The Iowa State Cyclones have come perilously close to knocking off ranked opponents three times this season, but have yet to pull the feat. They are hoping the fourth time's a charm in a matchup against the West Virginia Mountaineers.
Iowa State will host the Mountaineers in a crucial Big 12 clash. The Cyclones are hoping to improve their March Madness resume while West Virginia is jockeying for seeding. Iowa State may be a slight underdog but the spread could be small since the Cyclones have the home court advantage.
At 9 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN2 for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Tuesday, January 31, 2017, at the James H. Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.
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Odds at BookMaker.eu
Iowa State is 13-7 straight up and 9-8 against the spread. The Cyclones have played in seven home games this season and have covered in four of them. They are 5-2 against the spread as the underdog on the year, which is something to keep in mind in this one.
West Virginia is 17-4 straight up and 10-8 against the spread. The Mountaineers have played in five road games this season and have covered in two of them. West Virginia is 9-8 against the spread as the favorite this year. It has only been the underdog once.
Player to Watch
Monte Morris – The senior guard is lowa State’s leading scorer, averaging 16.4 points per game in addition to 5.8 assists per game. Despite the Cyclones’ loss to Vanderbilt on January 28th, Morris comes into this game on a high note after putting up 25 points in the contest.
Morris will be looking to close the month of January out strong as the team prepares for back-to-back contests against ranked opponents in West Virginia and No. 2 Kansas this week.
He scored a season-high 30 points against Oklahoma State on January 11th and also had a double-double against Texas on January 7th, finishing with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
Morris had 23 points in Iowa State’s first matchup against Kansas on January 16th where the Cyclones lost by four points. He will be an integral part to keeping Iowa State in this matchup against West Virginia as well.
Key Stat
87.8. That’s how many points per game West Virginia’s offense is averaging per game. The team ranks No. 8 in the nation for points per game.
The Mountaineers also rank No. 6 in the nation for assists, averaging 18 per game among a handful of capable playmakers being led by junior guard Jevon Carter. Carter is averaging 12.2 points per game and 4.7 assists per game.
Carter had 19 points and nine rebounds in West Virginia’s win over Texas A&M on January 28th. As a unit, the Mountaineers scored 85 points in their win over No. 2 Kansas on January 24th.
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West Virginia has been a bit inconsistent on the season, beating big-time foes but losing to inferior ones. This will be a tough test, as the Mountaineers have put together a better season than Iowa State but will be tested.
The Cyclones came close to knocking off then-No. 11 Gonzaga in the non-conference season, but lost by two points. Gonzaga is still undefeated. Iowa State had a shot to beat No. 2 Baylor but fell 65-62. The Cyclones’ most recent shot at toppling off a ranked team came recently against No.2 Kansas, and they only lost by four points.
Iowa State may finally be able to get over the hump in this one. The Cyclones could be on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament bubble, and this would be a big win. It could be close, but Iowa State is a good enough team to knock off the Mountaineers.
College Basketball Odds: Iowa State 83, West Virginia 80
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