Morgantown, WV – The West Virginia Mountaineers (7-2) host the College of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers (7-1) Saturday at 6:00 p.m. EST and can stream on ESPN+.

UAB returns for starters from a crew that claimed the 2022 Convention USA Championship. The Blazers rank fourth nationally in scoring, averaging 90.1 factors per sport behind the nation’s main scorer, senior guard Jordan Walker, who’s averaging 25.7 ppg.

WVU head coach Bob Huggins famous Walker’s velocity when previewing the Blazers. The Mountaineers held Walker to 12 factors within the win final season in Birmingham and Huggins credited guard Kedrian Johnson’s defensive effort.

“I feel Kedy can match his velocity,” mentioned Huggins. “I imply, he simply runs away from folks and Kedy did an important job of staying on him – Kedy has the identical velocity up and down the ground.”

Senior ahead KJ Buffin leads the crew in rebounds at 7.3 per sport and is second on the crew in scoring, with 10.4 ppg whereas LSU switch guard Eric Gaines dishes a team-leading 5.4 assists per sport and is third in scoring, averaging 10.1 ppg.

As a lot success because the Blazers have had on the offensive finish of the ground, Huggins believes the change on protection has elevated their play.

“I feel defensively they’re a complete higher crew and I feel altering defenses has been good for them,” he mentioned. “I feel their strain is a complete higher.”

“They weren’t an important man-to-man crew a yr in the past, in order that they’re taking part in some 1-3-1, dropping right into a 2-3, they’re taking part in some 1-2-2 three-quarter stuff falling again right into a 2-3 and so they’ve acquired nice measurement on the baseline,” continued Huggins.

West Virginia has 4 Mountaineers averaging double figures led by guard Erik Stevenson. 14.2 ppg adopted by ahead Tre Mitchell with 12.9 ppg whereas ahead Jimmy Bell is grabbing a team-best 5.4 rebounds per sport. 

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