Big 12 Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2022-23 season

Some are projecting West Virginia to be an NCAA Tournament team this season, which demonstrates just how stacked the Big 12 is this year. Bob Huggins may very well take his squad to the promised land, but that’s reliant on a lot of pieces coming together quickly.

The Mountaineers are coming off only the third losing season of the Huggins era, finishing 16-17 overall and in the Big 12 cellar last season. The 16th-year coach turned to the transfer portal in search of a quick fix.

Big man Tre Mitchell was the big get and could be the best player on the roster next season. He’s coming off a down year with Texas, though, and will be on his third school when the season starts. If he doesn’t recapture his UMass magic, the Mountaineers are in trouble.

Other big transfers include Erik Stevenson and Emmitt Matthews Jr., the latter on his second stint with the program. Those three players will likely be the best the Mountaineers have up to offer.

It’s not clear where the rest of the scoring is going to come from, though. There’s depth on this roster, filled with juniors and seniors, but not the same amount of high-level talent as other Big 12 programs. Maybe junior college transfer Jimmy Bell Jr. provides a spark in the post.

Never count out a Huggins-coached squad. The teams are also plucky, aggressive on defense, and tough to deal with. The ceiling doesn’t seem high for this year’s version of the Mountaineers, though.