Pair of Conference Wins Propel WVU to 12 in Latest AP Poll

The West Virginia Mountaineers received a nice boost in the AP Top-25 Poll this week, moving up five spots to No. 12 in the nation.

This is WVU’s fifth straight week in the top-15. The Mountaineers broke into the rankings at the No. 25 spot before moving up to 22 and then 16 in subsequent weeks. A loss at then-No. 3 Kansas dropped the Mountaineers to No. 17 last week, with wins over Oklahoma State and then-No. 22 Texas Tech propelling them now to No. 12.

West Virginia currently sits at a 13-2 record with the team’s only losses coming on the road against Saint John’s and then-No. 3 Kansas.

Other Big 12 teams in the Ap Poll include Baylor (No. 2), Kansas (No. 6), and Texas Tech (No. 23).

West Virginia sports one of the best defenses in the conference, allowing the second-least amount of point per game (59.9) and having the lowest opponent shooting percentage (35.1%). They also lead the Big 12 in total rebounding (42.3), offensive rebounding (14.3) and rebounding margin (8.2).

Big men Oscar Tshiebwe and Derek Culver are the two leading rebounders in the conference, averaging 9.8 and 9.6 rebounds per game, respectively. Tshiebwe also leads the conference in offensive rebounding (4.3) while Culver ranks fifth (2.9). Tshiebwe and Culver own seven of the top nine individual rebounding performances of the season in the Big 12 so far, with both sharing the top spot with an 18 rebound performance.

WVU’s next game comes Tuesday evening against the 12-3 TCU Horned Frogs at home. Tip-off from the WVU Coliseum is set for 9 p.m.