West Virginia vs. Colorado Preview and Game Thread

The West Virginia Mountaineers (11-6, 2-2 Big 12) return to Morgantown on Saturday to host the Colorado Buffaloes (12-5, 2-2) for the first visit in program history by Colorado to WVU Coliseum.

West Virginia looks to bounce back after a 77-48 loss Tuesday night at No. 7 Houston. Freshman forward DJ Thomas paced the Mountaineers with 16 points, knocking down a career-high four 3-pointers, while senior guard Honor Huff, the team’s leading scorer, was held to 13.

Defense continues to be West Virginia’s identity. The Mountaineers rank seventh nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 63.2 points per game.

Huff leads WVU with 17.2 points per game and tops the Big 12 with 66 made 3-pointers. Senior forward Chance Moore is second on the team in scoring at 11.2 points per game and leads the Mountaineers on the glass with 5.6 rebounds per contest. Senior forward Brenen Lorient rounds out WVU’s trio of double figure scorers, averaging 10.3 per game.

Colorado enters after suffering consecutive losses for the second time this season, falling at home to Texas Tech before dropping the opening game of its current road swing at Cincinnati.

The Buffaloes have thrived at the free-throw line, leading the Big 12 in free-throw percentage (78%) while ranking third in attempts (413).

Colorado’s balance has been a strength all year. The Buffaloes have placed at least four players in double figures in 13 of 17 games, including each of the first nine. They have also had four games with five players scoring in double figures.

Freshman guard Isaiah Johnson leads Colorado in scoring at 16.1 points per game. Junior guard Barrington Hargress averages a team-best 4.6 assists and is second in scoring at 13.6 per game. Sophomore forward Sebastian Rancik contributes 13.4 points per contest, while junior forward Bangot Dak leads the team with 7.7 rebounds and averages 11.4 points, rounding out four Buffaloes in double figures.

Saturday marks the third all-time meeting between the programs, with the series tied 1-1.

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