Arizona men’s basketball looks to continue their Big 12 win streak on the road against West Virginia. Read more for a full Arizona vs West Virginia prediction and preview.
Arizona basketball (8-5, 2-0 Big 12) will face West Virginia (11-2, 3-0 Big 12) on Jan. 7 at 5 p.m. MST (6 p.m. EST). Both teams are looking to keep an undefeated inaugural season record.
General Information:
Teams: Arizona (8-5) and WVU (11-2)
Tip-off: 5 p.m. MST
Watch: ESPN+
Latest on West Virginia basketball:
WVU (2-0) enters its first Big 12 matchup with Arizona on a fiery win streak and seeking revenge from the Bahamas. WVU is shooting 44% in field goals and most importantly, 75.9% in free throws which will be crucial for both teams in a game that will come down to just a few points.
Guard, Javon Small will be a player to watch up against Caleb Love for Arizona. Small is averaging 19.5 points per game, 4.8 assists, and 2.0 steals, leading the team in all three areas. Amani Hansberrt for WVU has proven to be crucial on the defensive end with 6.3 rebounds per game. With a first season head coach there is a ton of energy behind this West Virginia team. This game will be a nail-biter with unmatchable energy from both teams early on in the inaugural season.
Latest on Arizona basketball:
Arizona (2-0) heads into its second matchup against WVU after a rough loss when they were finding their energy and groove in the preseason. The Wildcats beat Cincinnati earlier this week 72-67 in a blow-out win that turned to a close matchup after Cincinnati caught up late in the second half. Before that they won their season opener against TCU to bring back the “vintage Arizona basketball team” as some fans said.
However, Arizona has struggled against tougher competition, falling to No. 24 UCLA (54-57) and Duke (55-69). The Wildcats were lacking energy from key players and chemistry amongst the entire team. As they’ve entered conference play the team and the key players have shown a huge amount of growth and that has shown through personal stats and team.
Arizona is led by Caleb Love, who’s averaging 16.3 points per game, and Jaden Bradley, who contributes 3.7 assists and 2.2 steals per game. Love has been the go-to scorer, while Bradley’s all-around game has been a major asset. The youngster Carter Bryant has shown huge growth at the start of this inaugural season with 14 points and 4 rebounds against Cincinnati. The Wildcats have a phenomenal team off the bench and have finally found their groove. It will be interesting to see this “ “vintage” Arizona team against a team they fell short too in their struggles early on.
Arizona vs West Virginia prediction: Wildcats by 2 (70-68)
This one should be a close battle, with both teams performing extremely strong in their first two Big 12 games. Arizona has fire and energy that seems to be unmatchable after a slow start to their season including a loss to WVU in the Bahamas.
However, this will be their second game away from home. WVU is said to have their most competitive team since 2017 this year and has put wins on the board that make it clear this will not be an easy win for Arizona. WVU has beaten Gonzaga, Arizona, and Kansas, the prospected best team in the Big 12. I think the Wildcats have something to prove and will come for revenge with a 70-68 nail-biting win.