The Kansas Jayhawks and the West Virginia Mountaineers tip off Big 12 Conference men’s basketball action on Tuesday, Dec. 31, in Lawrence, Kan.
Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. central on ESPN+. The Jayhawks (9-2) are No. 7 in the AP Top 25 while West Virginia (9-2) is not ranked.
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Kansas is probably where most expected it to be, given the quality of the team, the program and the schedule WVU is the surprise, with a first-year coach, a flipped roster and a program that has two Top 25 wins to hang its hat on.
The students may be out of town, but don’t worry — Allen Fieldhouse will be full for this one.
Here is a preview of Tuesday’s game.
How to Watch Kansas vs. West Virginia
Date: Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Time: 1 p.m. CT
TV Channel: ESPN+
Sign up for ESPN+ now to stream live Kansas vs. West Virginia!
Site: Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, Kan.
Kansas vs. West Virginia Betting Odds, Lines
Opening Line: Kansas -12.5
Current Line: Kansas -13.5
Over/Under: 141.5
Kansas vs. West Virginia Predictions
Kansas had one bad week back in early December — a road loss at unranked Creighton (which had been ranked earlier in the season) and unranked Missouri (and that was a BAD loss). Before and after, it’s been business as usual. KU beat four high-major teams, including Michigan State, Duke and North Carolina.
The Jayhawks have had some injury issues, but nothing like last season. Center Hunter Dickinson (15.5 ppg, 10.3 rpg) and guard Dajuan Harris Jr. (10.3 ppg, 5.7 apg) are the holdovers that lead the way. Lawrence native and transfer guar Zeke Mayo (13.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg) has been a great fit and he’s played like he should have been at Kansas from the start of his career.
Coach Bill Self is running a nine-man rotation and the 3-point shooting hasn’t been consistently there yet (35.7% as a team). One player to watch here is Shakeel Moore, a graduate transfer who suffered a stress fracture in his foot and returned earlier this month. He was a 36% shooter from the arc last season. He played 14 minutes against Brown and should log at least that much time against WVU.
West Virginia and first-year coach Darian DeVries already have two Top 25 wins over Gonzaga and new Big 12 member Arizona. The losses are to Pitt and Louisville. He put together a challenging schedule and the Mountaineers are 3-2 against high-major teams.
Unlike the past few years, WVU has an competitive interior game, led by forward Amani Hansberry (10.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg) and center Eduardo Andre (4.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg). It’s more consistent than the past couple of years. But when the Mountaineers need points they’re going the perimeter to former Oklahoma State star Javon Small (19.7 ppg, 4.8 apg, 2.1 spg) and Tucker DeVries (14.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg).
The problem is that coach DeVries made it sound like both Hansberry (ankle) and his son (shoulder) were game-time decisions during his final media availability before the trip. Tucker DeVries hasn’t played since the Georgetown game in early December. That’s worth tracking leading up to game time.
Kansas 77, West Virginia 70
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Kansas (85.9% Chance of Winning)
Odds Shark: West Virginia 77, Kansas 73
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
