MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — After tying for fifth in the Big 12 men’s basketball preseason poll, WVU has cracked the top 50 in Ken Pomeroy’s preseason list of college basketball ratings.
Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers rank No. 46 nationally according to KenPom, which uses advanced analytics to rank more than 350 Division I men’s basketball teams throughout the season.
But their preseason positioning is indicative of a steady drop off from a year ago, when the Mountaineers cracked KenPom’s preseason top 25. WVU ranks 40th in adjusted offense and 46th in adjusted defense entering the 2021-22 campaign, according to KenPom.com.
Gonzaga is the No. 1 team on this list, while two Big 12 programs — Kansas and reigning national champ Baylor — appear in the top five. Here’s where West Virginia’s league opponents fall:
3. Kansas
4. Baylor
12. Texas Tech
14. Texas
37. Oklahoma State
46. West Virginia
52. Oklahoma
75. TCU
82. Kansas State
113. Iowa State
WVU hosted its Gold-Blue Debut scrimmage Friday night. It will play a charity exhibition Oct. 29 vs. Akron, and then open nonconference play Nov. 9 vs. Oakland.