NCAA Basketball Power Rankings: Illinois rises, Dayton keeps impressing

West Virginia defended its home-court with easy victories over Texas and Missouri during this past week. While neither was expected to be a particularly challenging opponent, the Mountaineers absolutely dismantled both of them en route to reaching No. 6 on KenPom.

WVU now sits at 16-3 (4-2 B12) on the season with plenty of potential to contend for both the Big 12 and national titles. Ranking the Mountaineers at No. 13 still feels a bit low, though their best win to date is arguably still over Ohio State, who has completely fallen off the map.

By virtue of their dominance as of late, the Mountaineers now hold the nation’s best defense by adjusted efficiency metrics. They also rank tops in the country in offensive rebounding rate as this team absolutely dominates the interior on both ends of the floor. West Virginia’s frontcourt is arguably the best in the entire nation and it leads the way on both ends of the floor. Freshman big man Oscar Tshiebwe is the most notable individual contributor of this unit.

As I have discussed in the past, though, freshman guard Miles McBride remains the most important player on the roster. Although he continues to come off the bench, McBride is the type of go-to scoring guard that every team needs in March. He has scored in double-figures in all but one of WVU’s past 10 games (had 9 against Texas) and can get it done at all three levels. His continued improvement will be vital in guiding the team to the next level. McBride is a stud in the making.