Sunday, December 18
Morgantown, W.Va.
5:00 p.m.
West Virginia University
vs
Buffalo
Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Mountaineers, Bulls Meet for Family Day Clash on Sunday
December 16, 2022 02:14 PM | Men's Basketball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia returns to action Sunday in a special 5 p.m. tipoff against the Buffalo Bulls of the Mid-American Conference.
Buffalo (5-5) shows early season wins over Colgate, George Mason, Canisius, St. Bonaventure and St. John Fisher. Four of those came during a four-game stretch from Nov. 21 to Dec. 6.
The Bulls' five losses are to James Madison, third-ranked Connecticut, Drake, Howard and, most recently, to Tulane last Saturday. In that game, the Bulls shot just 31.1% despite having a 49 to 34 advantage on the glass. The Green Wave connected on 11 of 29 from 3-point range and forced 16 turnovers.
There are no C.J. Massinburgs on this year's Buffalo squad, but the Bulls do have a couple of outstanding guards in 6-foot-5, 180-pound sophomore Curtis Jones and 6-foot-4, 195-pound junior Zid Powell.
Jones is averaging a team-best 15.1 points per game, shooting 45.2% from the floor, while grabbing 5.1 rebounds per contest. Powell is averaging 13.8 points per game with a season-best 24 in the Colgate victory.
"They've got big guards, and they don't have real, big inside guys, so when you look at them, they're from 6-7 to 6-4 or 6-5," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said.
LaQuill Hardnett, a 6-foot-8, 205-pound senior forward from Philadelphia, is Buffalo's top inside threat with averages of 8.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. He is averaging 25.8 minutes per contest coming off the bench.
Junior forward Jonnivius Smith gives the Bulls some added size around the glass at 6-foot-9, and he shows averages of 4.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
"They've got pretty good players, and they do multiple things. They're going to play you different ways defensively, and offensively, they've got a lot of guys who are kind of the same size," Huggins said.
Buffalo is coached by Jim Whitesell, who led the Bulls to an NIT appearance two years ago and is coming off a 19-win campaign last year. He has a 435-345 record during a 28-year coaching career that also includes stints at Elmhurst, Lewis and Loyola-Chicago.
Buffalo's season rankings include 186 in KenPom, 212 in the NET and 239 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index.
West Virginia boosted its NET ranking from 11 to 8 following its 81-70 victory over UAB last Saturday evening at the WVU Coliseum.
Guard Kedrian Johnson led four double-digit scorers with a season-high 17 points while holding the nation's leading scorer, Jordan Walker, to just 6 of 17 shooting and 19 points, six below his season average.
Forward Tre Mitchell contributed 13 points and seven rebounds to go with his 19 points and six boards in the Navy win to capture Big 12 Player of the Week honors.
Mitchell (12.9 ppg.) is one of four Mountaineer players currently averaging double figures. The others are guards Erik Stevenson (13.6 ppg.) and Joe Toussaint (11.3) and forward Emmitt Matthews Jr. (10.8 ppg.).
West Virginia (8-2) is averaging 80.5 points per game.
The Mountaineers are 17th in the most recent ESPN Basketball Power Index and 20th in the KenPom rankings.
"We knew we were going to play people in the PK3, so you kind of got that in the bag. Then, we tried and schedule nonconference … but it's hard," Huggins said. "It's become harder and harder. It used to be you had a couple of these tournaments and now they're everywhere, so your schedule is a lot harder to make because of all the opportunities people have to go play at places."
WVU was idle this week for final examinations.
"The biggest thing was just maintaining our conditioning," Huggins said. "We did a lot of transition things to keep them in shape and get up a lot of shots."
Huggins, who was recognized by the Ohio State Legislature for his induction earlier this year into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, will be honored before Sunday's game as part of Bob Huggins Hall of Fame Day.
Fans will have the opportunity to see and get their pictures taken with Coach Huggins' Hall of Fame jacket, ring and trophy, and spectators are encouraged to arrive to their seats early for a special on-court presentation.
It's also a Family Day, with four tickets and a $25 concession voucher going for just $65. The matchup with Buffalo will include the annual canned food drive benefiting the Lions Club. Fans are encouraged to bring a canned food item to donate and will receive a ticket to a women's basketball home game this season.
Sunday's contest will tip off at 5 p.m. and will be televised on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ (Nick Farrell, Warren Baker and Anjelica Trinone).
Mountaineer Sports Network coverage begins at 4 p.m. on stations throughout West Virginia, online via WVUsports.com and the popular apps WVU Gameday and The Varsity Network.
Tickets are on sale through the Mountaineer Ticket Office and can be purchased by logging on to WVUGAME.com or by calling toll-free 1-800-WVU GAME.
Buffalo (5-5) shows early season wins over Colgate, George Mason, Canisius, St. Bonaventure and St. John Fisher. Four of those came during a four-game stretch from Nov. 21 to Dec. 6.
The Bulls' five losses are to James Madison, third-ranked Connecticut, Drake, Howard and, most recently, to Tulane last Saturday. In that game, the Bulls shot just 31.1% despite having a 49 to 34 advantage on the glass. The Green Wave connected on 11 of 29 from 3-point range and forced 16 turnovers.
There are no C.J. Massinburgs on this year's Buffalo squad, but the Bulls do have a couple of outstanding guards in 6-foot-5, 180-pound sophomore Curtis Jones and 6-foot-4, 195-pound junior Zid Powell.
Jones is averaging a team-best 15.1 points per game, shooting 45.2% from the floor, while grabbing 5.1 rebounds per contest. Powell is averaging 13.8 points per game with a season-best 24 in the Colgate victory.
"They've got big guards, and they don't have real, big inside guys, so when you look at them, they're from 6-7 to 6-4 or 6-5," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said.
LaQuill Hardnett, a 6-foot-8, 205-pound senior forward from Philadelphia, is Buffalo's top inside threat with averages of 8.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. He is averaging 25.8 minutes per contest coming off the bench.
Junior forward Jonnivius Smith gives the Bulls some added size around the glass at 6-foot-9, and he shows averages of 4.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
"They've got pretty good players, and they do multiple things. They're going to play you different ways defensively, and offensively, they've got a lot of guys who are kind of the same size," Huggins said.
Buffalo is coached by Jim Whitesell, who led the Bulls to an NIT appearance two years ago and is coming off a 19-win campaign last year. He has a 435-345 record during a 28-year coaching career that also includes stints at Elmhurst, Lewis and Loyola-Chicago.
Buffalo's season rankings include 186 in KenPom, 212 in the NET and 239 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index.
West Virginia boosted its NET ranking from 11 to 8 following its 81-70 victory over UAB last Saturday evening at the WVU Coliseum.
Guard Kedrian Johnson led four double-digit scorers with a season-high 17 points while holding the nation's leading scorer, Jordan Walker, to just 6 of 17 shooting and 19 points, six below his season average.
Forward Tre Mitchell contributed 13 points and seven rebounds to go with his 19 points and six boards in the Navy win to capture Big 12 Player of the Week honors.Mitchell (12.9 ppg.) is one of four Mountaineer players currently averaging double figures. The others are guards Erik Stevenson (13.6 ppg.) and Joe Toussaint (11.3) and forward Emmitt Matthews Jr. (10.8 ppg.).
West Virginia (8-2) is averaging 80.5 points per game.
The Mountaineers are 17th in the most recent ESPN Basketball Power Index and 20th in the KenPom rankings.
"We knew we were going to play people in the PK3, so you kind of got that in the bag. Then, we tried and schedule nonconference … but it's hard," Huggins said. "It's become harder and harder. It used to be you had a couple of these tournaments and now they're everywhere, so your schedule is a lot harder to make because of all the opportunities people have to go play at places."
WVU was idle this week for final examinations.
"The biggest thing was just maintaining our conditioning," Huggins said. "We did a lot of transition things to keep them in shape and get up a lot of shots."
Huggins, who was recognized by the Ohio State Legislature for his induction earlier this year into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, will be honored before Sunday's game as part of Bob Huggins Hall of Fame Day.
Fans will have the opportunity to see and get their pictures taken with Coach Huggins' Hall of Fame jacket, ring and trophy, and spectators are encouraged to arrive to their seats early for a special on-court presentation.
It's also a Family Day, with four tickets and a $25 concession voucher going for just $65. The matchup with Buffalo will include the annual canned food drive benefiting the Lions Club. Fans are encouraged to bring a canned food item to donate and will receive a ticket to a women's basketball home game this season.
Sunday's contest will tip off at 5 p.m. and will be televised on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ (Nick Farrell, Warren Baker and Anjelica Trinone).
Mountaineer Sports Network coverage begins at 4 p.m. on stations throughout West Virginia, online via WVUsports.com and the popular apps WVU Gameday and The Varsity Network.
Tickets are on sale through the Mountaineer Ticket Office and can be purchased by logging on to WVUGAME.com or by calling toll-free 1-800-WVU GAME.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's BasketballTV Highlights: WVU 90, Little Rock 58
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