West Virginia travels to Arizona State on Wednesday for a 6 p.m. CT tipoff at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe, Arizona, on Peacock. The Mountaineers (12-6, 3-2 Big 12) enter the matchup fresh off a 72-61 home win over Colorado; The Sun Devils (10-8, 1-4 Big 12) have lost four of their last five games, including a 103-73 loss at No. 6 Houston on Sunday. Arizona State is a 1.5-point favorite with an over/under of 145.5 points.
TOP STORYLINE: BOBBY HURLEY WANTS ‘MORE FIGHT’
Bobby Hurley wants “more fight” from the Sun Devils, the ASU coach said after giving up a season-high 103 points at Houston over the weekend. If Massamba Diop (14.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg) can get back into rhythm, West Virginia’s in for quite a battle for the interior; Pepperdine transfer guard Maurice “Moe” Odom dropped 36 points against Texas and another 23 in a seven-point loss to No. 1 Arizona.
MATCH UP TO WATCH: WHO WINS THE GLASS?
WVU must win the board battle to take ASU out of this one, and they have two key players they can throw at Diop inside. Senior forwards Harlan Obioha (6.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg) and Brenen Lorient (10.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg) will be instrumental in taking away second-chance points from the Sun Devils.
PREDICTION: WEST VIRGINIA 73, ARIZONA STATE 72
It’s been some time since the Mountaineers ventured into the state of Arizona, the 2008 Sweet Sixteen in Phoenix, to be precise. The Sun Devils are returning home following two top-10 road losses; Odum’s seven-game streak in double-figure scoring came to an end with eight points against Houston. WVU has enough length to get this thing done on the road, and it’ll be a fun appetizer to Arizona-Cincinnati later tonight as part of the midweek Big 12 slate.
