Hoops Analyst Picks WVU to Make it to Title Game of College Basketball Crown

A championship appearance on the horizon for the Mountaineers?

Jan 24, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Honor Huff (3) dribbles the ball during the first half of the game against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Ross Hodge and the West Virginia Mountaineers accepted their invite to participate in the second-ever College Basketball Crown, and on Monday evening, they learned that they will be taking on the Stanford Cardinal (20-12, 9-9 ACC) in the first round on April 2nd in Las Vegas.

During the reveal, FOX Sports college basketball analyst LaPhonso Ellis picked the Mountaineers to be one of the teams that make it to the championship game of the tournament, but has them falling short of hoisting the Crown.

“I have West Virginia and Oklahoma in the finals, and I have to give Oklahoma the edge," he said. "You’re talking about a team that is playing so well, winning six of their last seven games to close the season. I think they’ll bring that momentum into this tournament and have an opportunity to be the second Crown champions.”

When WVU was revealed to be in the field a few minutes earlier, Ellis gave his quick thoughts on the Mountaineers.

“This is a West Virginia team that’s 17th in the country in terms of their defensive efficiency. They do a great job of flooding the lane, forcing you to skip the basketball across the floor, and they do a terrific job of closing out. And then there’s Honor Huff, their 5’10” guard who plays off the basketball — one of the elite scorers in the Big 12. Can they (Stanford) find him and shut him down? Because as he goes, West Virginia goes.”

WVU will have a challenging first-round matchup with the Cardinal, who have a talented freshman in Ebuka Okorie, who is averaging 22.8 points per game. If they are able to get past them, they should be in a prime position to advance to the finals. Rutgers is 14-19 on the season, and Creighton enters this tournament with a 15-17 record.

Matchups and future dates for the College Basketball Crown

Game 1: Oklahoma vs. Colorado | April 1, 8 p.m. ET on FS1

Game 2: Baylor vs. Minnesota | April 1, 10:30 p.m. ET on FS1

Game 3: Stanford vs. West Virginia | April 2, 8 p.m. ET on FS1

Game 4: Rutgers vs. Creighton | April 2, 10:30 p.m. ET on FS1

Game 5: Oklahoma/Colorado winner plays Baylor/Minnesota winner | April 4, 1:30 p.m. ET on FOX

Game 6: Stanford/West Virginia winner plays Rutgers/Creighton winner | April 4, 4 p.m. ET on FOX

Game 7: Game 5 winner plays Game 6 winner for the championship | April 5, 5:30 p.m. ET on FOX