Shanna Rose | WV Sports Chat
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Saturday afternoon will mark West Virginia’s 30th all-time meeting with Kansas in a Big 12 series that began in 2013, when the Mountaineers joined the league.
WVU has produced several memorable moments against the Jayhawks, including last season’s 62-61 win at Allen Fieldhouse and an unexpected 91-85 victory in Morgantown two years ago during a 9-23 campaign. Other highlights include a 91-79 home win in 2021 and buzzer-beaters in 2019 and 2015.
The Mountaineers’ largest margin of victory over Kansas came during the “Press Virginia” era in 2017, when WVU defeated the then-No. 2 Jayhawks by 16 points. The program’s first-ever win in the series also stands out, a 92-86 upset of eighth-ranked Kansas on March 8, 2014.
The Jayhawks come to Morgantown with another explosive lineup led by 6-foot-6 freshman guard Darryn Peterson, who is competing with BYU’s AJ Dybansta to be the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
Peterson remains No. 1 on ESPN.com’s draft board despite missing time earlier this season with a hamstring injury. He has scored 26 and 32 points in his last two games since returning to the lineup and is averaging 22.5 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the floor through six appearances.
“He’s an elite defender with great size,” Mountaineer head coach Ross Hodge said. “He’s got a quick first step and can get to spots. He can shoot the ball with range and he’s a good passer. He doesn’t really have a lot of holes in his game, per se.
“That’s why the onus is on the team and the group to make sure we don’t give a player like that easy ones – wide-open 3s or layups in transition. Then you want to try and keep him off the foul line as best as you can,” he said.
With Peterson or Dybansta projected as the likely No. 1 pick, Saturday could mark the first time since Andrew Wiggins scored 41 points in Kansas’ six-point loss at WVU in 2014 that WVU fans see the nation’s top NBA prospect inside the Coliseum.
The Jayhawks also boast a strong supporting cast. Tre White is averaging 15.0 points and 7.1 rebounds, Flory Bidunga is contributing 14.3 points and 9.1 boards, and Melvin Council Jr. adds 13.7 points and 5.1 assists per game.
Kansas (11-4, 1-1) is averaging 77.7 points per contest while shooting 47 percent from the floor.
In Big 12 play, the Jayhawks dropped an 81-75 decision at UCF before rallying from 16 points down to defeat TCU 104-100 in overtime earlier this week.
“They are so explosive in transition,” Hodge said. “They do such a good job of playing with force and just a relentless nature of getting paint touches. Obviously, they have a couple of lob threats and shot makers, and it’s just that continuous, never-stopping, down-hill paint presence that will require us to play our best defensive transition game of the year.”
Hodge also noted Kansas’ defensive versatility.
“They switch a lot of your off-the-ball actions, your ball screening actions and so it’s that fine line of wanting to be able to find and exploit mismatches, but at the same time you can’t get stale and stagnant where you are just kind of standing around,” he said.
The Mountaineers (10-5, 1-1) earned their first conference victory Tuesday night with a 62-60 win over Cincinnati. Honor Huff led WVU with 24 points, knocking down 6 of 10 attempts from 3-point range.
Treysen Eaglestaff’s late shot-clock triple with 1:12 remaining gave the Mountaineers a lead they did not relinquish.
Eaglestaff finished with 10 points, while Chance Moore added 14 off the bench.
Saturday will be the Jayhawks’ 13th appearance at Hope Coliseum, where WVU owns a 7-5 record against them. The Mountaineers have won two straight in the series for the first time since the 2014-15 seasons.
Tipoff is scheduled for noon and the game will be televised nationally on FOX. The contest has been announced as a sellout.
Photo Credit: Dale Sparks- All Pro Photography- WVU Athletics
