Three-minute preview: Kansas men’s basketball vs. West Virginia

No. 20 West Virginia at No. 9 Kansas

▪ WHEN/WHERE: 8 p.m. Tuesday at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence

▪ TV/RADIO: ESPN2; KCSP (610 AM)

▪ ABOUT KANSAS (23-6, 12-4 Big 12): It appears likely that Kansas freshman forward Cliff Alexander will miss his second straight game while the NCAA investigates a potential eligibility issue. Alexander missed Saturday’s home game against Texas after KU officials learned of a possible violation. In the Jayhawks’ loss to West Virginia on Feb. 16, Alexander played just six minutes after being benched against West Virginia’s pressure. And the Mountaineers dominated the glass, grabbing 22 offensive rebounds. The Jayhawks must find a way to clean up the defensive glass on Tuesday. After a victory over Texas Tech on Feb. 10, sophomore guard Brannen Greene was shooting 52.3 percent (34 of 65) from the three-point line — a mark that would have set the KU single-season record. Greene, perhaps, was due for some regression, and it’s hit hard over the last five games. Greene is just two of 14 from three-point range during the stretch, and he finished zero for two against Texas. Junior forward Perry Ellis was selected Big 12 player of the week on Monday after averaging 26 points and 11 rebounds in two games. He’s averaging 22.4 points and eight rebounds during the Jayhawks’ last five games.

▪ ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA (22-7, 10-6 Big 12): The health of the Mountaineers’ backcourt will be a prime story line heading into Tuesday night’s matchup. Senior point guard Juwan Staten missed Saturday’s loss at Baylor because of a knee injury, while senior guard Gary Browne suffered an ankle sprain in the early minutes against the Bears. On Monday, West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said both players were “day-to-day.” “I would doubt that they practice (on Monday),” Huggins said. “But tomorrow is another day.” Staten, who is averaging 14.5 points and 4.6 assists, had 20 points in West Virginia’s 62-61 victory over Kansas on Feb. 16, including a game-winning layup in the final seconds. The Mountaineers forced 14 turnovers in the contest. Even after the loss at Baylor, West Virginia has solidified itself as an NCAA Tournament team with a strong finishing stretch. After defeating Kansas at home, the Mountaineers won at Oklahoma State and handled Texas at home. All season long, West Virginia has won by creating havoc with a full-court press. The offense, though, has been a struggle. The Mountaineers rank just 287th nationally in effective field-goal percentage, and they are shooting just 31.2 percent from three-point range.

This story was originally published March 2, 2015 at 2:41 PM with the headline "Three-minute preview: Kansas men’s basketball vs. West Virginia."