College Basketball
Ex-WVU Basketball Forward Makes Bold Claim About Past Team
Even though WVU basketball is in the midst of an NCAA Tournament drought – their last appearance coming in the spring of 2023, the Mountaineers still have a rich history in many respects. But despite a lineage full of legendary names and big wins, West Virginia basketball has never won an NCAA Tournament championship.
Was a recent WVU team destined to cut down the nets before a global pandemic led to the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament? Well, there’s no way to know and there’s never a guarantee a great regular season team will win in March, but a former Mountaineer certainly thinks his team would’ve had a shot.
Former West Virginia forward Emmitt Matthews said as much after seeing a post that referenced recent seasons, showing that WVU had 18 wins with six games left in the regular season during the 2019-20 campaign.
“19-20, we might’ve won a natty, omg.”
Led by Matthews, Oscar Tshiebwe, Derek Culver and current New York Knicks guard Miles “Deuce” McBride, that team finished the season 21-10 and 9-9 in conference play, which was good enough for third in the Big 12. They also ended the season ranked at No. 24 in the Associated Press’ final poll.
So while we will never know if Matthews’ group would’ve made a run through March, let alone reaching a Final Four or the National Championship Game, there’s no denying they would’ve been part of the field and had the pieces to beat anyone.
WVU forward Emmitt Matthews smiles in the middle of a game during the 2022-23 season. (WVSN photo by Kelsie LeRose)
Of course, WVU is far from the only school to feel robbed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Matthews, a sophomore during that season, averaged 6.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.
Many, like Matthews, do regard that WVU team as one of Bob Huggins‘ best from his tenure as head coach. From 2007 to 2023, Huggins’ WVU teams reached the NCAA Tournament 11 times, made five Sweet 16s and appeared in one Final Four.
*Note: While WVU has never won the NCAA Tournament (Jerry West’s 1959 team lost in the championship game), the program claims the 1942 NIT title as a national championship. At that time, the NIT was viewed as the bigger and more prestigious tournament and was home to college basketball’s best teams of the era.*
Mike Asti / WVSN
