Shanna Rose | WV Sports Chat
MANHATTAN, Kan. — West Virginia heads into its final road game of the regular season Tuesday night with urgency and opportunity on the line.
The Mountaineers (17-12, 8-8 Big 12) travel to face Kansas State (11-18, 2-14 Big 12) at Bramlage Coliseum in a matchup that carries postseason implications for WVU and pride for a Wildcats team closing out its home schedule.
The Mountaineers kept their NCAA Tournament hopes alive Saturday with a 79-71 win over then-No. 19 BYU, snapping a three-game losing streak and climbing back to .500 in league play. WVU is 58th in the latest NCAA NET rankings and sit within range of the tournament bubble, making Tuesday’s contest a must-have against a Kansas State team near the bottom of the standings.
The Wildcats have been navigating change. Kansas State parted ways with head coach Jerome Tang on Feb. 15, naming associate head coach Matthew Driscoll interim for the remainder of the season. Driscoll won his debut with a 90-74 upset of Baylor but has since dropped three straight to Texas Tech, Colorado and TCU.
In Saturday’s 77-68 loss to TCU, a decisive 9-0 run late proved costly. Junior P.J. Haggerty led the way with 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while senior Nate Johnson added 16 points and nine assists. Turnovers and second-chance points plagued the Wildcats, who surrendered 28 points off 18 turnovers.
Haggerty remains the focal point. The junior guard is averaging 23.3 points per game, ranking among the nation’s top scorers, and recently eclipsed 2,000 career points. He scored 16 in the first meeting with the Mountaineers but was held in check late as WVU closed on a 14-5 run to secure a 59-54 win in Morgantown on Jan. 27.
In that game, Kansas State led 49-45 with under four minutes to play before the Mountaineers responded behind timely shooting from Honor Huff and Treysen Eaglestaff. The Wildcats had two chances to tie in the final 22 seconds but came up empty.
Containing Haggerty again will be central for WVU which boasts one of the nation’s top scoring defenses at 64.7 points allowed per game — ninth nationally and second in the Big 12. The Mountaineers showed their defensive capability Saturday by limiting BYU star AJ Dybantsa below his season average in the ranked win.
Kansas State’s offense has been potent at times, averaging 79.5 points per game and connecting on 36 percent from 3-point range. The Wildcats have already set a school record with 275 made 3-pointers and have produced eight 90-point games this season. However, defensive struggles have undercut that production, as they allow 80.9 points per contest.
Personnel could play a role. Forward Khamari McGriff, who missed the first matchup, has returned to the lineup and adds size alongside Taj Manning in the paint. Kansas State could also see the return of 6-foot-7 wing Abdi Bashir Jr., a 44.4 percent 3-point shooter who has been sidelined more than a month with a stress fracture in his foot.
Historically, the Wildcats have had success at home in the series, winning four straight against WVU in Manhattan. The Mountaineers hold a 17-13 edge overall and have won the last meeting, but a road victory would carry added weight as they aim to solidify their Big 12 standing and strengthen their postseason résumé.
For Kansas State, a win would snap a three-game skid and prevent a season sweep. For WVU, it is another opportunity to stay in the tournament conversation — and maintain momentum heading into Friday’s regular-season finale against UCF.
Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN+.
Photo credit: WVU Athletics
