is averaging 14.7 points per game.
WVU is 2-0 ATS in its last two games.
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Betting on the Oklahoma Sooners (13-3, 2-1 Big 12)
Good luck trying to keep Buddy Hield from getting buckets. Hield, who averages 26.6 points per game, torched Oklahoma State on Wednesday for 26 points on 10-for-17 from the field, including six threes to help the Sooners eke out a 74-72 win. That’s the second-straight victory for the Sooners, who are averaging 88.3 points per game thus far this season.
But with West Virginia’s lockdown defense about to test them, the Sooners will have to find ways of breaking the Mountaineers’ press and avoid the same fate suffered by Kansas last Tuesday. The Sooners are a solid three-point shooting team, so if they can knock down shots from downtown, they may be able to alter WVU’s defensive approach a bit. The Sooners are making 10.7 threes per game, good for fifth in the nation.
It would be interesting to see how Hield’s supporting cast will fare against WVU, considering the enormous focus the Mountaineers are expected to throw at the swingman. Jordan Woodard and Isaiah Cousins are the Sooners’ best scorers next to Hield with averages 15.2 and 12.1 points, respectively, but others have to step up following a three-point output by Oklahoma’s bench in the win over the Cowboys.
Oklahoma, which is allowing 71.1 points per game, is 4-0 SU and ATS in its last four home games against West Virginia.
Writer’s Prediction
West Virginia wins, 73-68.
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