By: Cole Livengood | WV Sports Chat
As sad as it might be, basketball season is flying by just as quickly as it arrived, and we are officially in the race to March Madness. Following back-to-back 25-win seasons, the WVU women’s basketball team looks strong again under third-year head coach Mark Kellogg. Can this be the year they overcome the second-round hump?
The Achilles heel for the Mountaineers has historically been the second round of the NCAA Tournament. West Virginia has made the second round 13 times in program history, but advanced to the Sweet 16 just once. That was during the 1991-92 season under head coach Kittie Blakemore. That 1991-92 season was also the only time in program history that Morgantown hosted an NCAA Tournament game.
Unlike NCAA Men’s Basketball, Women’s March Madness has a unique rule that makes the tournament even more interesting. Teams ranked as a 1-4 seed get the privilege of hosting their segment of the bracket on campus. Getting the opportunity to host games in the Hope Coliseum would be historic in Morgantown. So, what does the journey to a top-four seed look like for WVU?
West Virginia is ranked number 22 in the latest release of the AP Top 25. This despite having the head-to-head advantage over #20 Duke. The Mountaineers upset the Blue Devils, who were ranked #15 at the time, 57-49 in the Greenbrier Tip-Off. This was the well-known “Greenbrier Five” game, where six WVU players were ejected following an altercation before halftime.
The Mountaineers’ current March Madness resume is solid, but a few games will haunt them if it comes down to the wire for a top-four seed. West Virginia dropped two chances for Quad 1 victories at Hope Coliseum in Big 12 play after falling short in the final two minutes against #17 Texas Tech, and giving up a crushing buzzer-beater to #10 TCU. If the Mountaineers had a stronger finish for both of these games, they would be firmly in control of a top-four seed. However, they still have many more chances to make up for these losses.
If West Virginia secures a top-four seed for the Big 12 tournament, they earn a double-bye and are just three wins away from their first Big 12 championship since 2017. This would also guarantee an automatic bid into March Madness, likely allowing them to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
The WVU women’s basketball team returns to action tonight (Tuesday) at Utah. The game tips at 9:00pm Eastern time and will be streamed on ESPN+.
Photo Credit: WVU Athletics
