Utah Utes vs West Virginia Mountaineers Picks and Predictions March 4th 2025

Utah’s Josh Eilert Faces Familiar Foe as West Virginia Visits

Josh Eilert finds himself in an unusual situation—leading Utah (16-13, 8-10 Big 12) against the West Virginia Mountaineers (17-12, 8-10 Big 12), the team he coached just last season.

Tuesday night’s matchup in Salt Lake City carries extra meaning for Eilert, who took over West Virginia on an interim basis following Bob Huggins’ resignation last summer. Now, after Utah fired Craig Smith, Eilert has once again been placed in interim coaching duty.

Stepping in at West Virginia was a bigger challenge, Eilert admitted, as he inherited a team late in the offseason that ultimately finished 9-23—the worst record in program history. Now, his new squad at Utah is in the thick of the Big 12 standings, battling for a first-round bye in the upcoming conference tournament.

Utah Gains Confidence After Arizona State Blowout

In Eilert’s first game in charge, Utah dominated Arizona State 99-73 on Saturday. Ezra Ausar led the way with 25 points, while Keanu Dawes posted a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

After the victory, Eilert praised his team’s cohesion and mentality.

“They’re not a bunch of guys who are out there for themselves,” he said. “The fact that they are still locking in on their teammates shows the character of the guys that Coach Smith brought into this program.”

Now, Utah looks to avoid a season sweep after falling 74-66 at West Virginia on Feb. 6.

West Virginia Aims to Avoid Utah Road Sweep

The Mountaineers have lost eight of their last 12 games, including a 77-56 blowout at No. 25 BYU on Saturday.

Several Big 12 teams have struggled on the Utah road trip, with Kansas, Kansas State, Cincinnati, and Oklahoma State all suffering two-game sweeps against BYU and Utah.

To avoid the same fate, West Virginia will rely heavily on senior guard Javon Small (18.2 PPG, 5.5 APG) while Eduardo Andre and Amani Hansberry try to counter Utah’s interior strength, which features:

• Keanu Dawes (6’9”)
• Ezra Ausar (6’8”)
• Lawson Lovering (7’1”)

West Virginia’s interior defense struggled against BYU reserve center Fousseyni Traore, who torched them for 20 points and 10 rebounds. The Cougars out-rebounded the Mountaineers 43-32 and dominated points in the paint 46-22.

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What’s at Stake?

Both Utah and West Virginia are in the mix for a top-eight finish in the Big 12 standings, which would mean a first-round bye in next week’s conference tournament.

• A Utah win would give Eilert a 2-0 start as interim coach and avenge their loss in Morgantown.
• A West Virginia victory would help solidify its positioning in the Big 12 and keep hopes alive for an NCAA Tournament bid.

With both teams battling for seeding, expect a highly competitive matchup as Eilert faces his former team for the first time in an emotional Big 12 showdown.