K-State Wildcats vs. WVU Mountaineers: Basketball lineups, time, TV and prediction
The details
When/where: 3 p.m. Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum
TV/radio: ESPN2; KKGQ (92.3 FM) in Wichita, KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City.
Projected lineups
P | No. | West Virginia | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 2 | Jalen Bridges | 6-7 | Fr. | 3.3 |
F | 11 | Emmitt Matthews | 6-7 | Jr. | 8.0 |
F | 1 | Derek Culver | 6-10 | Jr. | 13.8 |
G | 22 | Sean McNeil | 6-3 | Jr. | 10.1 |
G | 4 | Miles McBride | 6-2 | So. | 15.1 |
P | No. | Kansas State | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 21 | Davion Bradford | 7-0 | Fr. | 6.9 |
G | 00 | Mike McGuirl | 6-2 | Sr. | 11.7 |
G | 2 | Selton Miguel | 6-4 | Fr. | 8.5 |
G | 3 | DaJuan Gordon | 6-4 | So. | 10.7 |
G | 5 | Rudi Williams | 6-3 | Jr. | 6.2 |
About West Virginia (9-4, 2-3 Big 12): The Mountaineers haven’t played in two weeks because of COVID-19 issues on their roster. For now, it’s unclear if West Virginia will be at full strength for this game. But at least part of the team has been able to practice while its last three scheduled games were postponed. The Mountaineers have been all over the map this season. They started 7-1 and then lost three of their next five. Derek Culver once again leads the way inside, and Miles McBride is their top perimeter scorer.
About Kansas State (5-10, 1-6 Big 12): The Wildcats have lost five straight games this month, and their past three defeats have been particularly ugly. That’s because K-State has been playing with only a handful of full-go players it deals with a mixture of COVID issues and injuries on its roster. Bruce Weber expects to have 10 healthy scholarship players against West Virginia, but freshman guard Nijel Pack is “doubtful” to play as he deals with COVID protocol. A pair of reserves have been playing more minutes lately. With both Kaosi Ezeagu and Luke Kasubke back from injuries, they will continue to provide much needed depth for the Wildcats.
Prediction: Without knowing West Virginia’s roster situation, it’s hard to predict what will happen in this game.
If the Mountaineers are at full strength, they will probably win without much drama. They are the more talented and experienced team, after all.
But what happens if a handful of West Virginia players are out or limited? The Mountaineers haven’t played a game in two weeks. What happens if they show signs of rust?
Because of those unknowns, this matchup is an opportunity for K-State to pick itself up off the mat and challenge a quality Big 12 opponent for the first time all season. The Wildcats will be hampered without Nijel Pack, but their roster is more or less healthy otherwise.
If K-State can avoid foul trouble, limit turnovers and play solid transition defense, there’s no reason why this game can’t come down to the final minutes.
The edge still goes to West Virginia, but it might not be a blowout.
West Virginia 73, Kansas State 67.
This story was originally published January 23, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "K-State Wildcats vs. WVU Mountaineers: Basketball lineups, time, TV and prediction."