After a 40-point efficiency from AJ Dybantsa and a Big 12 Tournament report 105 factors, BYU subsequent performs 7 seed West Virginia after beating Kansas State. After shedding at West Virginia 79-71 February 28, BYU will search for revenge 11 days later.
This is a Quad 2 recreation for BYU and would beef up the resume a bit as BYU appears to snag a 6 seed within the NCAA Tournament. The recreation ideas off at 6pm CT on ESPN2.
(*12*)BYU and West Virginia by the numbers
Record: 18-13 (9-9 Big 12)
Best Wins: Cincinnati (H/A), Kansas (H), Colorado (H), Arizona State (A), Kansas State (H), UCF (A), BYU (H), UCF (H)
Losses: Clemson (N), Xavier (N), Wake Forest (N), Ohio State (N), Iowa State (A), Houston (A), Arizona (A), Baylor (H), Texas Tech (H), Utah (H), TCU (A), Oklahoma State (A), Kansas State (A)
Record: 22-10 (9-9 Big 12)
KenPom Prediction: BYU 75, WVU 69 — BYU 69% win chance
(*12*)West Virginia Overview (*12*)and First Game Recap
West Virginia is the polar reverse of Kansas State. The Wildcats are the quickest tempo group within the Big 12, and the Mountaineers run the slowest tempo within the league and one of many slowest within the nation. The Mountaineers aren’t usually a terrific offensive rebounding group, however they’d 18 of them versus BYU and manufactured second probability factors. Khadim Mboup was nursing a leg damage that recreation and had simply 2 rebounds in 11 minutes.
West Virginia did a very good job limiting AJ Dybantsa, holding him to 20 factors and crowding him each time he obtained within the paint. Rob Wright scored 23 factors and Alexsej Kostic scored 12 off the bench. BYU trailed by 14 factors at halftime and obtained to inside 3 factors within the last couple minutes, however some turnovers and West Virginia second probability factors had been the distinction on this recreation.
West Virginia’s 6-foot-9 ahead Brenen Lorient killed BYU, scoring 18 factors and grabbing 7 offensive rebounds. BYU held main scorer Honor Huff to simply 3-10 capturing from three, however his threes got here at pivotal moments and he shot 6-7 from the foul line. The 5-foot-10 guard shoots as many threes as any participant within the nation and would be the focus for BYU’s protection. West Virginia is the worst three-point capturing group within the Big 12 however has the second highest try price within the convention after Texas Tech.
West Virginia is on the outskirts of the bubble and want a win on this recreation to maintain their NCAA Tournament hopes alive.
BYU is coming into this recreation with some confidence and West Virginia is available in motivated to maintain their NCAA Tournament hopes alive. They made issues tough for AJ Dybantsa final recreation, and BYU will want somebody like Moo Davis to knock down photographs to open up some house for AJ.
I count on this to be an in depth recreation versus a motivated WVU group, however I believe BYU comes out on prime. Khadim Mboup was restricted final recreation, however is healthier now and taking part in his greatest ball of the season. He is coming off a 14 level rebound efficiency versus Kansas State and I believe his presence evens out the rebounding battle and makes a distinction within the final result. Rob Wright is anticipated to play, however it will likely be value monitoring if his lip laceration impacts him in any respect.
Prediction: BYU 71, West Virginia 69
