Bracketology 2020: Big 12, SOCON and Notre Dame among biggest losers

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - FEBRUARY 16: Head coach Mike Brey of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish reacts to a call in the first half during a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena on February 16, 2019 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /

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BOSTON, MA – MARCH 23: Head coach Bob Huggins of the West Virginia Mountaineers reacts during the second half against the Villanova Wildcats in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament East Regional at TD Garden on March 23, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

West Virginia

Week 5 Results

Lost to St. Johns, 70-68

Bob Huggins’ Mountaineers lost their undefeated streak when they fell to St. John’s on Saturday at Madison Square Garden. West Virginia struggled with turnovers throughout the game, posting a season-worst 23% turnover rate against the Red Storm. They also had serious issues getting to the line, which is normally a strength for Huggins’ team. Derek Culver had 12 points and 18 rebounds for WVU, but star freshman Oscar Tshiebwe was held to just eight points in 14 minutes.

They nearly stormed back to win, but ultimately fell short.

It was just the first loss on the ledger for West Virginia, but it’s not a great one. St. John’s had looked mediocre coming into the game, with losses to Vermont and Arizona State alongside a handful of forgettable wins. But this loss to the Johnnies may become a millstone around the neck of the Mountaineers’ resume if Mike Anderson’s team struggles against a very strong Big East.

There are a few more pitfalls up ahead for WVU, too.

Next week, they take on Austin Peay of the Ohio Valley Conference. The Governors are led by a legitimate star in Terry Taylor and should not be taken lightly. After Austin Peay, the Mountaineers take on Nicholls. The Colonels already took down Pittsburgh and had a few near misses against LSU, Illinois, and Rhode Island. West Virginia can’t afford to sulk after the loss to St. John’s with those trap games coming up.

The Mountaineers also have a whopper of a chance coming up on December 29, when they take on Ohio State in the 2019 Cleveland Classic. The Buckeyes are playing at one of the highest levels in the sport right now and would be an absolute ribbon on an otherwise good non-conference season for West Virginia.

Without that marquee win, WVU’s case will be relatively weak—which means they need to bag a few trophies during Big XII play. Right now, their best win is probably Wichita State.

That won’t be enough.

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