WVU Basketball

5 Things to Know Before WVU vs. No. 6 Iowa State

Published

2 months ago

February 24, 2024

Kelsie LeRose / WVSN

WVU Basketball begins a quick tow-game road stand starting on Saturday vs. No. 6 Iowa State. Let’s take a look at five things to know before the game.

Meet the Opponent: Iowa State

Iowa State and West Virginia have yet to match up this season. This will be the only game between the two this season. Iowa State has had a very successful season so far, reaching No. 6 in the AP poll this past week.

The Cyclones average 62.9 points per game, which is seventh-best in the country. ISU is led by Keshon Gilbert (14.3 ppg), Tamin Lipsey (12.8 ppg) and freshman Milan Momcilovic (11.9 ppg).

Iowa State recently lost to Houston, as the two are competing for the Big 12 Regular Season Title.

Can WVU Build Off Momentum From UCF Win?

The Mountaineers have not played a great brand of basketball throughout the majority of the season while inserting players back into the rotation. Against UCF on Tuesday, West Virginia played a complete game and showed once again that they can give opposing Big 12 teams a run for their money at home.

WVU shot 48% from the field, 50% from three and played a good zone defense to disrupt UCF’s offense that shot 24% from three on 38 attempts.

WVU G RaeQuan Battle looked like the to-go scorer he was when he first became eligible for the Mountaineers. Battle has scored 70 points on 46% shooting in his last three games. The Montana State transfer finished this game with 24 points on 7-of-15 shooting. Jesse Edwards finished with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds on efficient field goal shooting. Kerr Kriisa dished out seven assists with only one turnover. WVU also had bench production from sophomore forward Josiah Harris, who was a perfect 3-of-3 from the field with eight points.

It was an overall great game by West Virginia, who was in desperate need of getting back into the win column. Can they now build momentum going on the road?

Takeaways: WVU Basketball Played a Complete Game vs. UCF

WVU Still Winless Out of Morgantown

West Virginia is 0-10 away from Morgantown this season; 0-6 in road games and 0-4 on neutral sites. Dating back to the 2021-22 season, WVU is 2-22 in their last 24 Big 12 road games.

Iowa State is 15-0 at home this season.