RADFORD, Va. – Riding a three-game win streak, the Radford men's basketball team and head coach Darris Nichols travel to Morgantown for a reunion with the West Virginia Mountaineers on Saturday.
 
SETTING THE STAGE
Opponent: West Virginia Mountaineers (6-1, 0-0 Big 12)
Date/Time: Saturday, December 4^th at 4:00 p.m.
Location: WVU Coliseum (Morgantown, W.Va.)

FOLLOW THE ACTION
Watch Live on ESPN+
Listen Live with Rick Watson on 101.7 WRAD
Get Updates with Live Stats
Purchase Tickets
 
SERIES HISTORY
West Virginia owns a 6-0 lead in the all-time series with Radford, winning those six games by an average of 26.7 points. The Highlanders and Mountaineers played their closest game on Dec. 22, 2012 when Javonte Green dropped 17 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out in a 72-62 decision at WVU Coliseum.
 
The very first meeting between the two programs came on Dec. 2, 1991 and the most recent was on Dec. 20, 2016. Only once has WVU made the trek to the New River Valley – Dec. 19, 2007 – a game in which current Radford head coach Darris Nichols was playing for the Mountaineers.
 
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
Under head coach Bob Huggins, West Virginia has been one of the few teams in college basketball with a very distinct identity. No matter who he has on his roster, Huggins' teams are always hard-nosed and play with an undeniable purpose. The end result is consistent success, as the Mountaineers have won at least 20 games in five of the last seven seasons.
 
With six wins already under their belt, this year is no different. The Mountaineers have defeated ACC foes Pittsburgh and Clemson, with their only loss coming to a Shaka Smart-led Marquette program that is back on the rise. They have also defeated Akron, who Radford plays in December, as well as Eastern Kentucky who the Highlanders also took down.
 
WVU is led by fifth year guard Taz Sherman, one of just 33 players in the nation currently averaging 20 or more points per game. He ranks 16^th out of all players in the game of college basketball for total shot attempts (116) and 48^th for total free throws made (31). Senior guard Sean McNeil is averaging 12.0 points per game, making him Sherman's only teammate averaging double digits in scoring this year.
 
As a team, the Mountaineers do struggle a bit from deep and at the free throw line, making just 30.9% and 63.7% of their attempts, respectively. Rebounding has also been somewhat of an issue, with WVU bringing a -2.1 margin into Saturday's game.
 
DARRIS' HOME AWAY FROM HOME
As many fans already know, first-year Radford head coach Darris Nichols was a standout guard and wore the #14 jersey on West Virginia's squads from the fall of 2004 to the spring of 2008 when he graduated with a degree in sociology.
 
The Radford High School product was recruited by John Beilein and learned under his tutelage for three years before Bob Huggins took the reins of the program in his senior year. Across four years, Nichols scored 993 career points and dished out 399 assists while shooting at a .375 clip from 3-point range. He finished his college career as a top-five winningest player in program history after trips to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight 2005 and Sweet 16 in 2006.
 
COACHING CONNECTION
Having already competed against one of his former bosses this season – Virginia Tech's Mike Young – Darris Nichols will once again sit opposite a friend when the Highlanders take on Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers.
 
Nichols played just one year for Huggins, but the pairing helped lead West Virginia to a 26-11 record overall and an 11-7 mark in Big East action. Together, they earned wins over Arizona (75-65) and #9 Duke (73-67) in the NCAA Tournament before falling to #12 Xavier in overtime.
 
TURNOVER BATTLE
Winning the turnover battle is a key ingredient to every team's recipe for success, but Radford and West Virginia are currently on opposite ends of the spectrum in that category. 
 
The Mountaineers rank third in the nation with a +8.3 turnover margin and ninth with 19.7 forced turnovers per game. The Highlanders have struggled quite a bit with turnovers this season, losing the ball 16.8 times per game on average. How they handle the inevitable defensive pressure put on them by WVU will play a large part in the outcome of this game.
 
FOLLOW RADFORD MEN'S BASKETBALL
To follow the Radford men's basketball team throughout the season, visit RadfordAthletics.com, follow @RadfordHoops on Twitter, 'radfordhoops' Instagram or Radford Men's Basketball on Facebook.