Kansas basketball will meet their second conference test on Tuesday night at home. Stopping Mountaineer leading scorer Miles McBride will be crucial if the Jayhawks want to come away with the win at home.
Another tough test is coming Kansas basketball’s way as the #8 West Virginia Mountaineers will find themselves in Allen Fieldhouse on Tuesday night. The Mountaineers boast one of the conference’s top scorers, sophomore guard Miles McBride, who should be a challenge for the Jayhawk defense.
McBride has led the Mountaineers in scoring, averaging 15 points a game, and is one of the faster guys on head coach Bob Huggins’ offense. He also secured Big 12 All-Freshman honors following his freshman season in Morgantown.
Stopping McBride will require our quick-footed defenders to step up and put some pressure. We should expect guys like Marcus Garrett and Jalen Wilson to be our better options for defending the sophomore.
Keeping this Mountaineer offense out of the paint will be crucial for Kansas. The Jayhawks are going to have to become more consistent on defense. We’ve seen some signs of defensive life from Ochai Agbaji and David McCormack, who’ve established more pressure in their last couple of games.
The good news is that Kansas has been showing resilience in close matchups, the Jayhawks have been able to fight back offensively, finding playmakers such as Agbaji to come up with baskets.
We’ve also seen our ability to make space, allowing for Wilson and Braun to see more opportunities from the perimeter. The Jayhawks went 6 for 18 from the 3-point line against Texas Tech this past week, leaving some uneasy about Kansas’ 3-point ability.
McBride had started his season a little sluggish from the 3-point line, finding more confidence in his shot over the last five games. Shutting Miles down from the outside will be another key for the Kansas defense on Tuesday. It’s shaping up to be a true defensive test for the Jayhawks on Tuesday night.
Both programs rank in the nation’s Top 10 and their high-scoring offenses will only add to the interesting dynamic. Kansas and West Virginia are led by experienced head coaches, Bill Self (hired 2003) and Bob Huggins (hired 2007). The pair’s annual meetings tend to make for regular competitive matchups and this year is no exception.