The WVU basketball team takes on Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday after already beating the Bears twice this year.
The match up remains a favorable one to the Mountaineers. The WVU basketball team beat the Bears by a combined 14 points in the previous two meetings, despite having a couple of their worst offensive performances.
The Mountaineers shot just 31 percent from the floor in the first game. West Virginia fared a little bit better in the second game by shooting 43 percent. The 71 points put up by the WVU basketball team in the second game was, however, the third lowest scoring output of the Big 12 slate. The lowest was the first game against Baylor as the Mountaineers put up just 57 points in the win.
The struggles are pretty clear and it’s apparent that West Virginia is simply a streaky and inconsistent team. That’s no surprise and it has been the case all season. If the Bears ramp up the defense against the Mountaineers in this tournament game, it could be a long night.
It will definitely be a low-scoring contest and neither team may reach 70 points. That does play into the hands of the WVU basketball team because the Press Virginia defense should have no holes.
Related Story: Big 12 could get nine teams in NCAA
One cause for concern could be the fact that it’s hard to beat a team three times in one season. But is that really a concern? According to WVUsports.com, the Mountaineers pulled that off last season by beating Texas twice in the regular season and once in the Big 12 Tournament.
But with how tough this conference is, anything can happen. Baylor has defeated Texas and Oklahoma State twice in the regular season and had a win against Kansas, which West Virginia did not have this season.
To hold off the Bears and advance in the conference tournament, the WVU basketball team will have to stop Jo Lual-Acil, who had a combined 27 points, 20 rebounds and seven blocks in the two previous games this season. Sagaba Konate against Lual-Acil will be another interesting match up.
Next: All-time WVU basketball team
The Mountaineers are searching for their first conference tournament crown since winning the Big East in 2010. That year, they made the Final Four. Another magical run can start right now.