The University of Arizona men’s basketball team (19-0, 6-0 in Big 12) takes on West Virginia University (13-6,4-2 in Big 12) on Saturday, Jan. 24 in McKale Center. This will be the Wildcats’ last home game before they hit the road to face No. 10 BYU.
Arizona key players
Freshman forward Koa Peat will lead the Wildcats as he averages 14.6 points per game, as well as 5.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Peat’s impact in the paint draws defenders, allowing him to use his presence to find better scoring opportunities for his teammates. He will be a challenge for West Virginia as he can both score and make scoring opportunities for others.
The second star for the Wildcats is freshman guard Brayden Burries. Burries has an average of 14.2 points per game along with 4.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Burries has made great improvements in his rebounding game lately, as he finished with five, six and 10 in three of his last four games. Burries stretches the floor with his 3-point shooting, creating space and making life easier for his teammates.
Last, but certainly not least for the Wildcats, is junior center Motiejus Krivas. Krivas is averaging 11.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Krivas’ physicality, along with his height of 7-foot-2, makes guarding him easier said than done.
West Virginia key players
On the West Virginia side of the ball, their first option will be senior guard Honor Huff. Huff is averaging 16.2 points per game, 1.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. Huff will be looking to draw fouls and get to the free-throw line and leads the team in free throw percentage with .833.
Next up is senior guard Treysen Eaglestaff. Eaglestaff is averaging 10.6 points per game, to go along with 1.7 assists and 4.6 rebounds. Look for Eaglestaff to maximize his time on the court as well as stretch the game with his 3-point percentage, as he is third on the team with .364.
With Arizona’s freshmen continuing to shine and McKale Center set to be rocking, will the Wildcats handle West Virginia’s veteran backcourt and physical play to stay perfect at 20-0, or can the Mountaineers spoil the run and hand Arizona its first Big 12 loss?
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