West Virginia's NCAA Tournament Hopes Looking Bleak? Don't Get Discouraged Just Yet

There's still time for the Mountaineers to get the job done and go dancing.

Feb 15, 2025; Waco, Texas, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Joseph Yesufu (1) drives to the basket ahead of Baylor Bears forward Norchad Omier (15) during the first half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Following Saturday afternoon's overtime loss to Baylor, West Virginia has now lost three of its last four and six of its last eight.

About a month ago, the Mountaineers were feeling on top of the world after knocking off No. 2 Iowa State on the day they honored the late great Jerry West, collecting their third win over a top-10 team this season.

Now, their NCAA Tournament outlook feels a bit bleak, but not according to the NCAA's NET Rankings. Even after yesterday's loss, West Virginia sits 45th in the NET with a 5-7 record in Quad 1, 2-3 record in Quad 2, and a perfect 8-0 combined record in Quads 3 and 4.

Feb 15, 2025; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears forward Norchad Omier (15) scores a basket against West Virginia Mountaineers center Eduardo Andre (0) during the second half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

The magic number for the Mountaineers to punch their ticket to the big dance still feels like 19. They need to get four more wins and have six regular season games plus the Big 12 Conference tournament to reach that mark.

Again, for a first-year coach who had to rebuild a roster completely from scratch, it's a tremendous spot to be in. They're playing meaningful games at the end of the season, which is a far cry from last year's monstrosity. Things are going to be okay in Morgantown, even if they aren't included in this year's field.

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