The Big 12 doesn't normally play on Friday nights, but there will be a solid top 25 matchup tonight as West Virginia hosts Iowa State. The Cyclones are on a tear with six consecutive victories and control their destiny. The Mountaineers are one game back in the standings and will need to recover from a loss to Baylor. However, they may have the advantage with a three-game winning streak over ISU. Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM Eastern time and will be broadcast on ESPN2, and on the WatchESPN and ESPN mobile apps.
No. 24 Iowa State (20-9, 12-5 Big 12)
The Cyclones have been living on the edge in recent games. They've had three straight wins by three points or less. That stretch included an upset over Baylor and knocking off a red-hot Oklahoma State team. This senior-led squad is hitting their groove at the absolute right time and this will be their biggest challenge considering they were smacked by WVU at home.
Monte Morris (16.1 ppg, 6.2 apg) nearly had a triple-double in the 86-83 win over OSU with 12 points, 11 assists, and 9 rebounds. Matt Thomas (12 ppg, 4 rpg) led the team with 25 points, with most of that produced by hitting 7-of-11 3-point field goals.
No. 10 West Virginia (23-7, 11-6 Big 12)
Baylor ended the Mountaineers' three-game winning streak with a 71-62 victory over them at home.
WVU struggled by hitting just 37.3 percent of their shots and only making 3-of-15 of their 3-point attempts. They were also outrebounded 43-23. West Virginia currently sits as a 4 seed in most NCAA Tournament projections.
Junior guard Jevon Carter (12.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg) had the best overall performance with 18 points and 9 rebounds.
They'll hope to have Esa Ahmad (11.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg) back after missing the last two games with a back injury. He's currently questionable for this contest.
Both teams could finish the regular season anywhere from the second to the fourth seed in the Big 12 tournament. West Virginia is favored by 7.5 points in this contest and the O/U is set at 152. The Mountaineers are 5-6-1 against the spread at home while the Cyclones are 8-6 on the road.
