West Virginia’s Wiggle Room in Non-Con Play is Nearly Gone with Key Games Ahead

Things didn't go well for West Virginia in the Charleston Classic, and while it's not necessarily time to slam the panic button through the desk, the Mountaineers' two losses to Clemson and Xavier have put them in a tough position.

This team will improve throughout the year, especially once they get a few more games under their belt and understand how each other plays, but time is of the essence.

When Selection Sunday rolls around in March, the committee isn't going to look at WVU's losses to Clemson and Xavier and say, "Nope, access denied," but it will be a part of that right-hand side of the record, which will increase throughout the season.

You may think a pre-Thanksgiving loss doesn't matter, but it does, especially when you play in arguably the most challenging conference in college basketball. The Mountaineers have finished with a winning record in Big 12 play just once since the start of the 2018-19 season, and given that this roster is entirely new, expecting this group to go 10-8 or better, while possible, is unfair.

Let's talk some hypotheticals for a second.

If WVU were to go .500 in league play (9-9), that puts them at 11 losses. If they lose to either Wake Forest or Ohio State, now you're at 12. See where I'm going here?

This is why losing the Clemson game stings. It's a game you led for 26+ minutes and had a double-digit lead in with eight minutes to play. Assuming WVU falls short of .500 or better in league play, that loss to Clemson, and perhaps others, could be the difference in making the NCAA Tournament or playing in the NIT.

In WVU's first 13 seasons as a member of the Big 12, it has averaged 9.5 losses in league play. I'm fully aware that there's been a lot that's happened in those 13 years, such as the start of NIL, the transfer portal, and multiple coaching changes, but still, it paints a pretty good picture as to what to expect in this challenging conference.

Ross Hodge's squad can work its way out of this mini hole by winning out in the non-con. Wake Forest and Ohio State are the only two games remaining in this portion of the schedule that are troublesome.

The point isn't that West Virginia is cooked just seven games into the season. It's that they've made things a little more difficult than needed with the recent two losses, and put more pressure on themselves in the remaining non-con slate. Even if the Mountaineers had gone 1-1 in Charleston, they would have provided themselves a bit of a buffer.

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