5 Things to Know Before West Virginia-Bowling Green Exhibiton

As West Virginia hosts Bowling Green at the WVU Coliseum on Friday night for an exhibition game, let’s take a look at five things to know beforehand.

BGSU to Test WVU’s Transition Defense

Last season Bowling Green was a top-100 three-point shooting team. BGSU head coach Michael Huger returns guards Samari Curtis and Kaden Metheny, a Morgantown native. WVU head coach Bob Huggins made it known on Thursday that the Falcons would give West Virginia a test on the defensive side of the ball, especially in transition and on the perimeter.

“They rely on perimeter shooting. Bowling Green penetrates the pitch. It’s good for us and Metheny is going to push the ball,” Huggins said. “Transition defense is going to be really good for us [to practice].”

Team is Banged Up, Already

Throughout October, the team has struggled to get healthy. Huggins announced on Thursday that Tre Mitchell has not returned to practice after injuring his foot. Huggins is unknown of when Mitchell’s return to the floor could be.

“Tre is getting better daily,” Huggins said. “It’s going to be a little longer but he’s getting better daily.”

Mitchell did not participate in the inter-squad scrimmage on Oct. 14 and the scrimmage against Dayton last Saturday.

Emmitt Matthews (shoulder) and Patrick Suemnick (knee) also did not participate in the Gold-Blue Debut scrimmage, but Matthews has returned to practice. Huggins also mentioned on Thursday that sophomore guard Seth Wilson injured his wrist. The severity of Wilson’s injury is unknown.

How Will the Bigs Look?

Even if Mitchell participated, the bigs depth on paper is questionable. The Mountaineers will rely on many young players to step up in the frontcourt. Last season West Virginia ranked 312th in rebounding and 328th in two-point field goals. With Isaiah Cottrell transferring to UNLV and Pauly Paulicap, Dimon Carrigan and Gabe Osabuohien graduating, WVU was able to start from scratch and rebuild the frontcourt.

Expect Jimmy Bell and Mohamed Wague to lead the five-spot this season.

All Proceeds Made Go Towards Cancer Research

All proceeds made during Friday night’s exhibition game will go towards the Norma Mae Huggins Cancer Research Endowment Fund. Tickets are $10 or $15 depending on the section selected.

Where to Watch

West Virginia and Bowling Green will tipoff at 7 p.m. inside the WVU Coliseum on Friday. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN+. Mountaineer Sports Network will broadcast the game on the radio, with Tony Caridi and Jay Jacobs once again calling WVU games for the entirety of this season.