Oklahoma vs. West Virginia preview: Mountaineers open first Big 12 season against OU

The West Virginia Mountaineers and Oklahoma Sooners have already played a game against each other — which the Sooners won 77-70 in the third-place game of the Old Spice Classic — but, because it took place in a tournament, it doesn't count for the two teams' conference standings.

All of that is a roundabout way of saying that the Mountaineers (7-5) and Sooners (9-3) have played each other already this season, but will open Big 12 play against each other Saturday afternoon in Morgantown. It's West Virginia's first conference game as a member of the Big 12, but they're not starting in a position of strength. The 'Eers are 7-5, with losses to the likes of Duquesne and Davidson, and their best win is a one-point victory over a Virginia Tech team that's going to struggle to make the tournament.

In their first meeting, the Sooners held the Mountaineers to just 36.2 percent shooting from the field and 28.6 percent on three-pointers. The Mountaineers will have to do better than that if they want to start off conference play on the right foot.

Game Date/Time: Saturday, Jan. 5, 4 p.m. ET

Location: WVU Coliseum, Morgantown, W.Va.

TV: Big 12 Network