West Virginia forward Esa Ahmad will return from a two-month academic suspension next week.

The Mountaineers' announced Tuesday that it received confirmation from the NCAA that Ahmad can play starting Jan. 13 against Texas Tech.

Ahmad had been ruled ineligible for the first half of the season after failing to meet NCAA academic requirements. He had been practicing with the team.

As a sophomore, Ahmad was second in scoring for the Mountaineers last season at 11.3 points per game. He was third in rebounds at 4.3 per contest.

West Virginia (13-1) has done fine without Ahmad. The Mountaineers have won 13 straight and are ranked No. 6 in the AP poll heading into a showdown Saturday night with No. 7 Oklahoma.