• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Struggling Arizona takes on West Virginia

Mar 20, 2008 - 11:58 AM No. 10 Arizona (19-14) vs. No. 7 West Virginia (24-10) 9:40 pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Ticker) - In the NCAA Tournament for the 24th consecutive season, 10th-seeded Arizona takes on seventh-seeded West Virginia in the first round in the West Region on Thursday.

The Wildcats (19-14) lost eight of their last 12 games to end the season, with two of those victories coming against Pac-10 Conference doormat Oregon State (6-25).

Freshman Jerryd Bayless leads the team in scoring at 20.0 points per game and sophomore Chase Budinger is averaging 17.0.

The Mountaineers (24-10) solidified their spot in the NCAAs with a four-game winning streak, including a quarterfinal win in the Big East tournament against Connecticut before losing to Georgetown.

Under first-year coach Bob Huggins, West Virginia, which won the NIT last season, is led by Joe Alexander's 16.8 points per game. The junior averaged 26.8 points over his last six games, including a career-high 34 points against the Huskies.

The last time the two teams met was in 1993, when the Wildcats won, 75-74, in Arizona.

The winner moves on to face either Duke or Belmont in the second round on Saturday.