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West Virginia Mountaineers

NCAAB – BIG 12

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Arena: WVU Coliseum
Coach: Bob Huggins

West Virginia Mountaineers

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West Virginia Mountaineers Team Summary

West Virginia, more affectionately known as Press Virginia under the past 15 years due to their playing style, has become an NCAA Tournament fixture. The Mountaineers have made 12 NCAA Tournaments since 2005, and 30 overall as a program.

While many players have taken the country roads to play for the Mountaineers, unquestionably the most famous program alum is “The Logo,” Jerry West. The Hall of Famer was a two-time consensus All-American and went on to play 14 seasons in the NBA, which uses his image and likeness for the league’s logo.

This season’s team has had several key non-conference wins and is 13-2, a good start on a tournament resume that would give them back-to-back NCAA berths for the first time since attending four straight from 2015-18.

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West Virginia Mountaineers History

A program that has thrived under Huggins has both historical and recent success. The Mountaineers have been to 11 Sweet Sixteens, with seven of those appearances since 2005. They also reached their second Final Four in 2010.

The program has played since the 1903-04 season and compiled a 1,811-1,120 win-loss record, winning 61.8% of their games through the 2020-21 season. That is good for the 20th most wins all-time. Given all those wins, the Mountaineers don’t have a national championship but have clinched two National Invitation Tournaments. They did, however, play for a national title in 1959, losing to Cal 71-70.

The first of two NCAA Tournament appearances under John Beilein came in 2005, producing one of the most memorable games in tournament history. In the second round, the Mountaineers beat Chris Paul and Wake Forest in double overtime, 111-105, en route to the Sweet Sixteen. Playing in his hometown Cleveland, Ohio, Mike Gansey and forward Kevin Pittsnogle led West Virginia to a win, and jump-started the program for sustained success.

Key Stats

As most Mountaineers teams are under Bob Huggins, this year’s group is dominant defensively. West Virginia is 29th in scoring defense, allowing 61.3 points per game. Opponents shoot 30.2% on them from 3-point range, the 67th best clip in the country. Though offensively, they’ve struggled and are scoring 69.7 points per game (238th).

Guards Taz Sherman and Sean McNeil pace West Virginia in scoring at 19.9 and 14.6 points per game, respectively. State native Jalen Bridges is third, scoring 8.6 points per game.

This season, West Virginia is 8-7against the spread and 6-9 in over/unders, despite carrying a 13-2 record straight up. So far, losses include 11 to a solid Marquette team and 15 at Texas. They’ve otherwise taken care of business with nonconference wins over archrival Pitt, Clemson, and UConn.

National championship odds are as low as +4,000 and as high as +8,000 Though their next four games are against Kansas, Baylor, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma, so those odds may sway in the bettor’s favor in a few weeks.

Championships Won by the Team

Despite all of the postseason appearances and tournament runs of late, West Virginia hasn’t done much in conference play. Just a 2010 Big East Tournament championship is the only regular- or postseason conference title since 1989 when they were in the Atlantic 10. Since then, the Mountaineers have moved to the Big East and most recently on to the Big 12.

Though West Virginia lost in the 1959 national championship, the program has two NIT championships. In 2007, coming off back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids, Beilein’s team pulled out a 78-72 win over Clemson behind Frank Young’s 24 points and Da’Sean Butler’s 20 off the bench. That team also featured Joe Alexander, who played three NBA seasons. The other NIT championship came in 1942, led by Helms first-team All-American Scotty Hamilton.

Important Team Events

West Virginia’s program has been on a run since Gale Catlett took over as head coach in 1978. His first tournament appearance in 1982 started a run of 32 postseason tournament berths in a 40-year stretch. That includes 20 NCAA Tournament berths, 11 National Invitation Tournament berths, and one College Basketball Invitational berth.

It’s a stretch run that included a fourth-place NIT finish in 1871, title in 2007, eight Sweet Sixteens, two Elite Eights, and a Final Four. Since Catlett took over, the Mountaineers are 853-512 (62.5%).

Top Players

Jerry West is the only two-time consensus first-team All-American in West Virginia history and is, by far, the best NBA player. In his final season as a Mountaineer, West averaged 29.3 points and 16.5 rebounds per game as a 6-foot-2 guard. During his 14-year NBA career, he averaged 27.0 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game.

Hot Rod Hundley is another player with his WVU jersey retired. He was a consensus second-team All-American in 1956 and a consensus first-team All-American in 1957. Rod Thorn, who wore 44 the years following West leaving, was a consensus two-time All-American and his name also hangs alongside West’s and the 44.

It would be 49 years before Kevin Jones became the next consensus All-American, checking in on the second team in 2012. Jevon Carter followed with the same nod in 2018. Then Mark Workman in 1952 earned the honor as well.

The duo of Mike Gansey and Kevin Pittsnogle brought the program back to the NCAA Tournament, ending a seven-year drought. Beyond that, the Mountaineers went to the Elite Eight for just the second time on that 2005 team.

Several other players have been key to the program since: Joe Alexander, Da’Sean Butler, Devin Ebanks, and recently Jevon Carter and Miles McBride — who are both in the NBA.

Top Coaches

A program with sustained success has just five coaches with losing records. Three pre-date World War I, another World War II, and the final came in the late 60s before the most successful stretch the Mountaineers have experienced.

That stretch was tipped off by the winningest coach, Gale Catlett, whose teams won 439 games over a 24-year period that spanned four decades (1978-2002). There were three conference regular-season titles and eight NCAA Tournament appearances during that stretch.

Fred Schaus’ brief career in Morgantown ended when West left. Schaus’ teams were 146-37 with five conference titles and six NCAA berths. His teams won the most conference championships under any coach.

Bob Huggins is 310-171, taking over in 2007, and is still the active coach. While his teams haven’t won a regular-season conference title, they did win the Big East in 2010. The Mountaineers have reached five Sweet Sixteens, an Elite Eight, and Final Four under Huggins. We expect for the one who makes the team win in March Madness. 

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West Virginia Mountaineers FAQs

Who is West Virginia basketball’s most famous alumnus?

Jerry West, who was a two-time consensus first-team All-American and is the logo for the NBA.

Who was the coach when West Virginia went to the Elite Eight in 2008?

John Beilein

When was the last time West Virginia won its conference?

The Mountaineers won the 2010 Big East Tournament, but haven’t clinched a regular-season conference title since 1989 when they were in the Atlantic 10.

How many NCAA Tournament berths does West Virginia have?

30, and are 32-30 with a national runner-up and two third-place finishes.

How many weeks has West Virginia been ranked No. 1?

Since the program’s first Associated Press ranking, the Mountaineers have been No. 1 for eight weeks. Seven of those were from Dec. 23, 1957, through Feb. 3, 1958. The last included the final poll of that season.

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