West Virginia will face BYU in the Big 12 Tournament, following BYU’s win over Kansas State. BYU defeated Kansas State after AJ Dybantsa’s 40-point performance and a Big 12 Tournament record of 105 points. BYU lost to West Virginia 79-71 on February 28 and will be aiming for revenge.
The game is scheduled for 6pm CT on ESPN2.
BYU’s Tournament Outlook
This game is a Quad 2 game for BYU. A win would improve their resume as they aim for a 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
BYU’s wins include victories over Cincinnati (H/A), Kansas (H), Colorado (H), Arizona State (A), Kansas State (H), UCF (A), BYU (H), and UCF (H). Losses include 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), and Oklahoma State (A).
West Virginia’s Perspective
West Virginia is aiming to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive with a win in this game.
West Virginia is the slowest tempo team in the Big 12. They had 18 offensive rebounds versus BYU in their previous contest.
The Previous Matchup
West Virginia managed to limit AJ Dybantsa to 20 points in their previous encounter. Rob Wright scored 23 points, and Alexsej Kostic added 12 off the bench.
BYU trailed by 14 points at halftime but narrowed the gap to within three points in the final minutes. Turnovers and West Virginia’s second-chance points proved decisive.
Brenen Lorient scored 18 points and grabbed 7 offensive rebounds for West Virginia. BYU held Honor Huff to 3-10 shooting from three, but he shot 6-7 from the foul line. West Virginia is the worst three-point shooting team in the Big 12 but has the second-highest attempt rate in the conference after Texas Tech.
Keys to the Game
BYU is coming into this game with some confidence and West Virginia comes in motivated to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive. West Virginia previously made things difficult for AJ Dybantsa. BYU will need someone like Moo Davis to knock down shots to open up some space for AJ.
Khadim Mboup, who was limited in the previous game, is now more healthy. He is coming off a 14 point rebound performance versus Kansas State.
Rob Wright is expected to play, but it will be wo
West Virginia’s performance will be crucial as they seek to strengthen their position for a potential NCAA Tournament berth.