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For a while, it looked as if the West Virginia Mountaineers were well on their way to hosting a regional in the NCAA tournament. Entering Saturday's regular season finale, the odds of that happening are slim to none.

WVU may have wrapped up the Big 12 Conference title on Thursday, but they can thank Arizona State falling to Oklahoma State for helping clinch. Obviously, the Mountaineers are deserving of the regular season title, but they probably would have liked to celebrate winning the crown by winning the game.

It doesn't really matter how WVU officially clinched the Big 12, but what does matter is how they finish the season, and right now, it's not looking so hot. The Mountaineers have dropped five of their last six games and seven of their last ten. Following last night's loss to Kansas, their second of the series, WVU's RPI has dropped to 27. D1Baseball's Kendall Rogers called that drop "problematic," referencing the team's chances of hosting.

All hope is not lost, however. If WVU can avoid the sweep and go on to win the Big 12 Conference tournament, they'll be right back in the conversation, especially if others fall short in their respective conference tournaments.

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI

Miles McBride Helps Knicks Advance to Eastern Conference Finals

Predicting West Virginia's Freshman Phenom for the 2025 Season

Urban Meyer Tells Rich Rodriguez to Build WVU Locker Room with 'Grown A** Men'

Rich Rodriguez Believes West Virginia Can Compete for Title in 'Wide-Open' Big 12


This article first appeared on West Virginia Mountaineers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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