How Deep Will WVU Go in the NCAA Tournament?

It's about that time, folks! March Madness is upon us. On Saturday, Hope Coliseum will host two first-round NCAA Tournament matchups, the second of which will be your West Virginia Mountaineers taking on No. 13 seed Miami (OH).

How far will Mark Kellogg's squad go this March? Here are our thoughts.

Schuyler Callihan: Sweet Sixteen

This weekend is going to be a lot of fun, and because of the energy created by Mountaineer fans inside Hope Coliseum, I have them beating Miami (Ohio) and taking down the winner of Kentucky/James Madison in the Round of 32, which I believe will be Kentucky.

West Virginia's defense is always going to be on point, but I think the offense is a little underrated. Gia Cooke and Sydney Shaw can be a handful when they get in a rhythm, and Meme Wheeler is physical in the paint and can finish through contact. The one issue WVU has had at times this year has been throwing the ball away. If they can limit the turnovers, they'll secure a spot in the Sweet Sixteen.

Unfortunately, that's where I have this run ending. The No. 1 seed Texas Longhorns are a true national title contender, and WVU just doesn't have the length to match up with them.

Joey Bray: Sweet Sixteen

Although it is supposed to effectively be a “neutral environment” for the hosting team in this tournament, it’s hard to imagine that Morgantown won't create a unique environment for the first and second rounds. There is an expected crowd of at least 11,000 for WVU’s first-round game. I would expect that number to even rise should they take care of business in the opening round.

The Kentucky Wildcats pose an interesting challenge for the Mountaineers should they end up meeting in the second round. The Wildcats are arguably more battle-tested than the Mountaineers, playing in a tough SEC conference. However, I do believe the Mountaineers' defense mimics those who have given the Wildcats trouble to this point in the year. I think the game court advantage will also help propel Kellogg and his squad to the Sweet 16.

West Virginia would then meet 1 seeded Texas, who I ultimately think will be too much for the Mountaineers to handle. Texas is one of the deepest teams in the country and can match the Mountaineers defensive intensity.

I have the Mountaineers reaching their first Sweet 16 under Mark Kellogg, but ultimately falling to one of the best teams in the entire nation.