Venue: WVU Coliseum, Morgantown, WV
Time: 9pm
Network: ESPNU
West Virginia faces off against Scott Drew’s Baylor team on Monday at 9pm at the WVU Coliseum.
Baylor enters the game at 11-6, 3-2 in conference play. They have beat two ranked Big 12 teams this season – Iowa State (20) and Texas Tech (8). Their loses in conference have come to Texas Christian by four points and Kansas by five points.
West Virginia enters the game just above .500 at 9-8, 1-5 in conference play. Despite a historic skid, the Mountaineers managed to knock off number seven Kansas in Morgantown on Saturday.
Baylor is led by senior guard Makai Mason and sophomore forward Tristan Clark who average 14.7 and 14.6 point respectively. Mark Vital leads the Bears in rebounding with 7.7 per game.
The Mountaineers have searched for a leader all season, especially with the absence of inured junior forward Sabaga Konte. Esa Ahmad, Beetle Bolden and Derek Culver all average around 12 points per game for he Mountaineers. Culver leads the team in rebounding with 8.4 rebounds per game.
Key Matchup: Baylor’s front line vs. Derek Culver
With only three players above 6-9 on the roster, Baylor doesn’t appear to have anyone to match Culver’s motor or athleticism. A true freshman, Culver has played just eight games but has been a difference maker in each contest and has shown marked improvement. If there is no answer for Culver, look for the Mountaineers to move to 2-5 in Big 12 play.