MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Big 12 coaches have been around Bob Huggins long enough to believe last season’s struggles were a fluke. A bounce-back year is expected for West Virginia, which was picked to move from the bottom to the middle of the pack in this year’s Big 12 preseason poll.
The Mountaineers were picked to finish fifth by the league’s coaches after going 4-14 in the Big 12 a year ago. If West Virginia lives up to that expectation, it bodes well for a return to the NCAA tournament. The Big 12 has sent no fewer than five teams to the tournament in each of the last 11 seasons.