It wouldn't be an overreaction to say that few people expected WVU basketball to knock off the No. 19 BYU Cougars on Saturday night.
The Mountaineers entered on a three-game losing streak after never having been considered any higher than an NCAA Tournament bubble team this season. Meanwhile, the Cougars came into Morgantown coming off a tough loss of their own, but ranked among the top teams in the nations and solidly locked into the NCAA Tournament – and bolstered by the presence of projected No. 1 NBA Draft pick AJ Dybantsa.
So it certainly wouldn't be an overreaction to say that the Mountaineers shocked the college basketball world by handing the Cougars an eight-point defeat on Saturday night, using a massive first half run to jump ahead to a 40-26 advantage at the halftime break before leading through the entire second half en route to a 79-71 win.
With the win, the Mountaineers reminded fans that they aren't dead yet – despite the fact that WVU still has some late-season work to do if they want to have hopes of making the NCAA Tournament, this win over a Quad 1 opponent should help move them back into the discussion as a potential tournament team.
Meanwhile, the loss moves the Cougars to 4-8 in their last 12 outings and 6-7 against Quad 1 competition – they also have managed just one win against Top 25 teams in the KenPom rankings this season. And while the loss to WVU doesn't knock them from tournament contention in the slightest, it will help contribute in their tumble down a few seed lines from where they were projected earlier this season.
Check out how WVU fans and the college basketball world reacted the WVU upset below, and let us know how you're feeling about the loss.
West Virginia Basketball.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 1, 2026
Tougher than a long weekend at your in-laws.
West Virginia STUNS No. 19 BYU in Morgantown🔥
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 1, 2026
What a WIN for @WVUhoops 💪 pic.twitter.com/xfi6lsg8Z2
Hell of a game by the @WVUhoops squad tonight! Let’s Go!
— Charles Wesley Godwin (@CharlesWesleyG) March 1, 2026
That’s the result we’ve all been expecting with a defensive team Hodge brings.
— Jerry West Enthusiast (@Eersfanatic) March 1, 2026
Past several weeks the defense has been active, but the offense has been nonexistent. Today everything was clicking and West Virginia lead most of the way.
That was Hodge ball
WVU 79, No. 19 BYU 71. Good win for Ross Hodge in Year 1 for sure.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 1, 2026
On the flip side, BYU sliding down the bracket; Cougs 6-7 in Quad 1 and no better than a 7-seed heading into the final week of the regular season. BYU is 4-8 since Jan. 17 with one top-25 KenPom win all season.
