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Big 12 leaders Baylor Bears will attempt to get back to winning ways against the No. 10 West Virginia Mountaineers on Tuesday night.
The Bears are coming off a loss to the Kansas Jayhawks in their last matchup, putting a blemish on their perfect season. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers have won three straight games and are now just 1.5 games behind the Bears for first place in the conference standings.
Match Details
Fixture: Baylor Bears vs West Virginia Mountaineers - NCAA Men's Basketball
Date and Time: Tuesday, March 2, 5:00 PM ET
Venue: WVU Coliseum, Morgantown, West Virginia
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Baylor Bears Preview
The Baylor Bears suffered their first defeat of the season on Sunday night when they lost to the Kansas Jayhawks 71-58. The nation's top three-point shooting team went just 6 of 26 from downtown and found themselves in foul trouble early on.
However, Baylor Bears head coach Scott Drew is not worried about the loss after their recent three-week COVID-19 pause. Here is what he told the press after the game:
"We had three weeks where they got worse and they had three weeks where they got better. Even Superman has kryptonite and I guess COVID protocols are ours."
Key Player - Jared Butler
The key player for the Baylor Bears heading into Tuesday's game is Jared Butler. The junior guard had an off night against the Kansas Jayhawks, scoring a season-low five points and going just one of seven from the field.
What was most uncharacteristic about the John Wooden Award nominee's performance was his lack of discipline. He had to head to the bench earlier in the first half after picking up two quick fouls and ended up being fouled out of the game altogether.
Butler will need to return to his typical scoring average and regain his focus if the Baylor Bears are to become Big-12 regular-season champions.
Baylor Bears Predicted Lineup
F Mark Vital, G Flo Thamba, G MaCio Teague, G Davion Mitchell, G Jared Butler
Also Read: NBA G League 2020-21: Top 5 players with the most potential.
West Virginia Mountaineers Preview
The West Virginia Mountaineers are coming off a 65-43 victory over the Kansas State Wildcats, improving them to 10-4 in conference play.
The Mountaineers struggled offensively against the Wildcats in the first half but were strong defensively.
The 43 points that the Kansas State Wildcats scored was the lowest scoring total that the West Virginia Mountaineers have allowed this season. The Mountaineers held their in-conference rivals to just 15.8% from three and forced 18 turnovers.
Considering the defense they displayed on Saturday and the Baylor Bears' recent shooting struggles, they will be extremely confident heading into Tuesday's affair.
Key Player - Derek Culver
Derek Culver has been excellent this season. He is averaging a double-double, with 15 points and 10 rebounds for the West Virginia Mountaineers this year.
Culver has shown a significant jump in his efficiency this year compared to his play as an underclassman. The junior forward is shooting nearly 5% better from the field and increased his three-throw rating by seven percent from last season.
West Virginia Mountaineers Predicted Lineup
F Derek Culver, F Emmit Matthews Jr., G Jalen Bridges, G Jordan McCabe G Sean McNeil
Baylor vs West Virginia Prediction
Both the Baylor Bears and the West Virginia Mountaineers have offenses that rank in the top ten for efficiency, so expect a high-scoring outcome.
However, with the Baylor Bears still gaining back their conditioning from their three-week COVID-19 pause, Derek Culver and the Mountaineers will likely come out on top.
Where to watch Baylor vs West Virginia
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.
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