WVU Basketball

5 Things to Know Before WVU vs. Drexel

Published

5 months ago

December 9, 2023

West Virginia hosts Drexel on Saturday as they look to end their losing streak. Let’s take a look at five things to know before the game.

Meet the Opponent: Drexel

Drexel enters Saturday’s game 5-4 with a notable win over then-ranked Villanova last weekend. The Dragons average 64.8 points (340th in the country) and have a bottom-ten adjusted tempo in the country. Expect a slow-paced, dogfight between WVU and Drexel.

Drexel is coached by Zach Spiker, who is in his eighth season with the program. Spiker is looking to get the Dragons back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021.

Akok Back, Kriisa Close

WVU F Akok Akok made his return to the court against Pitt after six weeks of precautions. Akok collapsed on the floor on Oct. 27 against George Mason. Akok played eight minutes against Pitt, recording two rebounds and two blocks.

“We’re so happy for the kid,” WVU interim HC Josh Eilert said on Wednesday. “The fear of him losing basketball is crushing.”

Starting guard Kerr Kriisa is very close to returning to the Mountaineers as he’s serving game No. 8 of his nine-game suspension on Saturday. Kriisa is eligible to return to play next Saturday against UMass. Kriisa received unauthorized benefits while enrolled at Arizona and has yet to make his WVU debut.

Already a Must-Win for WVU

West Virginia currently sits at 3-5. Even with a short-handed roster, the Mountaineers are already in a must-win situation in December. Drexel is a quad-3 game for WVU. West Virginia can’t afford another “bad” loss on their resume.