Iowa State has certainly been inconsistent on the road this year as they sit ranked No. 14 in the league. However, there is no mistaking their dominance at home as they sit a perfect 13-0 at Hilton Coliseum. There the team averaging 83.2 points per game on 51.5 percent shooting. They also have a 58.1 field goal shooting percentage. While they struggled in their last game, getting the West Virginia team at home could pay off in a win for the team.
The issue for Iowa State is not scoring, it is defense. In the team's losses to Kansas and Oklahoma, they gave up a combined 183 points. However, they did managed to get a 75-38 win over Texas Tech during that time. Consistency has been the issue as the Sooners put up 48 points on them in the second half alone. Turnovers have plagued them in recent weeks, putting up 18 against West Virginia on the road. They managed to get the win while only have 14 assists, but those numbers need improving.
West Virginia has weathered the storm on the road, going 3-2 in conference play. They lost against ranked opponents, but they were ugly blowouts. In losses to Texas and Oklahoma, they averaged just 51.0 points on 29.6 percent shooting while committing 32 turnovers on 12 assists. In a win over Kansas State they shot 46.3 percent while getting career-high numbers from Brandon Watkins who added nine rebounds as well.
West Virginia will rely heavily on their defense in the matchup. They lead the nation with 290 steals a game while forcing nine or more turnovers per game as well. They will need that considering how high scoring Iowa State can be as they normally get at least six players into double figures. The Mountaineers also lead the country with 17.2 offensive rebounds per game. Keeping them off the glass could be the key to getting a win on Saturday.
