The BYU Cougars and the West Virginia Mountaineers continue Big 12 Conference men’s basketball action on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Morgantown, W.Va.
Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. central. West Virginia (15-8, 6-6 in Big 12) and BYU (15-8, 6-6) are not ranked.
Both teams have the same conference record, but the Mountaineers appear to be in a far safer spot when it comes to the NCAA Tournament.
West Virginia is No. 9 seed in ESPN’s Bracketology, while the Cougars are right on the bubble. Plus, WVU is ranked just three spots ahead of BYU in NCAA NET (No. 38 and No. 41, respectively.
There is much on the line, especially for BYU.
Here is a preview of Tuesday’s game.
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025
Time: 6 p.m. CT
TV Channel: CBS Sports Network
Site: WVU Coliseum, Morgantown, W.Va.
Opening Line: West Virginia -2
Current Line: West Virginia -2
Over/Under: 137
The Mountaineers lost Tucker DeVries for the season, but they’ve played without him for nearly two months. Learning that news was more about closure than learning to play on without him. WVU has figured out how to do that.
Still, the bloom is off the rose just a bit, as WVU is 3-4 in its last seven games. It will be interesting to see if coach Darian DeVries can keep the Mountaineers moving enough to get back to March Madness.
Guard Javon Small is clearly a first-team All-Big 12 selection at this point, averaging 18.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game. WVU will go as far as the former Oklahoma State Cowboy will take them.
BYU picked the wrong time to hit a losing streak. The Cougars won four straight games before back-to-back losses to Arizona and Cincinnati last week. BYU needed a split. Why? After WVU, the Cougars get Kansas State, Kansas and Arizona. This is a brutal two-week stretch for the Cougars, and it may define their NCAA hopes.
Guard Richie Saunders is BYU’s most consistent offensive threat, as he averages 15.1 points and shoot 44% from the arc. If he gets hot, WVU has a problem.
ESPN Matchup Predictor: West Virginia (53.8% Chance of Winning)
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