Preview: BYU Visits West Virginia in Key Big 12 Clash

STAR CITY, W.Va. (Interstat) — A surging BYU squad looks to solidify its postseason resume against a West Virginia team fighting to stay in the conversation when the Cougars visit the Mountaineers in a Big 12 Conference men’s basketball game Saturday.

The Cougars (19-8, 8-6 Big 12), ranked 21st in the latest AP poll, enter the WVU Coliseum matchup seeking to rebound from a 97-84 home loss to UCF on Tuesday. Despite that setback, BYU has won five of its last eight, a stretch featuring impressive road victories at Baylor and a home overtime win against Colorado.

BYU’s offense flows through freshman phenom AJ Dybantsa, who is averaging 28.4 points over his last seven games. The standout guard is coming off a 29-point performance against UCF and has scored 35 or more three times in February, including a 36-point outing in Waco. His ability to score at all three levels makes him the focal point of every opponent’s scouting report.

West Virginia (16-12, 5-10) is in a tailspin, having lost four of its last five to fall into the bottom half of the league standings. The Mountaineers are coming off a grueling 91-84 overtime loss at Oklahoma State, where guard Honor Huff played all 45 minutes and scored 20 points. Huff, the team’s leading scorer, will need a strong performance to buoy an offense that has failed to reach 70 points in four of its last five contests.

The Mountaineers’ defense, once a hallmark, has shown cracks, allowing an average of 78.2 points during their recent 1-4 skid. Containing Dybantsa and the Cougars’ efficient, high-volume 3-point attack will be their primary challenge. BYU leads the nation in 3-pointers made per game.

For West Virginia, a win would provide a crucial Quadrant 1 victory and keep faint NCAA Tournament hopes alive. For BYU, a road win would bolster its seeding profile ahead of March. The Cougars won the season’s first meeting, 85-73, in Provo on Jan. 10.

Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. EST. The game will be televised on ESPN2.