No. 23 West Virginia’s visit to Manhattan, Kansas to take on the Kansas State Wildcats was not an enjoyable one for the Mountaineers or their fanbase, as they earned their second-consecutive loss to an unranked opponent in a 73-60 loss.
After a sluggish first half saw WVU (13-6, 4-4) trailing by 24 at halftime, the Mountaineers made a valiant effort to make it a close game again. But it seemed as if every run they went on was eventually matched by a Kansas State (8-11, 2-6) run. With the win, the Wildcats snapped a 6-game losing streak and collected their first win of the 2025 calendar year. With the loss, West Virginia suffers back-to-back losses for the first time this season, coming at the hands of two teams at the bottom of the Big 12 standings, Arizona State and Kansas State. What does this loss tell us about the Mountaineers?
Javon Small Needs Help
Since star forward Tucker DeVries went down with an upper-body injury in early December, Javon Small has had to carry the bulk of the workload on the offensive end for the Mountaineers. Small has stepped up to the task at hand and his play has been at an All-American level. However, the sensational play of Small has led to teams around the Big 12 taking notice and scheming to make things particularly difficult for Small offensively and force someone else to step up.
The truth is, because of how teams are choosing to defend Small, his play has not been exceptional over the last 2 games -- games in which WVU suffered losses. And the truth is that due to West Virginia’s roster construction and Tucker DeVries being sidelined, when Small is not at his best, WVU will have a difficult time winning games in the Big 12.
On Tuesday night in the loss to Arizona State, Small finished with 14 points on just 2-of-11 shooting. While Small reached his season average of 22 points against Kansas State, he was unable to do enough to overcome the large deficit WVU dug itself into early.
With defenses beginning to key on Small, West Virginia is in desperate need of getting consistent play from Small’s running mates, particularly in the backcourt. But both guard Joseph Yesufu and guard KJ Tenner finished with no points scored against Kansas State. With it seeming increasingly unlikely that Tucker DeVries returns, head coach Darian DeVries will have to continue to search for ways in which to get Javon Small the help that he needs to keep West Virginia afloat throughout Big 12 Conference play.
The Road Ahead
Things will not get any easier for West Virginia, as they are now set to host a Top 10 opponent in the Houston Cougars at the WVU Coliseum on Wednesday night -- the Cougars beat WVU handily earlier this month. That will be followed by West Virginia taking another road trip, this one to Cincinnati to take on the Bearcats on Saturday, February 2nd.