Where Does WVU Basketball Rank in Country-Wide Preseason Ranking?

The Big 12 is expected to be the top basketball conference in the country this season and preseason projections are reflecting just that.

In Sports Illustrated’s preseason ranking of all 364 teams, the West Virginia men’s basketball team, embarking on its first season under new head coach Darian DeVries, was ranked No. 56 in the country, the 11th highest of the 16 Big 12 teams. The WVU basketball finished last in the Big 12 with a 4-14 conference record last season (9-23 overall) under interim head coach Josh Eilert.

The Mountaineers are ranked in between Nevada at 55 and Missouri at 57.

The Big 12 landed three teams in the top 10 and seven in the top 17. Houston and Kansas were ranked second and third behind No. 1 Alabama.

SI likes that Houston is returning four starters while replacing Big 12 Player of the Year Jamal Shead at point guard with Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan (9.0 points, 4.4 assists per game). Kanas is expected to bounce back from a disappointing 2023-24 with more depth around All-Big 12 first-teamer Hunter Dickinson and All-Defensive team member Dajuan Harris Jr.

Iowa State, after posting the best defense in the country last season, was ranked No. 6. Baylor was ranked No. 9 behind the potential of trio Jeremy Roach (Duke transfer), Norchad Omier (Miami transfer) and VJ Edgecombe (freshman).

Big 12 newcomer Arizona was ranked No. 11 while Texas Tech (No. 15) and Cincinnati (No. 17) also received high marks.

Kansas State (No. 28), BYU (No. 39) and TCU (No. 42) were the other teams ranked ahead of West Virginia. Arizona State (No. 72), UCF (No. 83), Oklahoma State (No. 98), Utah (No. 125) and Colorado (No. 128) round out the rest of the Big 12 teams.

Backyard Brawl rival Pittsburgh Panthers, who WVU basketball takes on at the Peterson Events Center on Nov. 15, was ranked No. 46, sixth in the ACC.

For a related story, WVU basketball’s Tucker DeVries is considered one of the top players in the country.