MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — We welcome you to the final game of the 2020-21 regular season, which means simply one thing: We made it.
Think back to this summer, when team workouts were paused, because of positive COVID-19 tests within the West Virginia men’s hoops program. Think back to November, when the bracket kept changing almost daily for the Crossover Classic, as teams kept opting out over fears about the pandemic.
The world was a crazy place then, maybe it still is, but somehow we have forged through it all to get to this point today. Basketball coaches, school administrators, team doctors and players across the country should be applauded for their constant behind-the-scenes efforts, because today we reach a point that seemed too far-fetched to reach just a few months ago.
No. 6 West Virginia will host No. 17 Oklahoma State today and then both teams will get ready for next week’s Big 12 Tournament. This will be the 11th time this season the Mountaineers have faced an AP Top 25 team.
If that sounds like a lot, well it is. It actually ties a school record — WVU would have broken it if the second game against Baylor had not been cancelled — for most games against a ranked team during the regular season. The 2014-15 team also played 11 AP Top 25 teams during the regular season. That 2014-15 team also shares the record of 14 games overall (including the postseason) with the 2004-05 team.
You’d have to imagine this 2020-21 team will break that mark. The Mountaineers will likely play a ranked team in the Big 12 quarterfinals, and if WVU were to advance to the finals, could play a total of three ranked teams in the Big 12 Tournament. The Mountaineers may see a couple more ranked teams in the NCAA Tournament.
There are certainly more angles to this game today other than the strength of WVU’s schedule. At the top of the list is WVU head coach Bob Huggins going after his 900th career victory, which would make him just the sixth Division I coach to reach that total.
WVU forward Derek Culver (992 career points) is also shooting for his own personal personal achievement. He would become just the 54th player in school history to reach 1,000 points for his career. In terms of rebounds, Culver’s career total stands at 775. In the games to come, Culver could join a list of just 12 other former standouts to have 1,000 points and 800 rebounds in a WVU career.
Then there is the game itself. The Mountaineers need a win to stay above Kansas and finish second in the Big 12. A loss would see the Jayhawks move into the No. 2 seed.
A loss could also see the Mountaineers fall as far as fourth, depending on the outcome of the Texas-TCU game today. If WVU loses and Texas wins, the Longhorns own the tiebreaker, because they swept Kansas during the regular season. If both WVU and Texas lose, then WVU would be the No. 3 seed.
So, there is much on the line today, as we close out the regular season. Here’s what you need to know:
TV: ESPN2 (Comcast 36, 851 HD; DirecTV 209; DISH 143) for the 2 p.m. tip-off. BETTING LINE: West Virginia is a 10-point favorite.
THIS JUST IN
Oklahoma State star freshman Cade Cunningham (19.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg) will not play against the Mountaineers today.
Cunningham rolled his left ankle during Thursday’s loss against Baylor.
According to a report from 247Sports, Oklahoma State head coach Mike Boynton reported to OSU play-by-play voice Dave Hunziker that Cunningham would sit the WVU game out.
The freshman injured the ankle late in the game, after stepping on the foot of Baylor guard Davion Mitchell. He was helped off the court, but was seen walking on his own back to the locker room.
OSU will also be without junior guard Isaac Likekele, who is nursing a hand injury and has missed the last three games.
In the first game against WVU this season, Cunningham had 25 points and nine rebounds in 32 minutes. WVU erased a 19-point deficit in the second half for a comeback 87-84 victory. Cunningham is the projected No. 1 overall pick for the 2021 NBA Draft.
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUPS
WEST VIRGINIA (18-7, 11-5 Big 12)
F–Derek Culver, 6-10, jr., 14.8 ppg, 10.0 rpg
F–Jalen Bridges, 6-7, fr., 6.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg
F–Emmitt Matthews Jr., 6-7, jr., 7.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg
G–Deuce McBride, 6-2, soph., 15.5 ppg, 4.7 apg
G–Sean McNeil, 6-3, jr., 12.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg
OKLAHOMA STATE (17-7, 10-7 Big 12)
F–Kalib Boone, 6-9, soph., 9.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg
F–Matthew Alexander-Moncrieffe, 6-7, fr., 9.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg
G–Avery Anderson, 6-3, soph., 10.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg
G–Rondel Walker, 6-4, fr., 8.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg
G–Bryce Williams, 6-2, sr, 7.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg
PREDICTION TIME
Well’s keep it short. With no Cunningham and Likekele in the Cowboys’ lineup, there’s no way to see how WVU doesn’t roll in this one. The Mountaineers just have too much to play for. The final score prediction: WVU 82, Oklahoma State 65.
Justin’s season picks against the spread: 8-14-1.
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