Baylor vs. West Virginia: Bears Aim for 7th Straight Win

Baylor is coming off a 76-65 loss to No. 6 Houston on Monday, a game played without Josh Ojianwuna, who suffered a season-ending knee injury on February 8th against UCF. The Bears struggled on the boards against Houston, securing only four offensive rebounds. Coach Scott Drew acknowledged the need to find ways to improve rebounding without Ojianwuna.

Norchad Omier is expected to see increased playing time in Ojianwuna’s absence. While Omier had five rebounds against Houston, his performance was below his recent standards; he had previously recorded at least 12 rebounds in five of the six prior games.

Baylor will also rely on VJ Edgecombe to maintain his strong offensive performance. He has scored in double figures in ten consecutive games, including a 30-point game against Kansas State on January 22nd. West Virginia coach Darian DeVries praised Edgecombe’s speed and talent, noting his high standing on NBA draft boards.

DeVries has his own offensive weapon in Javon Small, who averages 18.5 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.4 rebounds. Small will be looking to rebound from a nine-point performance against BYU, his second-lowest scoring output of the season. Despite the low scoring total, DeVries was pleased with Small’s nine assists, recognizing the challenges of playing against double-team coverage. “At times, there’s only so much you can do if you want to commit two people to him all the time,” DeVries said. “Now you’ve got to take what they give you.”

Official t-shirt buy here: Norchad Omier Baylor basketball 90s graphic shirt