Prediction for KU basketball vs. WVU, plus betting odds for this Big 12 matchup

Shreyas Laddha
·3 min read

The No. 3-ranked University of Kansas men’s basketball are set to face West Virginia in Morgantown on Saturday.

The Jayhawks (15-2, 3-1 Big 12) beat Oklahoma State on Tuesday. Meanwhile, WVU lost to Oklahoma.

Kansas has a 19-6 record against the Mountaineers all-time.

Below is a scouting report and prediction of the game.

No. 3 Kansas vs. West Virginia

When/where: 3 p.m., WVU Coliseum (Morgantown, West Virginia)

TV/Streaming: ESPN+

Opponent’s record: 6-11, 1-3 Big 12

KenPom (Ken Pomeroy) Ranking: 141

Betting line: Kansas is a 10-point favorite

All statistics are from KenPom.com, Hoop-Math.com and EvanMiya. KenPom stats only include Division-I competition.

WVU Team Strengths

  • Foul-shot creators: The Mountainers rank No. 52 (38.5%)) in free-throw rate. Kansas ranks No. 189.

  • Tough opponents: WVU is battle-tested, ranking No. 34 in strength of schedule.

  • Trust in bench: West Virginia coach Josh Eilert likes to go deep in his rotation, with his team ranking No. 22 in bench minutes pct. (40.6).

WVU Team Weaknesses

  • No longball: WVU ranks No. 312 in 3-point percentage (30.3). In comparison, KU ranks No. 43.

  • Offensive woes: The Mountainers struggle to get quality shots, ranking No. 297 in effective field-goal percentage (46.5).

  • Turnover galore: WVU struggles to take care of the ball, ranking No. 186 in turnover percentage (17.6)

WVU Name to Know

6–foot-5 senior guard RaeQuan Battle (No. 12)

+ Leading scorer (19 points per game)

+ Quality rebounder (4.3 rebounds per game)

+ Quick hands (1.7 steals per game)

- Struggles to shoot (shooting 25.6% from 3-point range)

– Not much of a passer (.9 assists per game)

- Turnover prone (1.9 turnovers per game)

Tale of the Tape

Battle is a one-man scoring machine for a team that struggles to score. Here, he completed the alley-oop dunk on a fastbreak after a pass by Kerr Krissa. For the Jayhawks, priority number one should be to keep an eye on Battle. Especially on fastbreaks; there’s a high chance he’s going toward the rim (shooting 72.7% at the rim this season).

For KU, the goal will be to mark him on fastbreaks and get ahead of him before he can get to the rim. Doing so will help limit his high-flying athleticism.

Game Prediction

Historically, the Jayhawks have struggled to beat West Virginia in Morgantown under coach Bill Self.

Luckily for KU, this might be one of the worst WVU teams in the Self era. For the Jayhawks, the biggest thing is not turning over the ball and staying out of foul trouble.

As long as Kansas does that, KU should come out on top.

Shreyas’ prediction: Kansas 71, WVU 59

Shreyas’ pick to cover the spread: Kansas (-10)

Shreyas’ season record: 12-3

Shreyas’ record against the spread: 9-6

KU Player to watch: Kevin McCullar

McCullar has become a bit of a second-half player on the offensive end lately, with quiet first halves and then exploding in the second half.

He may need to have his A-game from tipoff on Saturday. He will likely guard Battle, so not only does McCullar need to limit Battle’s impact, but McCullar also needs to give his usual stellar offensive production.