WVU Makes First Appearance in ESPN Bracketology Projection for 2025 Tournament

The Mountaineers are making some noise early in the season.

West Virginia University guard Javon Small. / Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

Entering the 2024-25 season, expectations for the West Virginia men's basketball team were rather low. A first-year head coach and a completely new roster, except for one player, Ofri Naveh, who so happens to be taking a redshirt this year.

But here we are, seven games into the season, and it feels like the floor and the ceiling for this group have shifted in a positive direction after an impressive performance at the Battle 4 Atlantis. Taking down No. 3 Gonzaga wasn't a fluke. They proved that with a heck of an overtime battle with Louisville and then beating then-No. 24 Arizona in overtime on the final day of the event.

Because of the unexpected results, the Mountaineers captured the attention of ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi, who included them in his "last four in" in his latest NCAA Tournament projection. He has the Mountaineers playing Xavier in the First Four with a right to play No. 6 seed Ohio State in the Midwest Region.

Lunardi's Midwest Region Projection:

1. Kansas vs. 16. Saint Peter's

8. UCLA vs. 9. UConn

5. Wisconsin vs. 12. UC Irvine

4. Memphis vs. 13. Kent State

6. Ohio State vs. 11. West Virginia/Xavier

3. Alabama vs. 14. Furman

7. Ole Miss vs. 10. Saint Mary's

2. Marquette vs. 15. Purdue Fort Wayne

West Virginia will be back in action Friday night when they host the Georgetown Hoyas in the Big 12-Big East Battle.

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