West Virginia Mountaineers vs Colorado Buffaloes Picks and Predictions March 12th 2025

Buffaloes Aim to Keep Postseason Run Alive

Colorado has struggled mightily in its first season in the Big 12, winning just three conference games all year. However, the Buffaloes are suddenly showing life at the right time, securing back-to-back wins for the first time since December.

After defeating TCU in the regular-season finale, Colorado followed up with a hard-fought 69-67 victory over the Horned Frogs in the opening round of the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday. Now, they look to continue their improbable run against eighth-seeded West Virginia on Wednesday in Kansas City.

While the Buffaloes have been far from dominant, coach Tad Boyle is pleased with his team’s resilience in close games.

“When you don’t play your best — and we were far from our best today — and you figure out how to win a game in March, it says something about your guys,” Boyle said after Tuesday’s victory. “This team has come a long way.”

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Colorado Overcomes Mistakes to Stay Alive

Despite allowing 22 offensive rebounds and committing 15 turnovers against TCU, Colorado found a way to survive.

The Buffaloes relied on strong individual performances from Andrej Jakimovski, who scored a team-high 18 points, and Julian Hammond III, who added 16.

Colorado started the second half on a 14-1 run to take a commanding 40-28 lead, then held off a furious late push by TCU.

Now, they must quickly regroup against a West Virginia team that has been inconsistent but dangerous.

West Virginia Enters with Fresh Legs

Unlike Colorado, West Virginia (19-12) will be well-rested heading into Wednesday’s matchup. The Mountaineers haven’t played since Saturday when they wrapped up the regular season with a 72-65 win over UCF.

West Virginia has not won or lost more than two consecutive games since January, making them one of the most unpredictable teams in the Big 12 Tournament. However, they have already proven they can handle Colorado, having secured a 78-70 road victory over the Buffaloes on Jan. 12.

Balanced Attack Key for West Virginia

The Mountaineers have relied on a balanced scoring approach all season. In their previous win over Colorado, four players scored in double figures, making it difficult for the Buffaloes’ defense to key in on any one player.

“If we can get multiple guys—if we can get (Jonathan) Powell or Amani (Hansberry) or even Joe (Yesufu) to go along with Javon (Small) from a shooting standpoint, that opens up our offense dramatically,” West Virginia coach Darian DeVries said.

The Mountaineers’ depth could be a major advantage against a Colorado team playing its third game in five days.

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What’s at Stake?

Colorado is playing with house money at this point, but another upset would extend their unexpected Big 12 Tournament run. For West Virginia, a loss would put them squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble, making this a must-win game for their postseason hopes.

The Buffaloes will need to keep up their strong second-half performances and limit turnovers if they want to continue their Cinderella story. Meanwhile, West Virginia will look to use fresh legs and depth to overpower an exhausted Colorado squad.

It’s March, and anything can happen.