Shanna Rose | WV Sports Chat
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia returns home Saturday night looking to halt a three-game slide when No. 19 BYU visits Hope Coliseum for a key Big 12 matchup.
The Mountaineers (16-12, 7-8 Big 12) are one game behind the Cougars in the conference standings despite dropping six of their last nine. West Virginia again let a second-half lead slip away Tuesday at Oklahoma State, falling in overtime after trailing by as many as 14 points in the second half.
BYU (20-8, 8-7) arrives in Morgantown for its third visit since 2024 and has won twice in the building since joining the league. The Cougars also handled West Virginia 77-56 last season in Provo and lead the all-time series 4-1.
While much of the attention will center on BYU freshman forward AJ Dybantsa, West Virginia coach Ross Hodge emphasized the collective challenge his team faces against one of the Big 12’s most efficient offenses.
“He really is a special player and a generational talent,” Hodge said earlier this week. “His size, versatility and fluidity at that spot has really turned him into a de-facto point guard for them. They space the floor around him really well, and him and (guard) Rob Wright really have a good one-two punch going right now.”
Dybantsa leads the nation in scoring at 25.1 points per game, but BYU’s balance has driven its success. The Cougars rank second in the Big 12 in scoring and rebounding and third in field-goal percentage. Guard Robert Wright III averages 18.1 points and scored a season-high 39 in an overtime win over Colorado earlier this month.
BYU has adjusted after losing second-leading scorer Richie Saunders to a season-ending knee injury.
“They had to reinvent themselves a little bit through the year with injuries, including the recent one to Saunders, which disappointed everybody. (Saunders is) one of the better players in the Big 12,” Hodge said.
For West Virginia, improving floor balance and transition defense has been a point of emphasis after repeated slow starts in the second half.
“Typically, you are going to have your guards stopping the ball in transition, but because AJ has the ball so much, you may have some different alignments in your transition defense,” Hodge said. “You never really have a man in transition — you’re just sprinting back and you’ve got to get matched up — but you do kind of get in rhythms and ebbs and flows, where a Jasper (Floyd), Amir (Jenkins) or Honor (Huff) is going to be the person typically stopping the ball.
“Against them, it’s probably going to be someone else.”
Offensively, the Mountaineers will lean on senior guard Honor Huff, who ranks fourth on WVU’s single-season list with 96 made 3-pointers and is tied for 43rd nationally in career made threes. Chance Moore has provided a boost down the stretch, averaging 11.4 points and 6.6 rebounds over his last five games.
Saturday’s matchup also carries historical weight for the Coliseum, which has hosted several future No. 1 NBA draft picks over the years. Another sellout crowd is expected, with fans encouraged to participate in “Stripe the Coliseum” by wearing gold or blue based on seating sections.
The game is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. ET tip and will be televised nationally on FOX.
Photo Credit: WVU Athletics
