PREMIUM
Rogers' Friday Night ESPN2 SPECIAL >> Iowa St @ WVU!
(NCAAB) Iowa State vs. West Virginia,
Point Spread: 8.00 | -106.00 Iowa State (Away)
Result: Loss
Point Spread: 8.00 | -106.00 Iowa State (Away)
Result: Loss
The set-up: The 23-7 West Virginia Mountaineers are ranked 10th in the current AP poll, while the 20-9 Iowa State Cyclones are ranked 24th. However, it's Iowa State which currently owns the Big 12's No. 2 seed at 12-5, as West Va. sits a game behind, at 11-6. However, If the Mountaineers can defeat the Cyclones tonight (West Va. has already won 85-72 in Ames back on Jan. 31), they own all tiebreakers over Iowa State and Baylor for the second seed in the conference tourney which will take place at the Sprint Center in Kansas City next week.
Iowa State: The Cyclones enter on a six-game winning streak, which includes a win over then-No. 9 Baylor. The Cyclones also won 92-89 at now-No. 1 Kansas on Feb. 4th, in the game following their home loss to the Mountaineers. Monte Morris leads the team in scoring (16.1 PGG) and the Big 12 in assists (6.2 per). He just missed out on his second triple-double of the season in an 86-83 victory over Oklahoma State on Tuesday, when he finished with 12 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds. Naz Mitrou-Long (15.8 & 4.7), Deonte Burton (14.3 & 6.4) and Matt Thomas (12.0 & 4.0) also are averaging double digits in points for the Cyclones. All four are guards and often, head coach Steve Prohm has five guards on the court, creating a difficult matchup for most teams. Iowa state averages 80.6 PPG (29th) and shoots 39.8 percent from three-point range (17th).
West Virginia: Bob Huggins once again has a quality team. The Mountaineers had their three-game winning streak snapped with a 71-62 loss at Baylor on Monday. "Defensively, we got real tentative," coach Huggins told reporters. "And they really just beat us to death on the glass." That was a big win for Baylor but as noted, West Va. just needs to win here at home and it will claim the No. 2 seed for the Big 12 tourney. Depth is a key for this team, as 10 players average 11-plus minutes, chipping in between 4.5 and 12.9 PPG. The best of the group is PG Carter (12.9-4.9-4.) plus the 6-8 Ahmad (11.7 & 4.1) and the 6-9 Adrian (10.1 & 6.0) could create some problems inside for a small Iowa State lineup.
The pick: West Va. is 15-2 SU in Morgantown and just needs to win (not cover) to claim that No. 2 seed. On the other side, a win by Iowa State means avoiding Oklahoma State, one of the hottest teams in conference, in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Tonight's contest also could play a big role in seeding for the NCAA Tournament. All things being equal, I want the avenging team getting the points. Make Iowa State an 8* play.
Iowa State: The Cyclones enter on a six-game winning streak, which includes a win over then-No. 9 Baylor. The Cyclones also won 92-89 at now-No. 1 Kansas on Feb. 4th, in the game following their home loss to the Mountaineers. Monte Morris leads the team in scoring (16.1 PGG) and the Big 12 in assists (6.2 per). He just missed out on his second triple-double of the season in an 86-83 victory over Oklahoma State on Tuesday, when he finished with 12 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds. Naz Mitrou-Long (15.8 & 4.7), Deonte Burton (14.3 & 6.4) and Matt Thomas (12.0 & 4.0) also are averaging double digits in points for the Cyclones. All four are guards and often, head coach Steve Prohm has five guards on the court, creating a difficult matchup for most teams. Iowa state averages 80.6 PPG (29th) and shoots 39.8 percent from three-point range (17th).
West Virginia: Bob Huggins once again has a quality team. The Mountaineers had their three-game winning streak snapped with a 71-62 loss at Baylor on Monday. "Defensively, we got real tentative," coach Huggins told reporters. "And they really just beat us to death on the glass." That was a big win for Baylor but as noted, West Va. just needs to win here at home and it will claim the No. 2 seed for the Big 12 tourney. Depth is a key for this team, as 10 players average 11-plus minutes, chipping in between 4.5 and 12.9 PPG. The best of the group is PG Carter (12.9-4.9-4.) plus the 6-8 Ahmad (11.7 & 4.1) and the 6-9 Adrian (10.1 & 6.0) could create some problems inside for a small Iowa State lineup.
The pick: West Va. is 15-2 SU in Morgantown and just needs to win (not cover) to claim that No. 2 seed. On the other side, a win by Iowa State means avoiding Oklahoma State, one of the hottest teams in conference, in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Tonight's contest also could play a big role in seeding for the NCAA Tournament. All things being equal, I want the avenging team getting the points. Make Iowa State an 8* play.
