Rapid Takeaways Following West Virginia's Upset Win Over No. 19 BYU

Some initial analysis after West Virginia's matchup against the BYU Cougars.

Feb 28, 2026; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers forward DJ Thomas (5) shoots a three point shot over BYU Cougars forward Khadim Mboup (7) during the first half at Hope Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

After dropping three straight games, the West Virginia Mountaineers got back in the win column in signature fashion, taking down projected top-two pick AJ Dybantsa and 19th-ranked BYU by a 79-71 score.

Here are a few of my thoughts from this one...

Offense finally finding some rhythm?

I figured that WVU played more efficiently on Tuesday night against Oklahoma State solely because of the up-and-down nature in which the game was played. While that could still be true, pace was not the cause of the efficiency tonight. The three-point shot still didn't fall as much as West Virginia would like, but they attacked the paint and did a good job of taking care of the basketball. Ball movement, at times, was a thing of beauty. As a team, the Mountaineers finished with 17 assists on 27 made field goals.

DJ Thomas is growing

The stats haven't been there for him lately, but you can tell he's playing with a lot more confidence than he did earlier in Big 12 play. He had no hesitation pulling up on any of those threes that he took, and also played well in the paint, pulling down 18 offensive rebounds and finishing through some physical contact. Now, he just needs to string some of these types of games together and end the season on a strong note. By the way, that three-point shot of his is a thing of beauty for a 6'8" big man.

A sign for the future

Yes, this might boost the NCAA Tournament resume for West Virginia, but there are still a bunch of things that need to happen for that to really matter. Instead, I'm choosing to look at this as a sign of what's to come and why fans should be optimistic about the days to come. A team that had lost three straight coming into this one, with very little chance to make the dance, came out hungry and as locked in as ever. Most teams in this situation would have come out flat, hung their heads, and gone through the motions. They shut down projected top-two AJ Dybantsa in the first half and executed the gameplan. Taking down a top-25 team is no fluke. This is a momentum builder.

West Virginia will be back in action on Tuesday night, playing their final road game of the season against Kansas State. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET.