Preparing for a fun year of Press Virginia

Yes , football season is rapidly approaching as we are at the 100 day mark but with recent basketball scheduling news it is hard not to get excited for another year of Mountaineer basketball. “Press Virginia” has taken college basketball by storm and the excitement of steals, traps, deflections and fast breaks will be showcased in some big prime time games in the 2017-18 season. This year it will be the revival of some regional rivalries as Virginia  is once again on the schedule and the newest match-up being Kentucky.  But let us not forget about the Backyard Brawl returning as Huggins’ crew will travel up to play hated rival Pittsburgh for the first time since the two schools left the Big East Conference.

Texas A&M will also be an intriguing match-up, the Mountaineers pulled out the victory over the Aggies last year in Morgantown but the Aggies bring back a lot of young talent. What makes this game even more intriguing is the game will take place in Germany at the Ramstein Airbase in the Armed Forces Classic.

Next season, the Mountaineers have a solid nucleus coming back with senior guards Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles Jr. along with junior forward Esa Ahmad. The press will be entering its fifth year and what a better way to celebrate five years of exciting basketball than to play the likes of Texas A&M, Kentucky, Virginia and Pittsburgh. The Big 12 Conference should also once again be one of the top leagues in the country which will help out West Virginia on the resume and RPI. Maybe it’s wishful thinking but with a strong non conference record and with the opportunity to beat teams like Kentucky, Kansas, Baylor and Virginia the Mountaineers could play their way into a top 2 seed for the NCAA Tournament.