Another top dog went down on the road last night, as the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks fell to No. 11 West Virginia in Morgantown, 74-63. With the loss, college basketball is likely looking at their fifth different top-ranked team in just ten weeks.
Jaysean Paige scored 26 points and had five steals off the bench for Bob Huggins, while Devin Williams chipped in with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Between the two of them, they shot 23-for-29 from the free throw line.
Known for their ruthless full court press, the Mountaineers forced 22 turnovers on the night, 13 of which came from KU’s veteran backcourt of Frank Mason III and Wayne Selden Jr., who also combined for just four rebounds and two assists. Unsurprisingly, their inability to deal with WVU’s pressure has people wondering just how reliable the duo can be for a team that many expect to compete for a national title.
On the inside, the Jayhawks had quite a bit more success, when they didn’t turn it over. Perry Ellis was his usual reliable self, totalling 21 points and seven rebounds. But it was once again the in ability for the KU bench to get involved, as eight reserves combined for just 10 points. Former five-star recruits Carlton Bragg and Cheick Diallo combined to play just 10 minutes and scored just three points, on a trey from Bragg.
The win puts WVU in control of the Big 12 standings at 4-0, with their next game coming on the road at Oklahoma, where a win would put them up two games in the loss column on the Sooners, and guarantee themselves of at least a split between the two toughest venues in the conference: Norman and Lawrence, where they play on February 9. No matter the result this weekend, knocking off the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks once again reminded the country of Huggins’ brilliance and ability to accomplish more with less than just about anyone else in the land.
