No. 22 Kansas men's basketball heads to Morgantown on Saturday looking to build off its comeback overtime win and steady itself early in Big 12 play.
The Jayhawks (11–4 overall, 1–1 in Big 12 play) face a tough test against West Virginia (10–5, 1–1), which is unbeaten at home this season. Tip is set for 11 a.m. CST at Hope Coliseum with the game airing on FOX. Kansas is coming off a 104–100 overtime win over TCU, while the Mountaineers topped Cincinnati 62–60 in their conference home opener.
West Virginia’s defensive identity stands out on film, according to Kansas head coach Bill Self.
“They’re really sound defensively,” Self said. “They can play fast, but they can also get deep into the shot clock on both ends. They’re very, very good defensively, and they let their shooters shoot it. We’ve got to do a great job defending.”
Kansas will look to carry over momentum from freshman guard Darryn Peterson’s career-high 32-point performance against TCU. Peterson has been on a slight minutes restriction to begin Big 12 play, but the freshman is still showing his talent and is now up to full speed, according to Bill Self. The Jayhawks rank among the nation’s best defensive teams, leading the Big 12 in blocked shots, but Self said his group must tighten up after two uneven defensive outings.
“For the most part, up until the last two games, our defense has been pretty good,” Self said. “But the last two games it hasn’t been at all. We certainly can tighten that up.”
Kansas leads the all-time series 19–7, but West Virginia has won the last two meetings and has been difficult to beat in Morgantown, where the Mountaineers are 10–0 this season. The Jayhawks will need a sharper defensive effort to leave with a road win and keep pace in the tight Big 12 Conference race.