Wildcats looking to split season series with struggling Mountaineers
Kansas State's Barry Brown is averaging 17 points per game and is second among Big 12 players in minutes this season.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- No. 15 West Virginia has gone from being sick of losing to simply being sick.
Coach Bob Huggins said five players are dealing with the flu, some requiring hospital visits, and the Mountaineers are undermanned as they prepare for Saturday's Big 12 home game against Kansas State.
The teams own identical records of 16-6 overall and 5-4 in the conference, though they've taken dramatically different trajectories of late. West Virginia has dropped five of its last six games and Kansas State has won four of five.
When the teams last met on New Year's Day in Manhattan, Kan., the Mountaineers prevailed 77-69.
Pulling off the sweep looks difficult for West Virginia as nearly half of the rotation copes with illness. Senior guard Daxter Miles, who has started 112 career games but was too sick to travel to Iowa State on Wednesday, seems to be experiencing the worst of it.
"I'm just worried about having enough guys to play," Huggins said. "I don't think we've ever had this many guys sick at one time.
"Hopefully, some of them get better. Everyday it's seemingly a new guy."
The 93-77 loss in Ames was so error-filled that Huggins said a planned 20-minute film review stretched beyond an hour and coaches still were only able to get through the game's first seven minutes.
"It was awful," Huggins said.
Bruce Weber's film sessions have been rosier, though Kansas State's four-game winning streak ended with a 70-56 loss to Big 12 frontrunner Kansas on Monday.
That stretch helped the Wildcats resurface in NCAA bracket projections. Sporting a 66 RPI and rated 42nd by KenPom, Kansas State hopes to get more breathing room after last season's team received one of the final at-large bids.
"We've got to finish the job and have a good run in the second part of the Big 12," Weber said. "It's up to us. I think we're good enough. We've beaten some good teams and now we've got an opportunity to beat some other good teams and leave no question."
Guard Barry Brown (17 points, second in Big 12 minutes) and forward Dean Wade (16.4 points, 6.5 rebounds) give Kansas State an inside-outside punch. Wade shoots 56 percent from the floor and has produced four consecutive 20-point performances, mitigating Brown making only six of his last 25 shots.
Kansas State could be reinforced by the return of point guard Kamau Stokes (13.4 points, 4.6 assists), who has been sidelined since Jan. 6.
"If he makes progress, maybe we'll have him for 10 or 15 minutes," Weber said. "It could give us a little bit of depth."
