As non-conference play officially begins to wrap up as 2015 approaches, West Virginia sits amount the best after beating two ACC opponents before starting their matchups in the Big 12. The Mountaineers have earned their No. 17 ranking after beating teams like Boston College, Connecticut and North Carolina State to begin the season. Now they are looking to get one more win over an ACC opponent as Virginia Tech comes to town for their final game of 2014.
West Virginia has not played in over a week, but remain 11-1 after beating Wofford. That comes after big neutral site wins in New York and Puerto Rico. Several players hit their stride during that time. Juwan Staten put up 21 points against North Carolina State that earned him Big 12 honors. He also had 17 points and 10 rebounds against Wofford. However, the Mountaineers are getting production from all over their roster as Elijah Macon and Jonathan Holton had 11 points in that win along with Jevon Carter. That all-around roster and productivity should help push West Virginia far in Big 12 play.
Virginia Tech's record is not as impressive as the Hokies are just 8-4 on the year, but they enter this game on a five-game win streak which puts momentum in their favor. They notched wins over Alabama A&M, Citadel, VMI and then Presbyterian. Five players had double-digits points in that game led by Ahmed Hill with 18 and Jalen Hudson with 15.
One thing that stands out on the Hokies' roster is the quality of youth on it. Hill and Justin Bibbs are both freshman and leading the scoring effort. Devin Wilson is a sophomore who is one of the strong defenders on the roster. While that bodes well for the future, it could hurt them in the presence as there is not a lot of experience on the court when it comes to big games like the one against the Mountaineers.
Virginia Tech has yet to face a ranked opponent in a tense environment. Those young players will get their first big test on Tuesday as the Mountaineers are aiming to stay on a run before 2015.
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