Far too early predictions about WVU basketball’s non-conference schedule

It’s never too early to make predictions, right? If you really had a problem with that, you wouldn’t be here on this article. Seriously, I wanted to give my way-too-early opinion on the WVU basketball team before we’re already in the middle of football coverage.

The best way to do this, in my opinion, is to predict how the non-conference part of the program will go.

Nov. 4 against Robert Morris – Victory

West Virginia will usher in the Darian DeVries era with a convincing win over Robert Morris. The Colonials have won just 38 games in the last four seasons. That’s no problem for the Mountaineers.

Nov. 8 vs. UMass – win

Going up against a team coached by Frank Martin is never easy. They play hard and physical and are tough on you defensively. West Virginia will have to be careful not to get too sloppy here. The Minutemen won the Springfield game last year and will approach this game with confidence, even though it’s a completely different WVU team.

November 15th in Pitt – Defeat

Don’t beat yourself up about it too much. I’m just not one of those people who picks West Virginia over their arch rival every time. I’m going to make my prediction as I see it so you know what I really think. Pitt is coming off a really good year and has the Diaz Graham twins back as well as Zach Austin in the frontcourt. WVU will have to take extra care of the ball and really throw it to make up for Pitt’s size advantage. If this game were in Morgantown, I would reconsider this pick. Pitt better enjoy it now though, because once DeVries gets things rolling, it will be a rivalry that swings in WVU’s favor.

20 Nov. against Iona – Victory

Iona is traditionally a really strong program. As expected, they struggled in their first year under Rick Patino. I’m not entirely sure they’ll take the necessary steps to be a tournament team this year, so I’m going to root for West Virginia here, who rebounded from the loss in the Backyard Brawl.

November 27 against Gonzaga – loss

The Zags will be a top 10, maybe even top 5 seed when they face West Virginia. The fact is, they’re simply more talented and have a deeper roster than the Mountaineers. It’s possible WVU will come in full steam ahead, but even then they’ll need a few things to break through.

November 28 against Indiana or Louisville
November 30th against Oklahoma, Providence, Davidson, Arizona

For the second and third games in Battle 4 Atlantis, I will not make any predictions. It seems silly to predict who they will play against and how the game will turn out. We will just wait until those games are decided.

Dec. 6 vs. Georgetown – win

The Hoyas have really gone downhill over the last decade. The once proud team has only recorded one winning season since 2015. Over the last three years combined, Georgetown has compiled a record of 22-73. West Virginia should start the month of December with a big smile on its face.

Dec. 10 vs. NC Central – win
Dec. 14 vs. Bethune-Cookman – win
Dec. 22 vs. Mercyhurst – win

I’m lumping these three together because I don’t think there’s even the slightest chance West Virginia loses any of these games. NC Central and Bethune-Cookman are average in their respective conferences, while Mercyhurst is playing its first season in Division I. Three relatively easy wins to start the Big 12 Conference.

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