NC State is on the road tonight for the second-consecutive game and though the matchup at the Charleston Civic Center is technically on neutral court, the crowd will be pro-West Virginia when the Wolfpack and Mountaineers tip off at 7 p.m.

This year's West Virginia (5-1) team is a much different looking squad than the Mountaineers squad that came to the RBC Center and won two years ago and the team that went to the Sweet Sixteen last season. WVU has just one returning starter, senior forward Frank Young, and feature eight freshmen. NC State (5-1) is also a much different team that last time the teams met. The Pack will start just one person, junior Gavin Grant, who averaged more than 10 minutes per game last season.

Young, who is scoring 10.8 points per game, is one of three West Virginia players averaging double figures in the early going this season. Sophomore Joe Alexander is an athletic forward who can go inside and out. The former Hargrave Military Academy star had a career-high 18 points this year against Montana. Guard Darris Nichols is the Mountaineers leading scorer at 12 points per game.

West Virginia poses a different challenge for NC State big men Brandon Costner and Ben McCauley. The Mountaineers rotate two 7-0 centers in senior Rob Summers and junior Jamie Smalligan. Neither player is exceptional offensively -- Summers averages 4.5 points and Smalligan 5.5 -- but the Wolfpack hasn't seen a team with that kind of size this season. The pair has combined to block 18 shots this season and Smalligan has been good at getting the opposing team in foul trouble, attempting a team-high 20 free throws this year. The Mountaineers have also gotten solid production off the bench from 6-7 freshman forward Da'Sean Butler, who is averaging 8.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

The Wolfpack will likely play without senior guard Engin Atsur for the second-straight game. In Atsur's absence NC State has relied on Grant to man the point guard position and Grant has responded by averaging 7.5 assists over the past two contests. The Pack will need another solid performance out of Grant to avoid a second-straight loss.

Game Time: Sunday, Dec. 3, 2006 • 7 PM ET • Charleston Civic Center, Charleston, W.Va.

Television: Fox Sports Pittsburgh/ESPN Full Court

G – 4 Courtney Fells (6-5, So., 10.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 10 assists)

G – 14 Bryan Neiman (6-6, Sr., 3.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 7 assists)

G/F – 11 Gavin Grant (6-7, Jr., 17.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 27 assists)

F – 33 Brandon Costner (6-8, R-Fr., 15.5 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 15 assists)

C – 34 Ben McCauley (6-9, So., 13.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 21 assists)

F – 21 Frank Young (6-5 Sr., 10.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg 11 assists)

F – 11 Joe Alexander (6-8, So., 11.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 12 assists)

C – Rob Summers (7-0, Sr., 4.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 10 blocks)

G – 22 Alex Ruoff (6-6, So., 8.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 27 assists)

G – 14 Darris Nichols (6-2, Jr., 12.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 24 assists)

Location: Morgantown, W.Va.

Nickname: Mountaineers

2005-06 Record: 22-11 overall, 11-5 Big East

2006 Post-season: NCAA Sweet Sixteen

Head Coach: John Beilein (Wheeling Jesuit, 1975), who is 529-310 overall in 29 years of coaching and is 82-52 in five seasons at West Virginia.

The All-Time Series With NC State: Tied 7-7.

Last Meeting With NC State: West Virginia 82, NC State 69, 2004-2005 seasons in Raleigh.

1. John Beilein is 3-0 against the ACC and 1-0 against NC State. West Virginia is 123-96 all-time against current members of the ACC.

2. The game will be televised by ESPN-Plus, but not available on cable in the Triangle. Fox Sports Pittsburgh, ESPN Full Court, YES, CSS Atlanta, CSN West, MASN, Cox Oklahoma and Cox Tulsa will show the game.

3. Darris Nichols is the only West Virginia player to lead the Mountaineers in scoring more than once this season.

4. West Virginia is tough on defense. The Mountaineers have forced an average of 23 turnovers a game this season.

5. Nichols takes care of the ball. The WVU guard only has five turnovers in 182 minutes this season.

West Virginia: WVU is 56-20 all-time in games played in Charleston … West Virginia won its first five games by a combined 123 points … Frank Young is averaging 14.5 points per game his last four games … The Wolfpack and Mountaineers have met in Charleston once before with WVU winning 86-78 in 1960 … WVU has had a winning non-conference record for 14-straight seasons.

NC State: Engin Atsur will miss the second game in a row with a pulled hamstring … The Wolfpack has five players averaging double figures in scoring … The Pack suffered it first loss of the season Sunday at Virginia … This is just NC State's second game away from the RBC Center this season … West Virginia will be NC State's third straight opponent from a major conference. The Wolfpack beat Michigan and lost to Virginia last week.