Wednesday will mark the second time WVU travels to Houston, the second time it plays Houston, and, if the betting line’s 17.5-point spread is to be trusted, the second time it loses to Houston.
In Houston’s second season in the Big 12, Mountaineer head coach Darian DeVries has the responsibility of shaping WVU’s early history and narrative against the Cougars. As WVU’s first-year head coach, he has just one matchup in the current narrative to build on, that being last season’s 89-55 Cougar win in Houston.
Former interim head coach Josh Eilert is credited with the loss for WVU. In a season where WVU would finish 9-23, Houston was the fourth team to see the roster Eilert expected to have entering the year.
The matchup against the No. 3 Houston came just one week after the national television debut of RaeQuan Battle, who scored 24 points in a three-point loss to Ohio State. With anticipation high for the Mountaineers to bounce back, Houston took out WVU’s momentum in the game, holding WVU to 22 points in the first half.
Battle scored just four points in the loss, leaving backup forward Patrick Suemnick as the only scorer in double digits with 12 points on 6-for-8 shooting. The road game made for an increased role going forward for Suemnick but also a wake-up call for the Mountaineers, who went on to defeat No. 25 Texas and No. 3 Kansas within the next four games.
This season, though, the Mountaineers do not want a wake up call, after already taking down No. 3 Gonzaga and No. 7 Kansas. With one loss in Big 12 play, WVU needs to show fight against the Cougars to prove itself worthy of a top 25 ranking.
DeVries has battled Houston just once before as a coach himself, serving as assistant coach at Creighton for a neutral site game in Honolulu in 2006. Unlike WVU, DeVries secured a winning record against Houston with an 80-72 Bluejays victory.
Now coaching in the same conference as Houston, though, a win on Wednesday for DeVries does not keep his record undefeated for nearly two more decades. In fact, his Mountaineers will welcome Houston to Morgantown later this month on Jan. 29.
Regardless, an upset victory would set the tone for DeVries as a slayer of giants, whether they come in Jayhawk, Bulldog, or Cougar form. WVU versus Houston tips off at 8 p.m. ET.
