The No. 1-ranked Kansas Jayhawks (14-1) and their 19th-ranked offense head to West Virginia to take on the No. 11-ranked Mountaineers (14-1) and their 21st-ranked defense. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Jan. 12 and can be seen on ES2 and ES3.
The Mountaineers enter this game hoping for similar success after topping Oklahoma State 77-60 on Saturday. Jonathan Holton was a key piece with 15 points, nine rebounds, and three assists. The Jayhawks, meanwhile, are coming off a 69-59 win against Texas Tech on Saturday. Frank Mason III claimed his first double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
This showdown pits one of the nation’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses, as West Virginia currently ranks 19th in offensive efficiency and Kansas is 21st in defensive efficiency. Also, the Jayhawks’s 10th-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 120.4) will face off against the fourth-ranked defense of the Mountaineers (defensive efficiency of 87.6).
Notes
The West Virginia Mountaineers rank 19th for their offensive rating of 117.4. The Kansas Jayhawks have a defensive rating of 92.5 (ranked 21st).
Kansas beats West Virginia in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Jayhawks average 73.4 possessions and 1.204 points per possession, while the Mountaineers average 73.2 possessions with 1.174 points per possession.
The Kansas Jayhawks have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking 10th in the country with an eFG% of 57.3%. The West Virginia Mountaineers have split their games this season (1-1) when opponents have a similar or higher eFG%.
Kansas ranks among the best in the nation in assists at 16th (18.1 assists per game). West Virginia is ranked 27th with 17.1 assists per game.
Kansas, the 88th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.3 per game. West Virginia does worse, ranked 272nd with 2.6.
The West Virginia Mountaineers are among the best offensive rebounding teams in the country (ranked second). The Kansas Jayhawks rank 37th in defensive rebounding.
On average, Kansas forces a turnover rate of 20.9%. When West Virginia turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a superb 5-1 record.
