West Virginia Mountaineers (8-2) vs #6 Baylor Bears (10-0)
Orleans Arena – Las Vegas, NV
9:00PM
Spread:
O/U:West Virginia
The West Virginia Mountaineers have been pretty solid in the early part of their season.
When they lost to Kent State some might have panicked prematurely but other than that the only blemish on their record is a loss to Mississippi State away from home. This team may not be as good as it has been in the past but it will have plenty of chances to steal some impressive wins against top teams in conference play. Still their toughest test of the year might be against a highly ranked Baylor team.
WVU features a great inside-outside duo in forward Kevin Jones and guard Truck Bryant. Jones is having a super season averaging 20 points and 11 rebounds while Bryant has increased his scoring all the way to 16ppg. Against Baylor it is going to be important for both to play well, especially Jones who might find it difficult battling all the size the Bears have up front. The rest of the squad will have to chip in too but it is this duo that gives the Mountaineers a chance against top teams.
Baylor
Baylor is taking their momentum from the gridiron and applying it to the hardwood…and then some. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
The Bears are a perfect 10-0 this season and if they can get into Big 12 play unscathed they have a great chance of having a season for the ages. There is a lot of talent on this team and with every game they seem to be figuring out how to play together. This club has a very high ceiling.
One of the reasons that ceiling is so high is because their best player, Perry Jones, is just scratching the surface of his potential. He is possibly the top pick in next year’s draft and has definitely stepped up his game. Perhaps watching a few from the sidelines to start the season sharpened his focus. The only thing holding his numbers back might be the fact that Baylor is playing few close games and they have amazing depth up front with Quincy Acy and freshman Quincy Miller. As long as their guards are steady this team should continue to soar.
Spread Pick:
O/U Pick:
Score Prediction: Baylor 74 – West Virginia 64
