Why Not Us? (Part 2): The Big 12 Tournament
Pregame of the TCU vs. No. 6 WVU Men’s Basketball Game (Courtesy of Rush Bishop)
Bob Huggins will have another chance at 900 wins and beating the 12 Oklahoma State Cowboys for the second time this season when the No. 10 West Virginia Mountaineers open the 2nd round of the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. in Kansas City, MO.
The Cowboys upset the Mountaineers in Morgantown this previous Saturday preventing a senior night win and delaying Huggins’ 900th win. It was the third game in a grueling week of the regular season. The Mountaineers had started the week off with an overtime loss to the No. 3 Baylor Bears, followed by a sloppy win against TCU, and then a heartbreaking loss to the Cowboys. All games were played in Morgantown. In the last seven games of the regular season, the Mountaineers were able to go 4-3 (one of the games, at Baylor, was canceled).
The Good News
The three Mountaineer losses, in their last seven games, were “acceptable losses” (which is an oxymoron, in itself ). The first of their three losses came to No. 12 Oklahoma, by one point, in double overtime. As mentioned earlier, their second loss came to No. 3 Baylor in overtime, and their third loss was to No. 17 Oklahoma State, who moved up to 12 in the AP rankings this week.
In their wins, they showed they can beat the teams they HAVE to beat, i.e., Kansas State and TCU. They also showed that they can be down by 19 points to No. 12 Texas, and still win the game. When it comes to the Big 12 and NCAA Tournament, to show you can win from behind is huge. Per usual, the Big 12 is sending at least 70-percent of their conference to the NCAA Tournament, and for West Virginia to finish the regular season as a top 10 team, is an incredible accomplishment. If West Virginia plays the way they are capable of, they will be fine; it will be a successful season (hopefully leading to at least an Elite Eight berth).
The Bad News
As mentioned above, the Oklahoma State loss was put in the category of “acceptable losses.” If West Virginia just needed to get that loss out of the way before the tournaments, or needed rest, or just needed to “clean out the system,” then yes, it is an acceptable loss. However, the fear among the West Virginia faithful is that this is a sign of things to come. Let’s face it, right now, the team cannot make a 3-pointer in clutch situations. At least, with the 4-day break between the last regular season game and the 2nd round of the Big 12 Tournament, it gives McBride an opportunity to heal his lower body injury.
In addition, teams need to get “hot” going into the NCAA Tournament—that’s how teams get to the Final Four. Losing your last home game, with a chance for Huggins to have win 900 at home on senior night, is a bad way to start your March Madness run. If West Virginia does not learn from this, they will be in trouble, simple as that.
Moving Forward
As “they” say, “revenge is a dish best served cold.” And there is no better way than beating No. 12 Oklahoma State, No. 3 Baylor (potential), and No. 11 Kansas (potential) in the Big 12 Tournament. West Virginia has never won a men’s basketball Big 12 title since joining the conference in 2012. West Virginia has to beat Oklahoma State in the 2nd round, if a reason is needed, see above. Baylor, then, should beat the winner of Kansas State vs. TCU. This would lead to a rematch between Baylor and West Virginia in the Big 12 semifinals. The storyline behind this game: West Virginia does not have to be a top four team to be in the Final Four, but West Virginia has to beat a top four team to be in the Final Four. If West Virginia is serious this year, they must beat Baylor. If this can be done, I predict they will play Kansas in the Big 12 Championship.
From 2016-2018, West Virginia went to three-straight Big 12 Championships, losing all three. Two of those losses were to Kansas. Ahh, yes, the Kansas Jayhawks. Not only “the king” of the Big 12, but an NCAA blueblood, they have won three national championships, have made 15 Final Four appearances, won 11 Big 12 Championships (the Big 12 was formed in 1996), and is West Virginia’s monkey they cannot get off their backs. If this is “the year,” West Virginia will have to beat Kansas. Yes, the road to playing Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament is already rough enough, but if West Virginia makes it, they might as well win.
(My) Predictions
How West Virginia plays in the Big 12 Tournament will mirror their NCAA results. As of now, the ceiling for West Virginia is the Sweet 16, so if they lose to Oklahoma State, the Sweet 16 is the furthest they will go. If West Virginia makes it to the Big 12 semifinals, their ceiling now becomes the Elite Eight. If they make it to the Big 12 Championship, by probably beating Baylor, then they have proven to be a Final Four team. If they win the Big 12 Championship, especially if they beat Kansas, there is no reason they should not be looked at as a two seed and a favorite to win the NCAA Tournament.
You know the saying, “one game at a time,” and the game against Oklahoma State on Thursday will say everything. Is West Virginia going to come out firing, well rested, and win 900 for Huggins? Or, are they going to come out flat, mentally drained, and already looking ahead to the NCAA Tournament? While it is enticing to look ahead, it does not mean anything if they cannot win the first one. This is West Virginia’s most important game of the year; it is the game where they ask themselves, “are we burned out or is our flame just being lit?”
