ESPN’s BPI Gives WVU a Jaw-Dropping Record Prediction in Ross Hodge’s First Season

Will West Virginia be among the nation's best in year one under Hodge?

Honor Huff

Tuesday night, Ross Hodge will coach his first game at West Virginia, and it could be the start of a special season. According to the ESPN Basketball Power Index (BPI) matchup predictor, the Mountaineers could end up being one of the best teams in the country record-wise.

Here's what the BPI says about WVU's chances in every game, followed by a breakdown of the records and my reaction to it. Note, only 30 of the 31 games are listed, given that the second opponent in the Charleston Classic is to be determined.

BPI's Game-by-Game Predictions

vs. Mount St. Mary’s - 97.8%

vs. Campbell - 96.9%

vs. Lehigh - 98.3%

vs. Pitt - 79.1%

vs. Lafayette - 96.9%

vs. Clemson (neutral) - 47.5%

vs. Mercyhurst - 98.9%

vs. Coppin State - 99%

vs. Wake Forest (neutral) - 70.3%

vs. Little Rock - 96.9%

vs. Ohio State (neutral) - 52%

vs. Mississippi Valley State - 99%

at Iowa State - 23.3%

vs. Cincinnati - 66.2%

vs. Kansas - 60.8%

at Houston - 10%

vs. Colorado - 88.4%

at Arizona State - 79%

at Arizona - 19.6%

vs. Kansas State - 75%

vs. Baylor - 59.8%

at Cincinnati - 40.3%

vs. Texas Tech - 58.2%

at UCF - 63.1%

vs. Utah - 82.4%

at TCU - 65.8%

at Oklahoma State - 70.1%

vs. BYU - 59.8%

at Kansas State - 50.9%

vs. UCF - 83.2%

Record Breakdown

Overall: 25-5

Conference: 14-4

Home: 18-0

Away: 5-4

Neutral: 2-1

Will West Virginia be THAT good???

I don't want to spoil all of the fun, but 25-5 is not happening. That could happen a few years down the road when Ross Hodge really gets this thing humming and has built some serious depth, and has developed the high school recruits into quality Big 12 players. In year one? I don't think so. The BPI puts a lot of weight on homecourt advantage and understandably so, but sometimes it goes overboard with it. Going a perfect 18-0 at home with a Big 12 schedule is unrealistic.

18 wins is more like the overall win total that they will finish with. Anything more than that is overachieving, in my opinion.

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