Final Score Predictions for West Virginia's Season Opener vs. Mount St. Mary's

Who's ready for some WVU basketball? West Virginia and Mount St. Mary's will square off tonight at 7 p.m.

It should be a night that ends in Country Roads, but how comfortably will WVU win by? Our picks are in.

Schuyler Callihan: West Virginia 78, Mount St. Mary's 58

This isn't your ideal season-opening opponent, but it's still one the Mountaineers (WVU, that is) should beat comfortably. This group, albeit mostly new, one the MAAC last year and won an NCAA Tournament game before falling to Duke in the round of 64.

With as many capable scorers as WVU has, I can't see Mount St. Mary's being able to keep pace for long. It may take West Virginia a while to settle in offensively, but they'll get it going in the opening minutes of the second half and run away with this one, handing Ross Hodge his first win as the head Mountaineer.

Christopher Hall: West Virginia 85, Mount St. Mary's 59

West Virginia will ease into the season against Mount St. Mary’s.

An entirely new roster of Mountaineers will have to acclimate to first-year head coach Ross Hodge. Jasper Floyd and Brenen Lorient have eased the learning curve, while guards Honor Huff and Treysen Eaglestaff will compete for the team’s leading scorer.

West Virginia will likely get off to a fast start, and I suspect they’ll work the post with seven-footer Harlan Obioha, backing his man to the paint and passing it out to the perimeter if Mount St. Mary’s crashes down.

West Virginia will need to work on its physicality along the perimeter, and establishing dominance in the backcourt early will bode well as the Mountaineers prepare for Big 12 play.

One area of concern early in the season is coming out of halftime with more focus and tenacity. Hodge mentioned the Mountaineers did not come out with the same enthusiasm to begin the second half as they did to start the game in the closed scrimmage against Maryland and the exhibition versus Wheeling. Getting a fast start to the second half will show a level of buy-in from this group and be a good sign moving forward.

West Virginia handles Mount. St. Mary’s 85-59.

Schuyler Callihan: West Virginia 78, Mount St. Mary's 58

Christopher Hall: West Virginia 85, Mount St. Mary's 59

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