Rapid Takeaways From WVU's Big 12 Tournament Loss to BYU

A few initial thoughts after West Virginia's brief stay in Kansas City.

Mar 11, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers center Harlan Obioha (55) loses control of the ball during the first half against the BYU Cougars at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

West Virginia's stay in Kansas City was a brief one as they lost to BYU on Wednesday night in the second round of the Big 12 Conference tournament by a 68-48 score.

Here are my thoughts from this one...

Carelessness with the basketball

That first half was hard to watch. Nine turnovers in the first 11 minutes and 14 for the half in total. The big problem for WVU was that they were live-ball turnovers, resulting in 10 points BYU's way. This group doesn't move the ball enough and opts to dribble the air out of it, often leading to tight spaces in the corner or along the sideline. BYU head coach Kevin Young was elated with the "togetherness" of his defense in the first half, but it had nothing to do with the Cougars, if we're being honest. It was just West Virginia being extremely careless with the rock.

Need to increase the level of athleticism more than anything

I'm not saying anything we didn't already know, but the lack of athleticism was evident tonight going up against BYU, and I'm removing AJ Dybantsa from the equation because he's a whole other animal. Obviously, most of these guys will be graduating, so it's not like you have to fix certain players; they just have to target players who get the rock and go and play with conviction in their decision-making. Even WVU's most athletic player, Brenen Lorient, takes 10 years to get into his shot, and it's why many of his looks from deep end up contested or result in a turnover. It's not just about the offense either. Having more athleticism and speed is going to make WVU even sharper on the defensive end, too.

Get ready to learn The College Basketball Crown

Well, we can officially kiss goodbye the conversation of the NCAA Tournament. Even if WVU had won this game, they would have had to beat Houston and maybe win one more to feel safe. Instead, the March Madness drought will extend another year. WVU has not indicated whether or not they will play in any other non-NCAA Tournament postseason event, but considering The College Basketball Crown has a strong relationship with the Big 12 and commissioner Brett Yormark, and there is an NIL prize tied to it, I'd imagine Ross Hodge would like for his group to participate, assuming they are on board with playing.