Big Test for West Virginia Tonight. Countdown to Tip-Off.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia puts its undefeated record on the line tonight against Mississippi in a clash of nationally ranked teams at the WVU Coliseum. Tonight’s game is designated “Gold Rush” with fans coming to the game being encouraged to wear their gold.

West Virginia and Ole Miss have met once before in Mississippi last year when the Mountaineers pulled out an exciting 80-78 victory.

Here is tonight’s Countdown to Tipoff:

10 – Only TEN opponents have managed to shoot better than 50 percent from the floor during Bob Huggins’ 80-game tenure at West Virginia.

9 – Da’Sean Butler recently became the 16th player in school history to score more than 1,500 career points. On the other end, Butler has managed NINE double-figure rebounding games for his career, second only to Devin Ebanks’ 12 among current Mountaineer players.

8 – Sophomore forward Kevin Jones is the only Mountaineer player to score double figures in all EIGHT games so far this year. Jones is averaging 14.5 points per game while grabbing a team-best 7.3 rebounds per contest.

7 – West Virginia has won all SEVEN times it has led at halftime this season. The only time the Mountaineers have trailed at halftime this year was against Texas A&M, 34-32, in the 76 Classic

6 – Ole Miss is ranked SIXTH in the country in scoring offense averaging 85.4 points per game. The Rebels topped the 100-point mark in their last game against Centenary last Saturday.

5 – West Virginia’s recent FIVE-year run in men’s basketball has seen the Mountaineers reach the NCAA Tournament four times with three trips to the Sweet 16 or beyond. The year West Virginia didn’t make the NCAA Tournament the Mountaineers won the NIT in 2007.

4 – Ole Miss represents the FOURTH nationally ranked non-conference opponent to play at the WVU Coliseum since West Virginia joined the Big East Conference in 1996. The other ranked non-conference foes were No. 2 UCLA in 2007, No. 20 George Washington in 2004 and No. 7 Tennessee in 2000.

3 – Ole Miss is nationally ranked for the THIRD straight week. The Rebels are now 15th in the AP poll and 21st in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ Poll.

2 – West Virginia has lost only TWICE at home to non-conference teams during the last seven years and sport an impressive 47-2 record during that span.

1 – The Rebels are making their FIRST ever appearance at the WVU Coliseum tonight.

G-o-o-o-o-o-o-o Mountaineers!