Tomorrow afternoon, Ross Hodge will get a shot at his mentor, Grant McCasland, as the Texas Tech Raiders come to Morgantown ranked 13th in the country.
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Here are our picks for tomorrow’s game.
Schuyler Callihan: Texas Tech 78, West Virginia 68
This is a massive opportunity for the Mountaineers to pick up another signature win and potentially move into fifth place in the Big 12 standings. Hope Coliseum is going to be rocking for the annual Coal Rush, so that, combined with the debut of the new uniforms, should give WVU a chance to open the game much better than what we’ve seen over the majority of league play.
The high-powered duo of Christian Anderson and JT Toppin is just going to be too much for West Virginia to handle. Ross Hodge will find ways to slow them down here and there, but the Mountaineers just won’t have the shotmaking or offensive efficiency to keep up with them.
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For the first time in a while, the script will flip. WVU comes out swinging and plays well for much of the first half before slipping into some sloppy play in the final minutes, which will then spill into the second half. Texas Tech hands WVU its second home loss this season.
Christopher Hall: West Virginia 67, Texas Tech 65
WVU had its 16-game home winning streak snapped last weekend against Baylor and now faces the possibility of dropping back-to-back games in Morgantown for the first time since last season.
Texas Tech, meanwhile, is coming off consecutive losses for the first time this season, including its first defeat to an unranked opponent, dropping to UCF and falling at home by three to red-hot Kansas, a team that hasn’t lost since it left Morgantown with an L.
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While the Knights were ranked earlier in the year following a win over Kansas, the loss still exposed some vulnerability for the Red Raiders. Tech now finds itself staring at its first losing streak in nearly two years, a situation reminiscent of a stretch that featured a home game sandwiched between two road contests.
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With a top-four seed in the Big 12 standings slipping out of reach, Texas Tech should enter with a heightened sense of urgency. That urgency could be problematic for a West Virginia team that has endured some sluggish starts, especially against a Red Raiders squad capable of heating up quickly from the perimeter. JT Toppin is one of the best scorers in this league and presents another challenge with his ability to finish and facilitate around the rim, which can make mounting a comeback difficult once Texas Tech establishes momentum.
Ross Hodge is well acquainted with Red Raiders head coach Grant McCasland, having spent eight seasons on his staff. While familiarity cuts both ways, Hodge’s intimate knowledge of McCasland’s system could provide a subtle edge in preparation. Even with Texas Tech looking to bounce back from one of its least efficient offensive outings of the season, the Mountaineers are positioned to limit one of the league’s top offenses and grind out another upset at home, 67-65.
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Texas Tech Red Raiders (16-6, 6-3 Big 12) at West Virginia Mountaineers (15-8, 6-4 Big 12)
Morgantown, West Virginia; Sunday, 1 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: West Virginia plays No. 13 Texas Tech in a matchup of Big 12 teams.
The Mountaineers are 13-1 on their home court. West Virginia ranks second in the Big 12 at limiting opponent scoring, allowing 63.3 points while holding opponents to 41.1% shooting.
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The Red Raiders are 6-3 against Big 12 opponents. Texas Tech ranks fifth in the Big 12 with 10.9 offensive rebounds per game led by JT Toppin averaging 4.2.
West Virginia averages 70.3 points per game, 3.7 fewer points than the 74.0 Texas Tech gives up. Texas Tech scores 19.6 more points per game (82.9) than West Virginia allows to opponents (63.3).
The Mountaineers and Red Raiders match up Sunday for the first time in Big 12 play this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Honor Huff is scoring 15.8 points per game and averaging 2.3 rebounds for the Mountaineers. Treysen Eaglestaff is averaging 2.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Christian Anderson is averaging 19.6 points and 7.3 assists for the Red Raiders. Toppin is averaging 21.9 points over the last 10 games.
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LAST 10 GAMES: Mountaineers: 6-4, averaging 62.6 points, 29.8 rebounds, 11.9 assists, 5.1 steals and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 43.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 67.5 points per game.
Red Raiders: 7-3, averaging 82.2 points, 34.6 rebounds, 16.5 assists, 5.6 steals and 3.0 blocks per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 73.3 points.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. –U.S. Marshals have arrested a fugitive sex offender wanted in West Virginia.
David Scott (Photo: U.S. Marshals office)
David Mark Scott, 53, of McCarr, KY, who is originally from Charleston, WV. was arrested Wednesday.
According to a release, Scott was wanted by the West Virginia State Police for failure to register as a sex offender. He was also wanted by the Mingo County Sheriff’s Office for a probation violation.
In July 2020, he was convicted in Mingo County Circuit Court of possession of child pornography and was required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). The release stated he had not registered as a sex offender since August 2020.
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The U.S. Marshals CUFFED Task Force, Central Kentucky Fugitive Task Force, West Virginia State Police, and Kentucky State Police all assisted in the investigation and arrested.
Scott is currently being held at the Pike County Jail, awaiting extradition back to West Virginia.
