West Virginia Could Secure Surprising Spot in Big 12 Standings by Beating Texas Tech

The chances of beating Texas Tech on Sunday? Slim. That doesn't mean it can't happen, though. Hope Coliseum has been a tough place for teams to play over the years, and teams that come in with a number next to their name have been known to come up on the wrong side of the scoreboard.

In the event West Virginia does beat the 13th-ranked Red Raiders, there's a chance they could move up to fifth place in the Big 12 Conference standings. UCF will play Cincinnati around the same time on Sunday afternoon, and if the Bearcats can somehow pull off a stunner AND West Virginia wins, boom...the Mountaineers move up to fifth place.

Feb 5, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Ross Hodge works the sideline against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the first half at Fifth Third Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Thanks to Oklahoma State's upset win over BYU earlier in the week and the Mountaineers finishing off the come-from-behind win last night, they have moved a half-game ahead of the Cougars, who are currently ranked 16th in the country.

Now, I'm not going to get crazy here and start talking about West Virginia's chances to win the league because that's nonsense. They would have to win out and have a ton of help, which just isn't going to happen. What moving into fifth place does mean for WVU, though, is that they are one of the top teams in the best conference in college basketball. That alone will get the Selection Committee's attention, assuming they get there and can hang around that spot in the standings.

The other part of this is that it would show why folks should be optimistic about the future with Ross Hodge at the helm. This, in theory, should be the worst roster he has, and that's no offense to this group whatsoever. To be in the top half of the league and possibly top five or six in year one, over halfway through league play, with a group he threw together over the summer, would be remarkable.

Big 12 standings heading into the weekend (games behind)

1. Arizona 9-0 (-)
2. Houston 8-1 (1)
T3. Kansas 7-2 (2)
T3. Iowa State 7-2 (2)
5. Texas Tech 6-3 (3)
T6. UCF 6-4 (3.5)
T6. West Virginia 6-4 (3.5)
8. BYU 5-4 (4)
9. Oklahoma State 4-5 (5)
10. TCU 3-6 (6)
T11. Cincinnati 3-7 (6.5)
T11. Baylor 3-7 (6.5)
T11. Colorado 3-7 (6.5)
T11. Arizona State 3-7 (6.5)
T15. Kansas State 1-8 (8)
T15. Utah 1-8 (8)

Big 12 standings heading into the weekend (games behind)

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI