North Carolina Central Eagles vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 10th 2024

Preview and Prediction

After both teams secured comeback victories, West Virginia and North Carolina Central will face off on Tuesday night in Morgantown, W.Va.

West Virginia (6-2) has won their last two games and is currently in the middle of a 16-day, four-game stretch at home. They started off this homestand with a 73-60 win against Georgetown in the Big 12-Big East Battle on Friday night.

North Carolina Central (4-7) is coming off a 78-77 road win against Gardner-Webb on Saturday night.

Javon Small led the Mountaineers with a game-high 26 points against Georgetown, helping them overcome a deficit in the second half with a strong run.

"I am proud of the way we played in the second half against Georgetown," said West Virginia coach Darian DeVries. "I would take that team with me anywhere. However, we need to be able to play like that every night and every possession. We can't always rely on a 16-0 run to save us. We are still growing as a team."

Eduardo Andre was uncertain for the Georgetown game after missing the Mountaineers' 83-76 overtime win against Arizona on Nov. 29. However, the fifth-year senior center returned and contributed four points, three rebounds, and four blocks.

"It was great to have him back in the lineup for a reason," DeVries said. "His presence, especially on defense and his ability to block shots, is crucial for us."

In their game against Gardner-Webb, Po'Boigh King led NCCU with 28 points, well above his average of 17.4 points per game. The Eagles were able to come back from a 17-point deficit in the second half and secure the win with a late 3-pointer from Isaac Parson.

On the offensive end, the Eagles take good care of the ball. They rank seventh in the nation in turnover margin, averaging a plus-7.5 per game. They also excel at forcing turnovers on defense, ranking second in the nation with an average of 18.9 turnovers per game.

"We have the potential to be a great team, we just need to fine-tune some things," said NCCU coach LeVelle Moton. "We need to pay attention to the details and finish strong. We can't be a truly great team until we have the mindset that when it's crunch time in the last five minutes, the other team has to earn the win."

PREDICTION

North Carolina Central Eagles

West Virginia Mountaineers