Expectations are heightened for the West Virginia Mountaineers heading into year two of the Ross Hodge era, and that's not just what the media or the fans think.
The Big 12 coaches also expect the Mountaineers to court a better product in 2026-27, recently putting them in an 8th-place tie with Cincinnati in the preseason Big 12 Coaches Poll.
Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Arizona – 220 points
2. Houston – 214 points
3. Kansas – 186 points
4. Iowa State – 181 points
5. Texas Tech – 180 points
6. BYU – 148 points
7. TCU – 137 points
T8. Cincinnati – 116 points
T8. West Virginia – 116 points
10. Baylor – 102 points
11. Oklahoma State – 98 points
12. Arizona State – 75 points
13. UCF – 55 points
T14. Colorado – 34 points
T14. Kansas State – 34 points
16. Utah – 24 points
Will the Mountaineers finish higher or lower than 8th?
This is one of the few times when I think the poll is actually pretty accurate, at least as far as the Mountaineers are concerned. This team is certainly improved, but when you have so many newcomers- essentially a brand-new group once again- it's going to take some time for them to hit their groove and be the best version of themselves.
Baylor is the only team behind West Virginia that I think has a chance to finish above them. They have a couple of intriguing freshmen: Dylan Mingo and Elijah Williams, to go along with a decent portal class. Scott Drew is always going to outperform expectations, too.
Who could WVU jump, though?
Cincinnati, for sure. Jerrod Calhoun will have success in year one, but will also go through his fair share of ups and downs. I was a little surprised they got that much love in the poll, to be honest. TCU may come back down a little bit after an 11-7 mark in the Big 12 a year ago, and it will be interesting to see if BYU can take a step forward. They were 9-9 in league play a year ago with AJ Dybansta. They landed Baylor transfer guard Rob Wright III and one of the top recruits in the country, Bruce Branch. The Cougars could certainly finish below the Mountaineers.
Even if WVU finishes in the ballpark of 8th place, you're still in a great position to make the NCAA Tournament.
WVU plays its first exhibition game on Sunday against Maryland.
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