Thursday, February 5
Cincinnati, Ohio
7 p.m.
West Virginia University
at
Cincinnati
Photo by: WVU Athletic Communications
WVU Plays First of Three Repeat Opponents Thursday Night at Cincinnati
February 04, 2026 12:26 PM | Men's Basketball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia will be playing the first of its three repeat opponents in Big 12 play on Thursday night at Cincinnati.
The Bearcats, now 11-11 overall and 3-6 in conference action, dropped a 62-60 decision to the Mountaineers in Morgantown back on Jan. 6. In that game, UC had a 57-52 lead with 4:46 remaining but couldn't close out the victory.
Afterward, a frustrated Wes Miller delivered a defensive, passionate and somewhat combative tirade on his postgame radio show that some UC supporters labeled "bizarre."
Since that game, the Bearcats have defeated Colorado, Iowa State and Baylor and dropped games to UCF, Arizona, Arizona State and most recently at Houston.
Such is the life in the nation's No. 1 basketball conference, which makes Thursday night's game so vitally important for both teams with less than a month remaining before the end of the regular season.
West Virginia, now 14-8 overall and 5-4 in the Big 12, saw itself on ESPN.com's Bracketology listing last weekend but was unable to strengthen its case with a 63-53 home loss last Saturday to Baylor.
With an extra day before Thursday night's clash, West Virginia coach Ross Hodge said his staff was able to use Tuesday's practice to clean up some things that they haven't been able to work on during late January in the midst of long trips to Texas and Arizona.
Hodge believes poor spacing has been a big issue in his team's three most recent games against Arizona, Kansas State and Baylor.
The Mountaineers have failed to top 60 points in each of those contests.
"When you go back and look at our good possessions that we've been able to have, there was usually really good spacing, and that allows players to make decisive and aggressive decisions with the ball," Hodge explained. "The last couple of games when we've gotten bogged down a little bit, spacing has been poor. How can you use some of the ways that people are guarding you and make sure that your spacing isn't getting in the way of how you can attack that?"
In terms of Thursday night's game against Cincinnati, Hodge has the benefit of studying what Cincinnati did to his team in the first meeting in Morgantown to come up with some different solutions.
Of course, Cincinnati will be doing likewise.
"This is the first time we've played a team for the second time," Hodge noted. "Now we've all done it, but you're looking at it the first time we played this was some things they did that hurt us and you would imagine they are looking at that and saying, 'Hey, we have an advantage in these areas' and what can we do to counterbalance that? Also, it's things you did to hurt them and now assuming they may have a counter and not let you do that.
"These games have such small margin for error, and I think the biggest thing you can't forget in all these things is you've got to be good in the margins," he added. "You've got to get loose balls, you've got to get second-chance points, and you've got to do your best to continue to rebound the ball really well and make sure that you are not getting too singularly focused on plays, actions and strategy – which is very important – but you can kind of lose the foundation of just competing."
Hodge said turnovers leading to 18 fast-break points really hurt West Virginia in the first meeting, so handling the ball will be prerogative No. 1.
"A lot of those were direct run outs," he pointed out.
Hodge is also concerned about keeping talented forwards Baba Miller and Moustapha Thiam off the offensive glass.
West Virginia (allowing 63.8 ppg.) and Cincinnati (allowing 67.4 ppg.) are two of the better defensive teams in the Big 12, so in a game where each possession is going to matter, the team that avoids giving up the easy baskets will likely come out victorious.
This will be the Mountaineers' 11th visit to Cincinnati where they have won three times, including last year's 63-50 triumph at Fifth Third Arena.
The game will tip off at 7 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN2 (Eric Rothman and King McClure). Mountaineer Sports Network radio coverage with Tony Caridi, Brad Howe and studio host David Kahn will tip things off at 6 p.m. on stations throughout West Virginia, online via WVUsports.com and the Varsity Network and WVU Gameday apps.
Overall, West Virginia owns a 14-12 record against Cincinnati in series play, including its current three-game winning streak against the Bearcats.
The Bearcats, now 11-11 overall and 3-6 in conference action, dropped a 62-60 decision to the Mountaineers in Morgantown back on Jan. 6. In that game, UC had a 57-52 lead with 4:46 remaining but couldn't close out the victory.
Afterward, a frustrated Wes Miller delivered a defensive, passionate and somewhat combative tirade on his postgame radio show that some UC supporters labeled "bizarre."
Since that game, the Bearcats have defeated Colorado, Iowa State and Baylor and dropped games to UCF, Arizona, Arizona State and most recently at Houston.
Such is the life in the nation's No. 1 basketball conference, which makes Thursday night's game so vitally important for both teams with less than a month remaining before the end of the regular season.
West Virginia, now 14-8 overall and 5-4 in the Big 12, saw itself on ESPN.com's Bracketology listing last weekend but was unable to strengthen its case with a 63-53 home loss last Saturday to Baylor.
With an extra day before Thursday night's clash, West Virginia coach Ross Hodge said his staff was able to use Tuesday's practice to clean up some things that they haven't been able to work on during late January in the midst of long trips to Texas and Arizona.
Hodge believes poor spacing has been a big issue in his team's three most recent games against Arizona, Kansas State and Baylor.
The Mountaineers have failed to top 60 points in each of those contests.
"When you go back and look at our good possessions that we've been able to have, there was usually really good spacing, and that allows players to make decisive and aggressive decisions with the ball," Hodge explained. "The last couple of games when we've gotten bogged down a little bit, spacing has been poor. How can you use some of the ways that people are guarding you and make sure that your spacing isn't getting in the way of how you can attack that?"
In terms of Thursday night's game against Cincinnati, Hodge has the benefit of studying what Cincinnati did to his team in the first meeting in Morgantown to come up with some different solutions.
Of course, Cincinnati will be doing likewise.
"This is the first time we've played a team for the second time," Hodge noted. "Now we've all done it, but you're looking at it the first time we played this was some things they did that hurt us and you would imagine they are looking at that and saying, 'Hey, we have an advantage in these areas' and what can we do to counterbalance that? Also, it's things you did to hurt them and now assuming they may have a counter and not let you do that.
"These games have such small margin for error, and I think the biggest thing you can't forget in all these things is you've got to be good in the margins," he added. "You've got to get loose balls, you've got to get second-chance points, and you've got to do your best to continue to rebound the ball really well and make sure that you are not getting too singularly focused on plays, actions and strategy – which is very important – but you can kind of lose the foundation of just competing."
Hodge said turnovers leading to 18 fast-break points really hurt West Virginia in the first meeting, so handling the ball will be prerogative No. 1.
"A lot of those were direct run outs," he pointed out.
Hodge is also concerned about keeping talented forwards Baba Miller and Moustapha Thiam off the offensive glass.
West Virginia (allowing 63.8 ppg.) and Cincinnati (allowing 67.4 ppg.) are two of the better defensive teams in the Big 12, so in a game where each possession is going to matter, the team that avoids giving up the easy baskets will likely come out victorious.
This will be the Mountaineers' 11th visit to Cincinnati where they have won three times, including last year's 63-50 triumph at Fifth Third Arena.
The game will tip off at 7 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN2 (Eric Rothman and King McClure). Mountaineer Sports Network radio coverage with Tony Caridi, Brad Howe and studio host David Kahn will tip things off at 6 p.m. on stations throughout West Virginia, online via WVUsports.com and the Varsity Network and WVU Gameday apps.
Overall, West Virginia owns a 14-12 record against Cincinnati in series play, including its current three-game winning streak against the Bearcats.
United Bank Playbook: Cincinnati Preview
Wednesday, February 04
Ross Hodge | Cincinnati Preview
Tuesday, February 03
Jasper Floyd | Cincinnati Preview
Tuesday, February 03
Coal Rush Uniform Reveal
Tuesday, February 03
