West Virgina men’s basketball hits the hardwood again on Saturday night and life doesn’t get any easier for the Mountaineers.
This time, they’re welcoming in Texas, a team they’ve lost their last four games to. Tip-off is seen for 6 p.m. from the WVU Coliseum, and the game will be televised on ESPN+.
Our staff gives their predictions for the game:
Wesley Shoemaker: If WVU was to get a Big 12 win, Tuesday night against Kansas State seemed like the obvious pick. It’s hard to pick the Mountaineers when they just haven’t proven they can play well on defense. The scoring seems to be there, but as interim head coach Josh Eilert said, you win games in this league on defense. Home games always should give you a chance if you’re the Mountaineers, but I think Texas gets it done.
Texas 76, West Virginia 67
Patrick Reneau: West Virginia desperately needs a win today to get some form of momentum going. Coming off 3 straight losses a ranked win would really help the mountaineers but I don’t believe they’ll be able to get it today. West Virginia has struggled to defend inside the paint with the absence of Jesse Edwards and I believe that will continue to cause them to struggle until he returns.
Texas 74, West Virginia 63
Ryan Roddy: The Mountaineers fell apart in the second half against Kansas State on Tuesday resulting in their third loss in a row. Josh Eilert has yet to figure out a good balance in his rotations as West Virginia has struggled in all aspects. Meanwhile, the No. 25 Longhorns  bounced back against Cincinnati narrowly defeating them on the road, after suffering a loss to an unranked Texas Tech team at home. While I don’t expect the game to be a complete blowout, it is hard to imagine West Virginia to have much success against a Big 12 opponent. The Mountaineer guards do what they can, but the lack of solid play from bigs is the deciding factor.
Texas 82, West Virginia 70
