West Virginia basketball piecing together schedule
The West Virginia basketball team keeps piecing together its 2020-21 schedule one stitch at a time.
That isn’t unexpected considering all the changes forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the final product is coming together slowly but surely for the Mountaineers, which began pre-season practice Oct. 15 without their full slate in-tact.
The Mountaineers now know that they will open the season Nov. 25 against Texas A&M in the first game of the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic in Sioux Falls, S.D. It’s a match up that will provide exposure for the program as it will open the college basketball slate.
“We’re going to be the first game on television. Our Texas A&M game will be the first game on television,” head coach Bob Huggins said.
After that, West Virginia will play either Ohio State or Memphis depending on the results before meeting one of the teams on the other side of the bracket in the three-game event.
It’s admittedly an exciting way to open the college basketball season for the Mountaineers, but Huggins wishes that his team was afforded the opportunity to hold an exhibition or closed scrimmage contest. Those are not permitted this season in light of the coronavirus which forces some difficult circumstances for not only coaches, but the players themselves.
“I think it’s a tremendous detriment to our guys. And for all the propaganda we get about all for the betterment of the student athletes, certainly not playing an exhibition game isn’t,” he said.
Players benefit from those opportunities where they can get out and play basketball without being scrutinized by fans or the media alike, while the coaches are able to evaluate their roster. Given the fact that Huggins and his team will start the year against three challenging opponents, it is unlikely that the veteran coach is going to be able to get everybody he wants to in the game.
“You’re going to play three games and guys might not get into the game. But if you had an exhibition or a scrimmage, you’re going to play those guys,” he said. “You can play them, and they’d feel more a part of the team and you could evaluate them better.”
It was already previously announced that the Backyard Brawl with Pittsburgh would be pushed back from this season to the 2023-24 campaign, but now you can safely cross another marquee non-conference contest off the slate as well. The game with Purdue, which was set to be played at the Mohegan Sun, is now off the books due to scheduling difficulties between the two schools.
As for the rest of the 27 game slate, the Mountaineers will host non-conference games against Youngstown State Dec. 2, Robert Morris Dec. 9, Richmond Dec. 13 and Buffalo Dec. 29. West Virginia also will host Florida as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge Jan. 30 giving the program back-to-back home games in the Challenge.
The final game of the slate will be on the road either Dec. 5 or 6 as part of the Big East/Big 12 Battle although the opponent has not been set. Georgetown was reported to be the opponent before many of the scheduling adjustments.
As for the opponent order and dates for the 18 Big 12 Conference games? That was released earlier this week and looks like this.
Fri Dec. 18 Iowa State * Morgantown, W.Va.
Tues Dec. 22 at Kansas * Lawrence, Kan.
Sat Jan. 2 at Oklahoma * Norman, Okla.
Mon Jan. 4 at Oklahoma State * Stillwater, Okla.
Sat Jan. 9 Texas * Morgantown, W.Va.
Tues Jan. 12 at Baylor * Waco, Texas
Sat Jan. 16 TCU * Morgantown, W.Va.
Tues Jan. 19 Oklahoma State * Morgantown, W.Va.
Sat Jan. 23 at Kansas State * Manhattan, Kan.
Mon Jan. 25 Texas Tech * Morgantown, W.Va.
Tues Feb. 2 at Iowa State * Ames, Iowa
Sat Feb. 6 Kansas * Morgantown, W.Va.
Tues Feb. 9 at Texas Tech * Lubbock, Texas
Sat Feb. 13 Oklahoma * Morgantown, W.Va.
Mon Feb. 15 Baylor * Morgantown, W.Va.
Sat Feb. 20 at Texas * Austin, Texas
Mon Feb. 22 at TCU * Fort Worth, Texas
Sat Feb. 27 Kansas State * Morgantown, W.Va.
Wed-Sat Mar. 10-13 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship Kansas City, Mo.
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