Morgantown, West Virginia – The West Virginia Mountaineers will open up their season in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Wednesday against South Dakota State in the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic.
The Mountaineers have huge expectations for the upcoming season and have made virtually every preseason Top 25 list during the offseason.
The New York Post released their “Preseason Top 25” today and West Virginia once again appeared on the list. The New York Post ranked the Mountaineers as the #16 team in the nation to start the season.
According to The Post, “The Mountaineers have had plenty of time to think about last year’s poor finish, when a 3-6 closing record took the shine off what was a phenomenal season up to that point. The core of that group — dynamic forwards Oscar Tshiebwe and Derek Culver, and poised lead guard Miles McBride — returns, providing the kind of experience that wins in March.”
West Virginia is built for success when it matters the most. The size, depth, toughness and cohesiveness of the Mountaineers is unmatched in the college basketball this season. While West Virginia was a dominant defensive and rebounding team last season, they struggled to make perimeter shots.
From all accounts, the Mountaineers are a massively-improved shooting team this season. Taz Sherman, Sean McNeil and Jordan McCabe have been worked on their shots and have gained incredible confidence since we last saw them on the court, and this is precisely what West Virginia needed to go from a very good team to an outstanding team.
West Virginia’s preseason ranking at #16 is fair based on last year’s performance, but it’s abundantly clear that they are one of the most feared teams in the country and a real favorite to one of the final teams remaining in March.
Co-writer of the New York Post’s “Preseason Top 25” article, Howie Kussoy, predicted West Virginia to make it to the Final Four because they have all of the intangibles that makes a team deadly in March.
Kussoy’s Final Four Prediction: Gonzaga, Virginia, Iowa, West Virginia
