Sat Dec 06 23:00:00 UTC 2025: Mountaineers Face Tough Test Against Wake Forest in Charleston
CHARLESTON, SC – After a pair of confidence-boosting wins against Mercyhurst and Coppin State, West Virginia University’s men’s basketball team faces a significantly tougher challenge tonight as they take on Wake Forest in a neutral-site game in Charleston.
While the Mountaineers are favored, the Demon Deacons (6-3) are a dangerous opponent. Despite recent losses against Michigan and Texas Tech and an 86-68 defeat against Oklahoma, Wake Forest boasts a talented squad led by sophomore guard Juke Harris, who averages a team-leading 19.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Harris’s size (6’7″) presents a difficult matchup for West Virginia’s guards.
West Virginia (fresh off a 91-point performance against Coppin State) will need to contain Harris’s scoring and force turnovers to secure a victory. Senior guard Honor Huff, averaging 15.8 points and leading the team with 31 three-pointers, will need to be at his best.
One key to West Virginia’s potential victory will be taking advantage of Wake Forest’s propensity for turnovers (12.1 per game) while minimizing their own (9.4 per game). West Virginia On SI publisher Schuyler Callihan predicts a nail-biting finish, with the Mountaineers edging out a 67-64 victory, sealed by a clutch three-pointer from Honor Huff and a game-winning block from Brenen Lorient.
The game promises to be a significant test for West Virginia as they look to build momentum before the heart of their conference schedule.
(Game information including tip-off time, TV channel and odds can be found on Sports Illustrated.)