By: Jonathan K. Martin | WV Sports Chat
The West Virginia Mountaineers men’s basketball team continues to cling to the edge of the NCAA Tournament picture, even after a frustrating road loss to TCU.
n his latest bracketology update, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi kept the Mountaineers firmly in the “next four out” group—still the final team listed there, with no drop in position despite the defeat.
This isn’t the first time WVU has teetered near the cut line this season. Earlier in February, they climbed onto the bubble conversation for the first time after upsetting UCF on the road. A subsequent home stumble against Utah raised alarms that the dream might be over, yet Lunardi held steady even then. The Mountaineers’ profile features solid non-conference play and enough Big 12 competitiveness to avoid total collapse, though offensive struggles and rebounding vulnerabilities remain concerns.
With Selection Sunday still weeks away, West Virginia controls some of its destiny. A strong finish in the regular season and a decent showing in Kansas City could push them from “next four out” to safely in the field—or at least into the First Four conversation. For now, though, they’re the ultimate bubble team: alive, but requiring near-perfect execution to dance in March.
