West Virginia Mountaineers: 24-10, 11-7 in the Big 12
Head coach: Bob Huggins (11th Season)
Key players: Jevon Carter (17.0 PPG, 2.9 SPG); Daxter Miles Jr. (13.0 PPG, 3.2 APG); Sagaba Konate (10.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG)
Season recap: After losing to eventual national runner-up Gonzaga in last year's Sweet 16, the Mountaineers are looking to build on that success this March. Despite losing many seniors to graduation, West Virginia had two key juniors return—now-senior point guard Jevon Carter and shooting guard Daxter Miles.
The Mountaineers opened their season with a loss to Texas A&M, but then rattled off 11 straight wins in nonconference play. Among those victories was a win at home against current No. 1 overall seed Virginia. West Virginia climbed to its highest rank all year in the poll, seventh in the country, and started to enter the national conversation.
Conference play was a bit of a setback for West Virginia, handing it seven losses. The Mountaineers had a tough time playing on the road in conference, going 4-5 in their opponents' buildings. They still managed to finish third behind the play of Carter, Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, who led the conference in steals. In the tournament, Miles Jr. sparked a run to the conference finals, where they lost to regular-season champion Kansas.
How they make a run: The notorious “Press” Virginia will be one of the toughest outs come March. Their fullcourt press gives teams fits in the tournament and causes teams to turn the ball over and play behind the shot clock. Although they are known for their defense, the Mountaineers also rank 13th in basketball statistician Ken Pomeroy's adjusted offense and can score at all positions.
How they falter: While the press could be stingy in the tournament, foul trouble is a key problem associated with West Virginia. If one of their key players gets into foul trouble or the opposing team gets in the bonus early, the Mountaineers could have an early exit as they did in 2016.
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