Kansas is averaging a respectable 7.9 3-pointers per game so fart in the 2020-21 season, but when the Jayhawks played West Virginia for the first time this season on Dec. 22, they had a barrage of 16 made shots from beyond the arc en route to a 79-65 victory. Now, as the teams prepare to rematch on Saturday, that game feels like a distant memory for both programs.
The No. 23 Jayhawks (12-6, 6-4 Big 12) are just 4-5 since then and have fallen out of the Big 12 title race while struggling to find consistency. Meanwhile, No. 17 West Virginia (12-5, 5-3) will trot out a much different version of itself as well after preseason All-Big 12 center Oscar Tshiebwe's decision to transfer shortly after the first meeting.
West Virginia is 5-3 since the first Kansas game but has continued to struggle defensively at times, especially by the standards of veteran coach Bob Huggins, who typically fields one of the nation's best defensive squads. It sets up for what should be a captivating rematch between two solid Big 12 teams seeking to boost their NCAA Tournament resumes.
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Viewing information
- When: Saturday, 2 p.m. ET
- Where: WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia
- TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
- OTT: CBS Sports App (Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast)
Storylines
Kansas: The Jayhawks have never been lower than a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament under Bill Self but are projected as a No. 5 seed right now by CBS Sports Bracketology Expert Jerry Palm. After an 8-1 start marred only by a loss to No. 1 Gonzaga, the Jayhawks have struggled mightily, seeing their hopes of competing with Baylor for the league title fall by the wayside. The past two Saturdays, in particular, have been brutal. Two weeks ago, Kansas allowed 46 second-half points in a 75-68 loss to Oklahoma. Then last week, the Jayhawks got smacked 80-61 by Tennessee, despite an 8-of-12 shooting performance from junior big man David McCormack. Five of Kansas' six losses have come away from home, including those losses the past two Saturdays, and the Jayhawks will need a solid defensive effort to avoid a similar fate this week.
West Virginia: A common refrain amongst pundits is that losing Tshiebwe, who transferred to Kentucky, has been "addition by subtraction" for the Mountaineers since it's allowed Derek Culver more room to operate in the post. Culver is averaging 13.9 points and 11.1 rebounds since Tshiebwe's departure, but those numbers are really just in line with his season average. The true beneficiary may have been sophomore guard Miles McBride. The former three-star prospect averaged 18 points per game in the first five games after Tshiebwe's exit from the lineup, including 21 and 24 point outbursts in big wins over Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. This WVU team is a significantly better 3-point shooting squad than last year's team, which was among the worst 3-point shooting teams in the country. But after ranking third last year in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom, the Mountaineers have slipped to 40th in the metric this season. Their defensive regression was obvious during Kansas' 3-point frenzy in the first meeting.
Game prediction, pick
Kansas struggles on the road, and West Virginia is out for revenge after a poor defensive effort against the Jayhawks in December. Look for the Mountaineers to hold KU under 65 this time and potentially drop them from the top 25 for the first time since the 2008-09 season. Prediction: West Virginia 79, Kansas 71
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