No. 8 West Virginia faces No. 1 Kansas in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday afternoon. The Mountaineers were swept by the Jayhawks this season.
- Kansas won the first meeting in Morgantown, 76-62 and the second meeting in Lawrence, 76-74
- WVU is 0-15 against the Jayhawks all-time away from the WVU Coliseum, including 0-4 in the Big 12 Tournament
- The winner of this game faces the winner of No. 4 Baylor/No. 5 Iowa State in the Big 12 semifinals on Friday
By the Numbers
West Virginia is playing their best basketball of the season at exactly the right time. The Mountaineers have won four of their last five, with the only loss coming on the road against this same Kansas team on Feb. 25. West Virginia had the ball at the end of the game with the chance to tie or take the lead, and could not convert.
32 — West Virginia turned the ball over a combined 32 times in their two meetings against Kansas this year. The Jayhawks scored 32 points off those turnovers.
12.5 — Kansas forward and Big 12 Player of the Year Jalen Wilson averaged 12.5 points in his two games against the Mountaineers this year. Wilson is averaging 19.6 points per game and if the Mountaineers want to have a shot, they must keep him closer to 12.5 rather than 19.6.
24.4 — In West Virginia’s two games against Kansas, the Mountaineers are shooting 24.4 percent from beyond the arc. The Mountaineers must make their three-pointers if they want to have a chance to beat the Jayhawks.
Tournament Implications
Both teams are locks for the NCAA Tournament. Kansas is vying for the No. 1 overall seed. West Virginia can only improve their NCAA Tournament hopes.
Last Meeting — Kansas beat WVU 76-74 in Lawrence on Feb. 25
History — Kansas leads the all-time series, 20-6
Betting — Kansas is a 4.5-point favorite, with the total number of points set at 149
TV — ESPN
Where — T-Mobile Center: Kansas City, Missouri
When— Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. EST, but if the game prior runs late, this tip will get pushed back accordingly
Photo by Aaron Parker, Blue Gold Sports
