West Virginia will open Big 12 Conference Tournament play later today against Oklahoma State and for many on the roster it will be uncharted territory.
Of the 11 available scholarship players, only four have ever competed in any form of post-season basketball and none of them outside Gabe Osabuohien, has ever played in the NCAA Tournament. The remaining list that has played in a conference tournament include junior forward Emmitt Matthews, junior point guard Jordan McCabe and junior center Derek Culver.
And outside Osabuohien that consists of two Big 12 Tournament games and some CBI contests.
Last season the rug was pulled out from under the Mountaineers when first the Big 12 Tournament and eventually the NCAAs were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That means that for a large chunk of this team it is going to be their first taste of any post-season basketball.
Obviously, many of them have watched those games, but playing in them brings a different emotion.
“Having a chance to do it and having it taken away so quickly it really hurt a lot of us, especially those seniors that didn’t get a chance to play. Very excited. We want to set the tone early starting this Thursday and carry it out through the rest of the post-season,” said sophomore guard Deuce McBride.
Those younger players have been able to lean on some of the veterans to get advice on how to handle what lies ahead and so far, the crux of that is valuing each minute you’re on the floor. Because quite literally, the game could be the last of the tournament and the season in the case of the NCAAs.
Finding a comfort level and playing within yourself as well as the system also is important.
“They said it’s a different experience. When they were freshmen, they weren’t good, and they ended up winning those two games. It’s going to be a different atmosphere but it’s still postseason basketball so I think things will mean a little bit more,” McBride said.
It perhaps means even more to those involved because as they found out last season it can be taken away from there. It wasn’t expected, as it occurred as the Mountaineers were going through warmups.
“Things can be taken away any moment. We’re just going to go out there and play like it’s our last game because eventually it could be,” Culver said.
It also will be different this year as teams will be forced to adjust to COVID-19 protocols which will make contact tracing and testing all the more important. Kansas has already been hit with two players being forced to sit out the conference tournament due to those issues.
Things will increase even further in the bubble environment at the NCAA’s where players and coaches will not be able to exit those surroundings.
Still, things kick off against Oklahoma State and West Virginia is hoping to make its mark with the first taste of postseason play for so many on the roster. And that means rely on those that have been there to help with the transition.
“We have to look to them, they’re the ones that have been there done that,” freshman forward Jalen Bridges said.
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