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Five Things to Know Before WVU vs. Oklahoma State

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Photo: Kelsie LeRose / WVSN

With West Virginia needing another “Quad-1” win on Saturday against Oklahoma State, let’s take a look at five things to know before the game.

The Schedule Just Got a Whole Lot Easier… For the Big 12

It has been known that the Big 12 is the best league in the country top-to-bottom. You have national championship contenders in Baylor, Kansas and Texas Tech, while the rest of the conference is either projected to make the tournament or is on the bubble. West Virginia is on the bubble after going 1-7 in their last eight games. Luckily for Bob Huggins and his team, there are a lot of chances to get back into the hunt. Now with the monkey off of their back, the Mountaineers will look to continue the momentum from their win over Iowa State on Tuesday.

West Virginia’s Next Five Games:

@ Oklahoma State (2/12)

@ Kansas State (2/14)

Kansas (2/19)

@ TCU (2/21)

@ Iowa State (2/23)

For the Big 12, this is West Virginia’s best chance to get back into the tournament hunt.

First Matchup

Back on Jan. 11, the Mountaineers beat the Cowboys in Morgantown, 70-60. Since then, WVU has only won one contest, which was Iowa State this week. West Virginia has learned a lot about themselves over the past month and possibly figured out their true identity against the Cyclones.

In the game in Morgantown, OSU turned the ball over 17 times, as Gabe Osabuohien gave them trouble all night. Osabuohien finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, two steals and a block.

If the Mountaineers can create turnovers and turn defense into offense on Saturday, they’ll have a chance to beat the Cowboys again.

Huggins Moved Around the Pieces on Tuesday

Against Iowa State, Huggins and the coaching staff shifted around the lineup, moving Kobe Johnson and Pauly Paulicap into the starting lineup, replacing Keddy Johnson and Isaiah Cottrell.

Huggins also put freshman guard Seth Wilson into the game early and Wilson took advantage of the opportunity. The once St. Vincent/St. Mary’s guard scored seven-straight points for WVU, to help the team get to an early lead over ISU.

Will Huggins keep what seemed to work earlier in the week?

Betting Lines

The spread for the West Virginia and Iowa State game is -3.5 OSU. The WVU money line is +140.

The over/under is 135.5.

I’m not surprised that WVU is an underdog on Saturday, but I am surprised that it’s not closer to even. The Mountaineers have struggled on the road this season, but they beat Oklahoma State at home by 10, so we’ll see if it’s the same story in Stillwater.

How to Watch and Listen

You can watch West Virginia take on Oklahoma State on Saturday, at 2 p.m., on ESPN2. The Big 12 matchup will take place inside the Gallagher-Iba Arena, in Stillwater

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.

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