West Virginia Basketball: 2022-23 season preview and outlook for Mountaineers

Season Outlook

Anytime a team transforms its roster this much you can figure that there will be a period of transition. On the other hand, Huggins knew that last year’s team just wouldn’t cut it and got to work to fill some of those holes and issues on the roster. With most of last season’s scoring gone, it’s certainly going to be interesting to see who the key offensive weapon becomes for this Mountaineers squad.

While new talented players may cause reason for optimism, one look at the Big 12 may cause West Virginia fans to temper their expectations. This team finished in last place in the conference last season, and while the roster may gel better together, it’s hard to look at this squad and see them knock off their conference foes on a nightly basis. Baylor and Kansas are elite, while TCU, Texas, and Texas Tech will almost certainly be Top 25 teams for most of the year.

Looking closely at the roster, we can look at Mitchell, Matthews, and Stevenson and be excited about the potential on this team. While all three of these players have had previous success at other schools, it’s important to temper expectations. The Mountaineers just watched Kansas and Baylor win the last two national titles and certainly don’t have that impact player that puts them on the same level as those recent juggernauts.

However, there are reasons to be excited for this upcoming season after last year’s collapse. West Virginia may play in a tough conference, but if the talent can come together then it’s very possible that Huggins gets this team back in the NCAA Tournament. His Mountaineers have had Top 5 seeds in their recent trips to the Big Dance, but this looks more like a team that could sneak its way into the Big Dance and be a surprise. On the other hand, could things spiral out of control just like last season? We’ll just have to see how these players come together when the games start counting next month.