Buffalo (1-0) vs. No. 13 West Virginia (0-0)
TIPOFF: 9 p.m. (ESPNU) from Morgantown
LINE: West Virginia favored by 10
KNOW THE FOE: Buffalo is the overwhelming pick to repeat as MAC champions, with three starters returning from a 27-9 team that reached the second round of the NCAA tournament. The trio of guards C.J. Massinburg, Jeremy Harris and 6-8 forward Nick Perkins combined for 48 points and 19 rebounds per game.
The Bulls opened this season Tuesday with an 82-67 win over St. Francis (Pa.), another quality mid-major. It seems not much has changed since we saw them among the NCAA’s top 10 in scoring last March.
WVU SKINNY: Bob Huggins’ roster has loads of athleticism that needs time to jell. Challenging his team with a scrimmage win vs. Purdue and the exhibition loss to Penn State was a wise move.
The best athlete on the team, 6-foot-9 forward Derek Culver, was a DNP against Penn State after poor practices. We’ll see tonight whether the freshman responded sufficiently to Huggs’ discipline. There’s also a question about Beetle Bolden’s availability.
ALLAN TAYLOR’S PICK: Tough mid-major programs live for these upset opportunities, but Buffalo has too strong a rep to sneak up on West Virginia. I like the Mountaineers in any opener played outside of Germany or Spokane. Take WVU 87-79.