The Computers Strongly Favor West Virginia in Big 12 Tournament Matchup vs. Colorado

An easy first game for the Mountaineers in Kansas City?

Feb 15, 2025; Waco, Texas, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Joseph Yesufu (1) drives to the basket ahead of Baylor Bears forward Norchad Omier (15) during the first half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

No. 8 West Virginia and No. 16 Colorado will tip off the second round of the Big 12 Conference tournament on Wednesday. The winner will move on to the quarterfinals to take on top-seeded Houston.

What the BPI says

According to the ESPN Basketball Power Index (BPI), West Virginia has a 69.8% chance of winning and advancing to the next round, while TCU has a 30.2% chance of pulling off the upset for a second straight day.

West Virginia's recent games

Mar 8, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Darian DeVries and guard Javon Small (7) celebrate after defeating the UCF Knights at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

The Mountaineers played their way safely into the NCAA Tournament, winning three of their last five games, with their only losses coming to two of the top four teams in the Big 12 - Texas Tech and BYU, both of which were on the road. Last Saturday, Javon Small helped WVU jump out to a massive 27-point lead with 14 points in the game's first nine minutes. Several long scoring droughts in the second half opened the door for UCF, but the Mountaineers found just enough offense to get to the finish line.

Colorado's recent games

Mar 11, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes forward Andrej Jakimovski (23) shoots the ball around TCU Horned Frogs center Malick Diallo (32) during the second half against the TCU Horned Frogs at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The Buffs entered the regular season finale with a horrendous 2-17 record, riding a three-game losing streak. They ended the year with a 10-point win over TCU and then linked back up with the Frogs just three days later in the opening round of the Big 12 Conference tournament. The Horned Frogs led by one at the half, but Colorado jumped out to a double-digit lead early in the second half and held off a late comeback attempt, winning 69-67.

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