West Virginia Looks to Protect Home Turf Against Big 12 Nemesis Baylor
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The Mountaineers have built something special inside the WVU Coliseum this season - a 16-game home winning streak that’s starting to feel like a throwback to the program’s glory days. But if there’s one team that knows how to spoil the party in Morgantown, it’s Baylor.
Since West Virginia joined the Big 12 in the 2012-13 season, no conference opponent has had more success in the Coliseum than the Bears. Baylor has notched eight wins in Morgantown - more than any other Big 12 team over that stretch - and carries an 8-4 record in the building, the best win percentage among teams with 10 or more appearances.
That history adds a layer of intrigue to Saturday’s matchup, especially for a WVU squad chasing something rare: perfection at home. The last time the Mountaineers went undefeated in the Coliseum was back in 1982 under Gale Catlett.
That team finished 15-0 at home, went 27-4 overall, and landed at No. 14 in the final AP poll. Since joining the Big East in 1996 and stepping into the power-conference spotlight, West Virginia has only managed two one-loss home seasons - in 1998 and 2007.
This year’s group is trying to change that narrative. The Mountaineers are 14-7 overall and 5-3 in Big 12 play, and they’ve already defended their home floor against Pitt, Cincinnati, No.
22 Kansas, Colorado, and Kansas State. But the road ahead is no cakewalk.
After Baylor, WVU still has home dates with No. 11 Texas Tech (Feb.
8), Utah (Feb. 18), No.
13 BYU (Feb. 28), and UCF (March 6). Every one of those games could shape their postseason hopes.
Speaking of the tournament picture, West Virginia is hanging around the bubble. Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology has the Mountaineers just outside the “Next Four Out,” meaning they’re in the conversation, but there’s work to be done. Saturday’s game against Baylor could be a tone-setter.
The Bears come into Morgantown in unfamiliar territory - 11-9 overall and just 1-7 in Big 12 play. That’s a surprising mark for a program that’s been one of the league’s most consistent forces under longtime head coach Scott Drew. Their lone conference win came at Oklahoma State, and while four of their losses have come against top-six Big 12 teams - Iowa State, Houston, Kansas, and Texas Tech - it’s clear this Baylor squad is still trying to find its footing.
Injuries and depth issues have been a major storyline for the Bears. So much so that Drew turned to the international market and brought in 2023 NBA Draft pick James Nnaji on Christmas Eve. The 6-foot-11 big man has logged limited minutes and just 10 points over seven games, including a scoreless seven-minute stint in Wednesday’s 67-57 loss at Cincinnati.
That loss underscored Baylor’s struggles. The Bears shot just 35.5% from the field and hit only 6-of-26 from beyond the arc.
Their leading scorer, 6-foot-5 sophomore guard Cameron Carr (19.6 PPG), was held to just four points on 1-of-11 shooting. His backcourt partner, Tounde Yessoufou, led the team with 16 points, but it came on a volume-heavy 6-of-16 performance.
Obi Agbim added 14, and Dan Skillings Jr. chipped in 10 against his former team.
Despite the recent struggles, West Virginia head coach Ross Hodge isn’t taking Baylor lightly.
“Between Carr and Yessoufou, they’ve got two of the best wing scorers in the country,” Hodge said on his weekly United Bank Playbook segment. “There’s a reason why both of those guys are projected first-round picks. If you can increase the tempo against us, you probably feel better about your chances of scoring.”
Caden Powell holds down the paint for Baylor in their four-guard system, averaging 6.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. He’ll be a key figure in trying to slow down a Mountaineers team that’s been grinding out wins lately.
West Virginia’s most recent outing was a gritty 59-54 win over Kansas State. The Mountaineers were down four with under five minutes to play but closed the game on a 14-5 run. Honor Huff led the way with 17 points, but it was Treysen Eaglestaff who delivered the clutch moments - a timely three-pointer followed by a traditional three-point play that flipped the game.
Eaglestaff has quietly become a consistent scoring option, hitting double figures in six of his last seven games, including a season-high-tying 23 in a road win at Arizona State. His emergence has been critical for a WVU team that’s still figuring out its offensive identity.
Saturday’s game tips off at 4 p.m. on ESPN2, with Eric Frede and Mark Adams on the call. Mountaineer Sports Network radio coverage begins at 3 p.m. with Tony Caridi, Brad Howe, and David Kahn.
Tickets are still available, and fans heading to the Coliseum can take advantage of Happy Hour beverage prices from the time gates open until tipoff.
As for Coach Hodge, he knows Baylor’s record doesn’t tell the full story.
“I’ve got a ton of respect for Coach Drew,” Hodge said. “People talk about what Coach Cignetti has done at Indiana, and rightfully so, but what Coach Drew has built at Baylor - taking that program from where it was to a national championship - that’s one of the great stories in college basketball.”
For West Virginia, the focus is simple: protect the Coliseum, keep the streak alive, and take another step toward dancing in March.