The Big 12 Tournament championship game will feature contrasting styles and the one that performs the best will take home the title. The Iowa State Cyclones advanced by averaging 88 points per game and are one of the highest scoring teams in the country. The West Virginia Mountaineers used defense and relentless pressure to hold their two opponents to an average of 51.5 points. WVU won both regular season meetings and did it by scoring in the 80s both times.
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Iowa State got a gift in the semifinals when TCU upset No. 1 Kansas. The Horned Frogs were exhausted playing their third game in as many days and the Cyclones took advantage with an 84-62 win, covering the 16-point spread. And it was a typical Iowa State performance. The Cyclones shot 56 percent from the floor and committed just six turnovers to make a close game early into a rout. Iowa State has won eight of its last nine games with the only loss in that stretch coming in Morgantown. The Cyclones are scoring 82.5 points per game in that span and the over is 7-0 in their last seven contests.
It wasn’t the prettiest game, but the Mountaineers will take it and move along to the championship game. WVU shot just 28 percent and scored only 51 points, but that was one more than Kansas State and the Mountaineers are playing on Saturday for the second year in a row. WVU failed to cover the spread and played below the closing total in both tournament games. It’s a style that needs to change quickly when facing Iowa State.
Key Stat
As mentioned above, the Cyclones can score while the Mountaineers do a good job preventing teams from putting the ball in the basket. Iowa State averages 81 points per game for the season and they rank 13th in offensive efficiency, according to kenpom.com. They’ve been even better in the tournament. In their two games, the Cyclones are averaging 88 points and shooting 55 percent from the floor.
According to Steve Prohm, the Cyclones have the best point guard in the country in Monte Morris, and he does a masterful job running the show. Morris scored 15 points in the semifinal win over TCU. But the Cyclones will need more from Morris to get a win. He tallied just eight points in the first meeting, an 85-72 WVU win in January. Morris scored 17 last week, but ISU fell 87-76 in Morgantown.
Last Meeting
It wasn’t a typical WVU game, the Mountaineers didn’t force a bunch of turnovers and the game was unusually high-scoring. Still, West Virginia found a way to win and complete the season sweep of the Cyclones. The frenetic defense didn’t show on the state sheet, but it did the job. WVU frustrated Iowa State and the Cyclones wilted in the second half. WVU’s one-point halftime lead ballooned to 17 and the Cyclones were toast, falling 87-76.
Iowa State has been a decent shooting team all season, hitting from the floor at a 47 percent clip. But they made just 38 percent of their shots in that game, and hit just 30 percent after halftime when the game got away. A better performance from the field could have the Cyclones hoisting the trophy on Saturday.
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Beating a team three times in a season is tough to do and the Mountaineers need to knock off the Cyclones again to win their first Big 12 title. WVU has struggled in the tournament and hasn’t played great basketball, but they’ve won, and that’s what matters. Iowa State has looked sharp offensively and needs to take care of the basketball and continue to make a high percentage of their shots.
That’s easier said than done against WVU, but the Cyclones have been able to beat the press and score more than the Mountaineers allow. ISU is no stranger to playing in the title game, getting there for the third time in four seasons, and Morris knows what it takes to win. He will be the catalyst for the Cyclones as they capture the crown once again.
College Basketball Odds: Iowa State 69, West Virginia 65
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