The West Virginia Mountaineers will be back in Morgantown on Tuesday night after falling to No. 3 Iowa State on the road in the Big 12 opener in Ames.
West Virginia has yet to lose a game at home at the Hope Coliseum this season, and they will face a Cincinnati team which will make the trip to Morgantown from the bordering Buckeye State. Here's your full guide to the action.
How To Watch WVU Basketball vs. Cincinnati
Date: Tuesday, January 6
Time: 7 PM EST
Venue: Hope Coliseum, Morgantown, W.Va
How to watch (TV): ESPN2
Radio: Mountaineer Sports Network/Varsity Network (coverage begins at 6 PM EST)
WVU record: 9-5, 0-1
Cincinnati record: 8-6, 0-1
Odds
The Mountaineers open the game against the Bearcats as 3.5-point favorites, and the points total for the matchup is set at 129.5 points
Cincinnati Preview
Cincinnati entered Big 12 play with an 8-5 record. WVU and Cincinnati shares three non-conference opponents, including the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers, who they beat by 17. Two of Cincinnati’s losses came against teams that West Virginia also were defeated by, as they lost to Xavier by five and Clemson by three. These are two teams that West Virginia lost to as part of the Charleston Classic in November. The Bearcats also fell to then-No. 6 Louisville Cardinals in November. In a strikingly similar fashion to that of West Virginia, Cincinnati has yet to add a true resume-building win to its portfolio. All of their wins come against mid-major and low-major programs.
Like WVU, Cincinnati opened Big 12 play with a tough test when it hosted No. 8 Houston. Cincinnati held a 10-point lead early in the second before the Cougars put their foot on the gas and pulled out a 67-60 win on the road.
Numbers to Know
15 - Cincinnati committed 15 turnovers in the home loss to one of the nation’s top defenses in Houston. The 15 turnovers are only slightly above the season average for Cincinnati, which is averaging the most turnovers per game in the Big 12 with 13.2.
31.6 - In the first two games to open Big 12 play, WVU will have faced the league’s best and worst three-point shooting teams. Iowa State is shooting an impressive 41.9% from downtown and made 13-of-25 in the win over WVU. Meanwhile, Cincinnati is making just 31.6% of its 3-point attempts, all while averaging the second-most attempts from beyond the arc.
74.6 - Through the team’s 14 games, there is only one team in the Big 12 averaging fewer points than West Virginia, and that is Cincinnati by a slim margin. WVU is averaging 74.9 points, and the Bearcats are averaging 74.6. It will be interesting to see how West Virginia’s defense plays against an offense that has struggled at times this season.
Players to Know
A pair of familiar faces will be back at the Hope Coliseum on Tuesday night. Sencire Harris, who spent last season as a starter for the Mountaineers, has since taken his talents to Cincinnati, where he is averaging 6.9 points per game. The defensive-minded junior guard shot an abysmal 11.3% from three-point territory as a Mountaineer on nearly two attempts per game, but was a lockdown defender for WVU. College basketball journeyman Kerr Kriisa will also be suiting up for the Bearcats on Tuesday. Kriisa spent the 2023-24 season in Morgantown and is averaging 7.3 points and 3.8 assists per game this season.
The Bearcats are led by 6-foot-11 Baba Miller, who is averaging a double-double this season of 13.4 points and 11.2 rebounds to go along with 1.5 blocks. Miller spent last season at FAU, where he averaged over 11 points and 7 rebounds.
Senior Day Day Thomas is a familiar face for Cincinnati, who has averaged in double-figures through his previous two seasons. This season, he is averaging 13 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, all of which are career highs. Although Cincinnati struggles as a team from beyond the arc, Thomas is making over 46% of his nearly six attempts per game.
Series History
This will be the 26th meeting between the West Virginia Mountaineers and Cincinnati Bearcats, and the Mountaineers lead 13-12 overall. WVU went 2-0 against Cincinnati last season, winning 63-50 on the road and 62-59 at home.
Commentary Teams
The commentary team for the ESPN2 broadcast is still unannounced, while the radio broadcast will see the usual team of Tony Caridi, Brad Howe, and David Kahn on the call.
Tickets
For those looking to catch the action live at Hope Coliseum, you can purchase tickets online through WVU at WVUGAME.com or via resale on SeatGeek, which serves as the official fan-to-fan ticket marketplace of WVU Athletics.