Can KU basketball win its first Big 12 road game at West Virginia? A prediction
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas travels to Morgantown seeking its first Big 12 road victory, kickoff 11 a.m. CT
- West Virginia brings perimeter shooting and a rowdy crowd that can swing momentum
- Kansas relies on Darryn Peterson’s return and defensive communication to control the game
The Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball team is on the road Saturday to face West Virginia.
The No. 22 Jayhawks (11-4) beat TCU on Tuesday, while WVU beat Cincinnati.
Here is more about Saturday’s game, including a scouting report and prediction:
Kansas basketball vs. WVU: Game details
When: 11 a.m. Central Time on Saturday, Jan. 10
Where: Hope Coliseum (Morgantown, W.Va)
TV/streaming: FOX
Opponent’s record: 10-5
KenPom (Ken Pomeroy) ranking: 72
Betting line: KU is a 4.5-point favorite.
All statistics are from KenPom.com and EvanMiya. KenPom stats include only Division I competition.
WVU Strengths
- Elite defense: WVU ranks No. 36 in opponent effective field goal percentage (46.6).
- Nothing easy inside the arc: The Mountaineers are holding to opponents to just 42.9% accuracy on 2-pointers, ranking No. 5 overall.
- Plenty of experience: WVU ranks No. 5 natioanlly in Division I experience (2.76 years).
WVU Weaknesses
- Struggles to defend the long ball: WVU is letting opponents shoot 35.2% on 3-pointers, which ranks No. 254 in opponent 3-point percentage.
- Free-throw struggles: West Virginia ranks No. 279 in team free-throw percentage (68.9).
- Strength-of-schedule issues : WVU ranks No. 347 in strength of schedule.
WVU Name to Know
5-foot-10 sophomore guard Honor Huff (No. 3)
+ Good scorer (17.1 points per game)
+ Elite from deep (41..4% on 3-pointers)
+ Solid free-throw shooter (80.3% at the line)
+ Steals magnet (1.4 per game)
- Bad rebounder (1.8 per game)
- Not much of a passer (1.1 APG)
Kansas-WVU game prediction
It’s never easy playing a road game in Morgantown. The Jayhawks are well aware of that, having played some tough matchups against the Mountaineers over the years.
This WVU team isn’t great but is still likely to present some challenges for the Jayhawks. First, the Mountaineers’ defense will test KU’s offense, as West Virginia is elite at locking down anything inside the arc.
On top of that, WVU has some quality shooters who could pose problems. In recent games, KU’s communication has been pretty poor on defense and that’s led to players taking (and too often missing) wide-open 3-pointers. That can’t happen on Saturday.
The last thing you want to do is let WVU gain momentum and mobilize its rowdy crowd down the stretch. That said, I expect Kansas to take care of business on Saturday and earn its first road Big 12 win of the season.
Prediction: Kansas 68, WVU 62
Shreyas’ pick to cover the spread: Kansas (-4.5)
Shreyas’ season record: 13-2
Shreyas’ record against the spread: 11-4
KU Player to Watch: Darryn Peterson
Kansas coach Bill Self is optimistic that freshman star Darryn Peterson is full-go for Saturday after dealing with cramps.
He said that Peterson has felt good and has been practicing at full-speed after dropping 32 points on TCU Tuesday. If you’re West Virginia, that’s a terrifying statement.
Peterson scored those points in just 32 minutes of action. How he looks at West Virginia — and how many minutes he’s able to play — should provide a clearer picture on his current health status overall.
