Oklahoma @ West Virginia preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 8, 2020 ) West Virginia 59, Oklahoma 69

According to ESPN's Joe Lunardi, Oklahoma is the "Last Team In" the field for March Madness, although the Sooners bolstered their stance with a win over No. 21 Texas Tech on Tuesday. Another win at 19th-ranked West Virginia on Saturday would really enhance the resume before the Sooners close out the regular season with a home contest against Texas and a road game with TCU.

"Guys understand where we stand," Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said after the 65-51 win Monday in a game played at the home of the Oklahoma City Thunder. "There are 30 or 40 teams that are in the same position as we are right now." Kristian Doolittle scored 19 points and Brady Manek added 15 as the Sooners snapped a three-game losing streak and drew even for fourth place with West Virginia and Texas in the Big 12 standings. West Virginia has lost five of its last six games, shooting 37 percent from the floor, 24.5 percent from 3-point range and 60.2 percent from the free-throw line while allowing opponents to shoot 45.5 percent from the floor over that stretch. Looking to perhaps challenge for the conference title earlier this season, the Mountaineers need to win a few games down the stretch to avoid having to play on the first day of the Big 12 Tournament and solidify their spot in the Big Dance.

TIME: 4 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN2

ABOUT OKLAHOMA (17-11, 7-8 Big 12): Doolittle (15.5 points, 8.9 rebounds), who wore a mask Tuesday after suffering a broken nose last Saturday against Oklahoma State, shot 9-of-15 from the floor in reaching double figures for the sixth straight game. Manek (14.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, team-high 66 3-pointers) finished 7-of-15 from the field after having scored just 19 points in his previous three games, but he continued to struggle beyond the arc (2-for-21 over his last four outings after Tuesday's 0-for-5 effort). The Sooners downed the Mountaineers 69-59 in Norman on Feb. 8 as Doolittle had 27 points and 12 rebounds and the defense held West Virginia to 31.6 percent shooting.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA (19-9, 7-8 Big 12): Playing without Jerico Sims and Jase Febres and dressing only eight scholarship players, Texas knocked off the Mountaineers 67-57 on Monday. "You can't go (10-for-21) from the foul line, you can't continue to shoot 20 percent from 3 (3-of-11 after 2-of-17 in previous loss to TCU) and you can't continue to miss shots two feet from the basket and we do all of that," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. The Mountaineers received 14 points from freshman Oscar Tshiebwe (team-leading 11.1 points and 9.1 rebounds) and 12 off the bench from sophomore Derek Culver (10.5 points, 8.6 rebounds), but the interior advantage the Mountaineers enjoyed in their 38-point victory against Texas the first time around in Morgantown was completely negated.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Longhorns shot 52.4 percent from the floor Monday, marking the second time in the last four games and third time all season the Mountaineers have allowed teams to shoot 50 percent from the floor. West Virginia ranks 10th in the nation in field-goal percentage defense (38.4).

2. Oklahoma's lone Big 12 road triumph so far this year was at Texas back in early January. They are 2-8 in true road games this season.

3. Sooners F Kur Kuath rejected a career-high five shots against Texas Tech, and Oklahoma totaled a season-best 10 blocks. The 6-10 junior averages 5.5 blocks per 40 minu

PREDICTION: West Virginia 65, Oklahoma 61