Way-Too-Early Predictions of WVU's Non-Conference Basketball Schedule

The non-conference portion of the West Virginia men's basketball schedule for the 2025-26 season was unveiled on Friday, and it features four games versus high majors with a possible fifth game against Georgia in the Charleston Classic.

It's way too early to know how good this bunch will be, but on paper, there are some serious concerns, as I outlined in my roster breakdown earlier this morning. Once practice begins and head coach Ross Hodge begins to give his analysis of where the team stands, that could change some of my perception heading into the year.

For now, though, I have the Mountaineers sitting on the wrong side of the NCAA Tournament bubble, much of which comes from what I expect to happen in non-conference play.

Here are my game-by-game predictions for the non-league portion of the schedule as of today.

Nov. 4 vs. Mount St. Mary’s - Win

Nov. 6 vs. Campbell - Win

Nov. 9 vs. Lehigh - Win

Nov. 13 vs. Pitt - Win

Nov. 17 vs. Lafayette - Win

Nov. 21 vs. Clemson (Charleston Classic) - Lose

Nov. 23 vs. Georgia or Xavier (Charleston Classic) - Lose

Nov. 30 vs. Mercyhurst - Win

Dec. 3 vs. Coppin State - Win

Dec. 6 vs. Wake Forest (Charleston, WV) - Lose

Dec. 9 vs. Little Rock - Win

Dec. 13 vs. Ohio State (Cleveland, OH) - Win

Dec. 22 vs. Mississippi Valley State - Win

Analysis on 10-3

I won't lie, I almost put Ohio State down as a loss as well, but I went against my gut. This is not the most challenging schedule by any means, but for an entirely new roster and coaching staff, it most certainly is. Winning a game in the Charleston Classic will help their tournament resume greatly, even if it's in the consolation game. If they go 0-2 as I'm currently predicting, it's going to put a lot of pressure on them to beat Wake Forest, Ohio State, and then do better than expected in Big 12 play. The game against Wake is certainly winnable, and depending on the early reports from Hodge, I may flip that to a win before the season begins. The same goes for the second game in the Charleston Classic, assuming the opponent would be Georgia.

Analysis on 10-3

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI