For the second time this season, West Virginia men’s basketball is once again an AP Top 25 program.
The Mountaineers found themselves exiled from the poll after securing the No. 21 spot the week before. However, WVU bounced back this past week with a 1-1 record against AP Top 10 teams, including a homecourt upset over then-No. 2 (now No. 3) Iowa State. The Mountaineers were rewarded for their efforts with a return to the poll, as they found themselves ranked No. 23 in the latest edition of the poll.
WVU is 1-of-4 teams from the Big 12 Conference in the poll – No. 3 Iowa State, No. 7 Houston, and No. 12 Kansas sit ranked above them, though the Mountaineers own wins over both the Jayhawks and the Cyclones. Houston was WVU’s loss this past week, but the two teams will meet again next Tuesday in Morgantown.
Texas Tech, Arizona (who WVU is 1-1 against this season), Cincinnati, and Baylor are all Nig 12 teams who received votes in the poll as well but did not crack the Top 25. The Mountaineers also appeared in the USA Today Coaches Poll for the third consecutive week, moving up two spots to No. 23. WVU will conclude its current homestand against Arizona State on Tuesday before travelling to face Kansas State on Saturday.