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With KU’s Azubuike out, Big 12 tourney looks wide-open

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — After back-to-back runner-up finishes at the Big 12 Tournament, No. 18 West Virginia wants to complete the mission this season.

“It’s winning time, so every possession is big,” all-conference guard Jevon Carter said from inside the Sprint Center.

As the third-seeded Mountaineers (22-9) completed their Wednesday shootaround, reports surfaced that Kansas center Udoka Azubuike would miss the tournament after suffering an MCL sprain. The 7-footer’s absence rendered an already wide-open field even more unpredictable.

“It changes things because he’s a force,” said West Virginia coach Bob Huggins, whose team couldn’t encounter Kansas until the final.