West Virginia-TCU game features the Big 12’s top two rebounders in Culver, Samuel

MORGANTOWN — In terms of physical play, Derek Culver may have got an entire season’s worth in the final 0.3 second Saturday against Texas.

While Longhorns’ forward Jericho Sims was attempting his last-second tip-in, Culver was being dragged to the floor after coming in contact with Texas forward Greg Brown.

“Take a look at the last play of the game,” WVU head coach Bob Huggins began, before bringing up Mountaineers’ head football coach Neal Brown. “I think Neal would be happy to have any of those guys blocking for his running backs. You talk about physical, now, they were clamping on to arms and trying to run over people. It was a scrum.”

Now take that scrum and spread it over 40 minutes. That might be what awaits Culver on Tuesday, as No. 10 West Virginia travels to TCU.

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Horned Frogs junior forward Kevin Samuel is an imposing figure at 6-foot-11 and 260 pounds and Samuel has used that size to become the leading shot blocker in the Big 12 with 41 in 21 games.

“Samuel has been really good for them,” Huggins said. “You attack a shot blocker and the best way is to come into contact with them. You get contact, you kind of keep them grounded. The worst thing to do is give them space and they can use that to get a step and jump. They bother you so much more that way than they do if you have contact with them.”

The Mountaineers (15-6, 8-4) will try to end a three-game losing streak inside the Schollmaier Arena that dates back to the 2017-18 season.

TCU (11-9, 4-7) beat WVU last season there, 67-60 in overtime, and Samuel had one of his better games of the season with 19 points and eight rebounds.

A season later, Samuel is second behind Culver for the Big 12’s rebounding title. He’s averaging 9.1 points per game and is shooting 61.2% from the field.

He nearly pulled off a triple-double earlier this season with 18 points, eight rebounds and seven blocks against Oklahoma State.

In terms of physicality, having the Big 12’s top two rebounders going head-to-head seems to fit the bill, but Huggins disagreed.

“I honestly don’t remember it being that physical,” Huggins said of past matchups against Samuel and TCU. Kansas forward David McCormack “I think is a lot more physical. I think Sims has kind of learned to be more physical. He wasn’t early on in his career, but I think he’s become a lot more physical.”

TCU enters the game having lost seven of its last nine games, but those games have been spread out over the last eight weeks. The Horned Frogs have had six games postponed this season due to COVID-19 protocols.

“I think their youth is one thing that kind of jumps out,” Huggins said of TCU. “They’ve been in a lot of close games and you’d rather have veterans than young guys. They really shoot the ball well at times. They’re a bit streaky.”

Note

WVU sophomore guard Deuce McBride was named co-Player of the Week in the Big 12 after scoring 17 points and adding four assists in the Mountaineers’ 84-82 come-from-behind victory against Texas.

It’s the second time this season McBride has won the award.

He shared the honors this week with Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham.

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