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Five Things to Know Before WVU vs. Texas

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Photo Kelsie LeRose / WVSN

As West Virginia looks to end a five-game losing streak when they host No. 20 Texas in Morgantown on Saturday afternoon, let’s take a look at five things to know before the game.

First Matchup

The Mountaineers traveled to Austin on New Year’s Day to take on the Longhorns, in which they ended up losing 74-59. West Virginia was without Taz Sherman, Gabe Osabuohien and Kobe Johnson due to being placed in COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

Jalen Bridges and Sean McNeil ran the offense on Jan. 1, producing 39 points in the second half. WVU’s first half drought held them back as the Longhorns took control of the entire game. The backcourt of Marcus Carr, Courtney Ramey and Andrew Jones combined for 49 points.

Keddy Johnson’s Status Isn’t Promising

On Friday, WVU head coach Bob Huggins gave an update on Johnson’s availability and progress during his injury.

“He’s been hurting for a long time. He’s sore, he can hardly walk,” Huggins said.

The senior guard has appeared in 27 games for the Mountaineers this season. Johnson is averaging 5.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Johnson has played a big role this season, giving teams nightmares on the defensive end, as well as scoring over 12 points on multiple occasions over the last couple of weeks.

Johnson’s status for the Texas game is to be determined.

West Virginia is in Need of Luck

The Mountaineers haven’t been the luckiest of teams this season. A missed call, or a bad play has changed the momentum in a lot of the games this season for WVU. Coming into Saturday’s game, West Virginia has lost 12 out of their last 13 games. They’re in need of some good luck.

Can Saturday against Texas be that lucky day for the Mountaineers and steal a win?

Betting Lines

The spread for the West Virginia and Texas game is -3 UT. The WVU money line is +135.

The over/under is 131.5.

How to Watch and Listen

You can watch West Virginia take on Texas on Saturday, at 2 p.m., on ESPN2. The Big 12 matchup will take place inside the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown.

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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