How Did Iowa State Win Impact Metrics for WVU Basketball?

How did West Virginia’s big win over No. 2 Iowa State impact their metrics? Well, they definitely improved, granted not as much as some were expecting. So where is WVU basketball in KenPom and the NET Rankings now?

WVU is now 37 in KenPom, moving seven spots from starting the week at No. 44. In the NET Rankings, the Mountaineers only experienced a slight adjustment from 32 to 30.

But no matter what any ranking may suggest, Darian DeVries’ team is now in prime position for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. It’s also likely WVU reclaims a spot in the AP Top 25 poll after being booted out last week.

The 64-57 win over Iowa State on Saturday night gives West Virginia four wins over ranked opponents and three over teams ranked in the top 10 at the time of the game.

In fact, this season is already an historic one for WVU. West Virginia has beaten three top-10 teams in just two other seasons in program history, 2016-17 and 2005-06.

WVU Basketball Accomplishes Rare Historical Achievement for Program

The biggest difference between those seasons and this one is that both of those seasons were the continuation of very successful runs under legendary coaches. The 16-17 season was during a stretch of three Sweet Sixteen appearances in four years under Bob Huggins and the 05-06 season was after a run to the Elite Eight under John Beilein. This year, the Mountaineers are coming off of arguably the worst season in program history with first-year head coach DeVries tasked with bringing the program back to glory.

“We’ve talked with our team from day one, don’t limit yourself on anything,” DeVries said after Saturday’s win. “I’ve never been a guy that says we need to win this many games to be successful. It’s more about how can we maximize this group? If you can do that, then your goal is that wins follow.”

This season, the Mountaineers defeated No. 3 Gonzaga on a neutral court in The Bahamas, won for the first time ever in Allen Fieldhouse over No. 7 Kansas and beat No. 2 Iowa State inside the Coliseum on Saturday.

“I think our guys are giving us everything they’ve got,” DeVries said. “They don’t play perfect every night, but I don’t ask them to do that.”

The last time WVU beat a team ranked as high as No. 2 was on Dec. 29, 2019, over No. 2 Ohio State in Cleveland, 67-59.

Editor’s note: the WVU program signifies 1942 (claimed national title), 1959 (NCAA national runner-up) and 2010 (Final Four) as the top three seasons in program history. And DeVries’ team has now accomplished something those teams did not already.

For a related story, WVU basketball star Javon Small is the front runner for Big 12 Player of the Year.