Predicting Every Game on West Virginia's Big 12 Conference Schedule

We're one week away from big boy basketball for the next three months straight, as West Virginia will begin the conference portion of its schedule next Friday in Ames against Iowa State — a team many believe has a strong chance to win the Big 12.

After a disappointing 9-4 non-conference slate, the Mountaineers will have to turn it up a notch or two if they want to hear their name called on Selection Sunday. They can't afford any "bad" losses and will have to pick up a couple or three signature wins along the way.

I've been kicking this game-by-game prediction article around for a few days now, and I've finally settled on what I expect to happen.

My game-by-game predictions w/running record

at Iowa State - Lose (9-5, 0-1)

vs. Cincinnati - Win (10-5, 1-1)

vs. Kansas - Lose (10-6, 1-2)

at Houston - Lose (10-7, 1-3)

vs. Colorado - Win (11-7, 2-3)

at Arizona State - Win (12-7, 3-3)

at Arizona - Lose (12-8, 3-4)

vs. Kansas State - Win (13-8, 4-4)

vs. Baylor - Lose (13-9, 4-5)

at Cincinnati - Lose (13-10, 4-6)

vs. Texas Tech - Lose (13-11, 4-7)

at UCF - Win (14-11, 5-7)

vs. Utah - Win (15-11, 6-7)

at TCU - Lose (15-12, 6-8)

at Oklahoma State - Lose (15-13, 6-9)

vs. BYU - Lose (15-14, 6-10)

at Kansas State - Win (16-14, 7-10)

vs. UCF - Win (17-14, 8-10)

No postseason in year one for Hodge

West Virginia University head coach Ross Hodge | Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

The lack of a consistent second scorer isn't going to be what dooms West Virginia. No, it doesn't help the cause, but for me, it's the inability to play elite defense for a full forty minutes against teams that are capable of putting up strong offensive nights. We've seen stretches where WVU can really force a team into tough shots and play with the tenacity and intensity that Ross Hodge wants. The problem? It has a tendency to dissipate late in the second half of games.

If you're going to be successful in this league, you have to have an identity and one that you can rely on every single night. The bones of it are there for the Mountaineers, but as Ross Hodge has hinted at a couple of times already, they may just run out of time before they start to gel.

Considering the circumstances, going 17-14 or somewhere in that ballpark isn't all that terrible for a first-year head coach. It would only be two wins shy of last year's total, for example.

If this hypothetical does play out, I wouldn't expect WVU to accept an invitation to the NIT or any other postseason tournament. A good chunk of their roster will be graduating, and let's face it, the NIT isn't what it used to be.

My game-by-game predictions w/running record

No postseason in year one for Hodge

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