The game was back and forth the entire first half of play. The Mountaineers would pull away by 4, 30-26, at the half. With a little over 3 minutes left in the game, the Mountaineers led by 6. UConn forced turnovers, shot with accuracy, and tied the game. Overtime was a mess for the Mountaineers. The team only scored 2 points, off of Truck Bryant free throws, in the period.

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Kevin Jones (Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-US PRESSWIRE)

The stage is set for West Virginia’s first game in its final Big East tournament. The Mountaineers will face UCONN on Wednesday.

Before we get to that, let’s talk the travesty that is the Kevin Jones snub for Big East Player of the Year.  After we learned that Kevin Jones wasn’t a unanimous pick for the All Big East team, I had a bad feeling that Big East Player of the Year was probably not going to happen. Turns out, I was right. Jae Crowder from Marquette accepted the award earlier this afternoon.  How? Why? I really can’t understand the reasoning behind this decision. I have heard many reasons, but none hold water in my opinion. Sure the team, as a whole, didn’t have a stand out season, but the fact is, without Kevin Jones, it would have been much worse.  Jones led the conference in PPG and RPG. How can that be ignored?  I feel bad for KJ. I am sure that he is disappointed. I am angered and frustrated as a fan, so I can’t imagine how he feels.

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The West Virginia Mountaineers beat the South Florida Bulls on the road, 50-44. They finish the regular season 19-12 overall and 9-9 in the Big East.

The game was ugly, so much so, that ugly may be an understatement. The Mountaineers only shot 15-58 from the floor and 2-12 from 3-point range. Fortunately, shooting from the line went in West Virginia’s favor. They shot 85.7%.

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Before we get to Amy’s preview (BTW, Amy has done a phenomenal job with her coverage this season), we decided to have one last hurrah of Q&A with our friend Matt over at The Bull Rush. Despite us no longer being able to do blog Q&As when WVU leaves for the Big12, make no mistake about it, Matt and I will remain friends. Anyway, check his site out, then come back to this Q&A:

1) How did USF manage to pull off this amazing turnaround in one season? Last year, as I recall, USF were the cellar-dwellers in this conference.
The turn around is a bit shocking to be honest.  The team only added 3 new players to the roster, Collins, Nash, and Rudd (sat out last year) and lost two others.  They had a rough season and going into 2012, the hopes were never this high, but it’s great to see.  There is energy back in the team, the program, and the fan base, it’s a lot of fun to see right now.

2) What has life been like playing at the St. Pete Times forum, as opposed to the Sun Dome this season?
The Forum has been great so far, although there isn’t a real strong student section because of the distance.  We are 14-1 there and for the fans, it’s in the middle of downtown with restaurants and night life, so it’s a great place not only to see a game (the Lightning did huge renovations on the place as well) but the area is fantastic as well.  Although the Sun Dome, which is getting closer to completion, is going to be incredible. 

3) Who can we expect to see in the Starting 5 on Saturday?
(Coach) Heath could make a change, but I expect to see Anthony Collins and Hugh Robertson at the guard positions and Augustus Gilchrist, Ron Anderson Jr., and Victor Rudd on the front line for this one.

4) Strengths and weaknesses of this year’s hoops squad?
The strength is defense, no question about it.  They are very disciplined with their assignments, help each other, and they are not afraid to take a charge.  Their weakness is scoring.  The offense often drains the shot clock, works for a good shot, and then drives to the basket.  They aren’t a team designed to run up and down the court, so they control tempo and make the shots when they need them. 

5) How far will USF go in the Big East Tournament?
This is going to be an interesting year for the Bulls.  They have a first round bye, something they never though possible.  They could face Rutgers or St. John’s in the second round of the tournament, two teams they beat earlier, so they should get to the third round and could face Notre Dame at that point.  With the way they play defense, it’s hard to say how far they can go,  we just want them to keep at it. 

6) Do the Bulls have enough wins to make the Big Dance, or will it be a #1 spot in the NIT?
This is the hottest topic of debate right now.  The goal is NCAA of course, USF hasn’t been there since 1992 and there is a lot that can happen.  What the team has to do right now is remained focused and just play the games in front of them, they can’t look at the “experts” to see if their in or not.  On paper, with the high RPI, wins over Louisville, Cincy, and others, we would think they would be in with another win or two, starting with WVU of course. 

Now, it’s time to read Amy’s preview, and it is a good one!

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The West Virginia Mountaineers face the DePaul Blue Demons tonight in the final home game of the season. The Mountaineers are 17-12 overall and 7-9 in Big East play.

The Mountaineers suffered a tough loss on Friday after Marquette was able to overcome a 15 point deficit to win the game. These last two games of the regular season will likely determine if West Virginia gets into the NCAA tournament or possibly heads to the NIT.

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The West Virginia Mountaineers fall to the 10th ranked Marquette Golden Eagles 61-60. The Mountaineers are now 17-12 overall and 7-9 in the Big East.

The Mountaineers took advantage of the absence of Marquette’s Johnson-Odom, Junior Cadougan and Vander Blue in the first half of play. The Mountaineers led by as much as 15 in the first minutes of the second half. Unfortunately, the Mountaineers would see that lead diminish with 5:35 left in the game. The Mountaineers would have one last shot, but Truck Bryant’s shot wouldn’t go and time expired.

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The West Virginia Mountaineers face the 10th ranked Marquette Golden Eagles in the Coliseum tonight. The Mountaineers lost to Notre Dame on Wednesday, in embarrassing fashion, 71-44. West Virginia is now 17-11 overall and 7-8 in Big East play. Marquette is 23-5 and 12-3 in the Big East.

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February 16, 2012; Pittsburgh,PA, USA: West Virginia Mountaineers forward Kevin Jones (5) shoots against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USPRESSWIRE

The Mountaineers get a big road victory and sweet revenge by beating the Pittsburgh Panthers 66-48 in the Petersen Events Center. The Mountaineers are now 17-10 overall and 7-7 in the Big East.

Kevin Jones had another double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Truck Bryant did not start the game but had 15 points along with 4 steals and 7 rebounds. Deniz Kilicli had 14 points and Gary Browne had 12. The Mountaineers were 44.2% from the floor and 94.7%, yes 18-19, from the free throw line.

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The West Virginia Mountaineers face the Pittsburgh Panthers for the second time this season on Thursday night. The Mountaineers lost the first game to the Panthers in the Coliseum just a few weeks ago and have lost six of their last 10 games. Many pundits, bloggers and fans alike believe this is the last Backyard Brawl for a while.

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