The West Virginia Mountaineers (9-2) are on the road for their Big 12 Conference opener against the No. 7 Kansas Jayhawks (9-2) for the 29th meeting between the two programs.

West Virginia vs. Kansas Series History

Kansas leads 21-7

Last meeting: WVU 91, No. 3 Kansas 85 (Jan. 20, 2024 in Morgantown)

When: Tuesday, December 31

Location: Lawrence, KS, Allen Fieldhouse (16,300)

Tip-off: 2:00 p.m. EST

Stream: ESPN+

Announcers: Mark Neely and Kevin Lehman

Radio: Tony Caridi (PBP), Brad Howe (analyst) Mountaineer Sports Network from Learfield IMG College (Radio affiliates)

Sirius XM: 390

WVU Game Notes

– WVU is 6-6 all-time in Big 12 openers. This will be the 10th time in 13 years that WVU has opened league play on the road.

– WVU guard Joseph Yesufu played the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons at Kansas.

– Darian DeVries, who led Drake to six consecutive 20-win seasons and has a career .737 winning percentage as a head coach, was named the 23rd head men’s basketball coach at West Virginia University on March 24, 2024.

– DeVries has a record of 159-57 (.737) in seven seasons as a head coach, including a 64-17 (.790) mark in the last two-plus seasons.

– West Virginia is currently ranked No. 33 in the latest NCAA NET rankings.

– Javon Small was named co-Big 12 Player of the Week and Tucker DeVries was tabbed as the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Dec. 2. Both were named to the Battle 4 Atlantis All-Tournament Team.

– Small was named the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week on Dec. 3.

– Small has scored 20 or more points in fi ve of WVU’s last eight games.

– Small leads the Big 12 Conference in scoring at 19.7 points per game.

– With a win over No. 3 Gonzaga, WVU defeated a Top 5 AP team for the second consecutive season. Last season, the Mountaineers downed No. 3 Kansas in Morgantown, 91-85.

– Darian DeVries is 4-5 against ranked teams during his head coaching career. He is 2-0 at WVU with wins over No. 3 Gonzaga and No. 24 Arizona.

– WVU is 101-114 in Big 12 regular season games since joining the league in 2012-13.

– West Virginia played three consecutive overtime games for the first time in school history.

– West Virginia is the only team in the country that has two players on the same team who averaged more than 20 points per game from last season — Tucker DeVries (21.6 ppg) and Jayden Stone (20.8 ppg).

– West Virginia returned just 2.8 percent of its scoring from last season’s team (Ofri Naveh).

– The Mountaineers are led by a pair of transfers in Tucker DeVries (Drake) and Javon Small (Oklahoma State). Last season, DeVries was named an Associated Press All-American Honorable Mention selection, while Small earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors.

– In addition, Eduardo Andre (Fresno State), Joseph Yesufu (Washington State), Sencire Harris (Illinois), Amani Hansberry (Illinois) and Jayden Stone (Detroit Mercy) were added from the transfer portal.

– WVU has a wealth of experience on its roster who have college basketball experience. Entering this season, they have combined to play 806 games, made 442 starts, scored 7,606 points, grabbed 3,304 rebounds and dished out 1,248 assists.

– Tucker DeVries was named to the 20-member Julius Erving Preseason Watch List, giving annually to the nation’s top small forward.

– Tucker DeVries was named to the preseason Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year Watch List. Tucker DeVries was named to the John R. Wooden Award Top 50 Preseason Watch List.

– Tucker DeVries has scored the most points (1,867) of any senior (four-year players only) entering this season. He ranks eighth overall for career scoring by returning players (including fifth-year) and third in the Big 12 Conference.

Entering this season, Tucker DeVries has scored the fi fth-most points in college basketball since 2021-22. He’s one of 12 players who have scored 1,800 or more points since 2021-22.

– Tucker DeVries has recorded 99 games in double fi gures.

– Tucker DeVries is 14 points shy of reaching 2,000 for his career.

– Toby Okani scored his 1,000th career point against Georgetown on Dec. 6.

– Javon Small scored his 1,00th career point against Mercyhurst on Dec. 22.

– Darian DeVries is 73-2 when scoring 80 or more points in a game and 139-17 when scoring 70 or more.

– Darian DeVries is 114-21 when holding opponents to 69 points or less and 54-6 when holding opponents to 59 points or less.

– West Virginia was predicted 13th in the Preseason Big 12 Poll by the league’s head coaches.

– West Virginia has made at least one 3-point fi eld goal in 875 consecutive games.

– The Mountaineers have won 151 of their last 169 games when holding opponents to 69 points or less.

– WVU has won 162 of its last 183 and 218 of its last 246 games when holding opponents to less than 69 points.

– West Virginia is 6-3 all-time in games played on December 31.