[3:00 PM] Temple v. #19 West Virginia

What will be the GAME RESULT?

#19 West Virginia: Wins By 15+ Points

Any Other Result

 

• The “Press Virginia” defense employed by No. 17 West Virginia comes in especially handy for moments such as this as the Mountaineers face Temple on Friday in the NIT Tip-Off tournament championship at Brooklyn, N.Y. West Virginia forced 24 turnovers in Thursday’s 89-57 thrashing of Illinois in the first round – dropping their average to a national-best 26.5 – and with a rotation that goes some 13 deep should be able to wear down the Owls.

• Temple used an 18-4 run late in the second half en route to an 89-86 victory over Florida State on Thursday. Sophomore guard Shizz Alston Jr. sparked the run with a pair of 3-pointers and scored 11 during the spurt en route to a career-high 22 points.

• Freshman guard Quinton Rose (13.0 points per game) came off the bench to score a season-high 26 on Thursday, but is a target for West Virginia’s defense because he commits 3.0 turnovers per game. Obi Enechionyia, a 6-10 forward, averages 19.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks after scoring 16, grabbing eight boards and blocking a career-high six shots versus Florida State and provides a stiff test for the Mountaineers’ front court. Senior guard Daniel Dingle must avoid the foul trouble that plagued him Thursday and led to a five-point performance after he scored a career-high 22 against Manhattan on Sunday.

• Carter also recorded 10 points, six rebounds and five assists against Illinois while senior forward Nathan Adrian had a typical game with 13 points and eight rebounds, which are his averages for the season. Eight players scored at least seven points Thursday including sophomore forward Esa Ahmad (10.3), who is one of seven players averaging at least eight points. Junior guard Daxter Miles Jr. (9.4 points per game in 2015-16) saw his first action of the season Thursday after recovering from an unspecified illness and had eight points on 3-for-6 shooting, four fouls, three steals and two assists in 17 minutes.

• The Mountaineers’ assist-to-turnover ratio is 80:40 while their opponents are 41:105.
 

StreakSmarts Pick: #19 West Virginia: Wins By 15+ Points

Confidence: 5/10

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