The No. 10 West Virginia Mountaineers will be at Frank Erwin Special Events Center to take on the No. 24 Texas Longhorns in a Big 12 matchup. Action starts at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 16 and will air on ES2 and ES3.
The Longhorns fell to Iowa State 85-75 on Saturday. Javan Felix put together a strong game for the Longhorns, contributing 18 points, three assists, and two rebounds. The Mountaineers are coming off a 73-42 win against TCU on Saturday. Jonathan Holton stood out, accumulating 14 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.
Based on each team’s statistical profile, ball protection could play an integral role in this matchup. Texas commits the 33rd-fewest miscues in the nation (TO% of 16.0%), while the ball-hawking defense of West Virginia forces the second-most (opponents’ TO% of 26.7%). The Mountaineers could also control the offensive glass in this matchup, as they rank first in the nation in OR% at 41.8%. The Longhorns, meanwhile, place near the bottom of the nation (278th) on the defensive backboards with a DR% of 68.2%.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Longhorns winning the first matchup 56-49. Felix was a standout player in the game, producing 17 points, two rebounds, one assist, two steals, and two three-pointers.
The Longhorns look to build on their records of 16-9 Straight Up (SU) and 12-12 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 7-3 ATS over their last 10 games. Opposing offenses have been stifled by the Longhorns, who allow a field goal percentage of only .403.
As for their opponent, the Mountaineers have 20-5 SU and 15-8 ATS records. West Virginia performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning an 8-2 record. The Mountaineers have been struggling of late. In their most recent 10 games, their scoring has dropped to 70.5 PPG, compared to 72.3 for the duration of the season. The Mountaineers are getting to the foul line at a high rate. Their 478 free throws made ranks 16th in Division I. West Virginia is one of the better rebounding teams in Division I. The Mountaineers average 40.0 rebounds per game, making them the 37th-best team in the country for that category. Shifting to the other side of the court, the Mountaineers allow just 64.8 points per game, ranking them 28th in the nation. Teams don’t seem to hit many three-pointers against the Mountaineers, who are seventh in the country in terms of three-point field goals allowed at 127 this season.
Texas beat West Virginia in their most recent meeting this season, moving its SU record against West Virginia to 7-3 in their most recent head-to-head meetings. Furthermore, Texas holds the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers, neither team was able to hold the advantage in all three of these categories over their past five meetings against one another.
Predictions: SU Winner – WVU, ATS Winner – WVU
Notes
Texas averages 72.3 points per game, placing the team just 151st in the nation. West Virginia ranks 28th in points allowed, giving up 64.8 points per game.
Texas scores just 74.7 points per home game (ranked 154th). West Virginia ranks 99th in points allowed on the road, giving up 72.5 points.
In its last game, West Virginia won by a margin of 31 points. Texas is 1-0 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. West Virginia has a 10-0 record in blowouts.
The West Virginia Mountaineers rank 56th for their offensive rating of 112.1. The Texas Longhorns have a defensive rating of 99.6 (ranked 97th).
The Texas Longhorns average a field goal percentage of 43.6% this season. The West Virginia Mountaineers have a winning 8-3 record in games where opponents have a FG% of 43.6% or greater.
The Texas Longhorns rank lower for their field goal percentage (205th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (191st), but the West Virginia Mountaineers have a better FG% ranking (108th) than eFG% ranking (185th).
West Virginia ranks 75th in assists, recording 15.2 per game. Texas performs worse at 281st with 11.8 assists per game.
West Virginia, the 37th-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 40.0 rebounds per game. Texas does worse, ranked 199th with 35.9.
The West Virginia Mountaineers make an average of 10.4 steals per game, ranked first in the nation. When the Texas Longhorns allow 10 or more steals, they are undefeated (1-0).
