NCAA Basketball: Gonzaga’s comeback, Villanova’s upset and other takeaways

West Virginia dominates Pittsburgh in rivalry battle

I mentioned Pittsburgh’s loss to the Mountaineers at home in the ACC woes section but considering that they’re still without their best player (John Hugley), I couldn’t be too hard on them. What I can do is appreciate the effort of the Big 12 program, which is now healthy now that Texas transfer, Tre Mitchell, is back on the court.

West Virginia didn’t shoot the ball very well in the opener against Mount St. Mary’s but did much better versus the Panthers, shooting 90% at one point in the first half. The big star of the game was Iowa transfer Joe Toussaint, who led all scorers with 18 points off the bench. Erik Stevenson, another newcomer from the portal, chipped in with 16.

After a down year with reported chemistry issues, head coach Bob Huggins brought in a bunch of new players, both from the D-I and JUCO levels. There’s plenty of depth, with Mo Wague, Jimmy Bell, and Tre Mitchell inside, along with the new guards as well. Plus, Preseason MAAC Player of the Year and Manhattan transfer Jose Perez will likely be eligible to play around Big 12 play.

The Big 12 has several national contenders at the top this season with the likes of Kansas and Baylor but the bottom may be weaker than expected, considering the losses of the Oklahoma schools. It’s an opportunity for West Virginia to make a nice rebound back into NCAA Tournament contention, thanks to what looks like effective transfers.