WVU Basketball
WVU Basketball Takes Surprising Jump in KenPom Rankings

Sunday’s win at Colorado bumped WVU basketball up six spots in the KenPom rankings, up to No. 42 currently.
It’s one of the largest jumps West Virginia (12-3, 3-1 Big 12) has taken in the rankings this season. For comparison, the Mountaineers only moved up one spot following their improbable victory at No. 7 Kansas on New Year’s Eve.
WVU ranks eighth out of the 16 Big 12 teams, as the conference continues to dominate the top of the rankings.
Big 12 KenPom rankings
3. Houston
4. Iowa State
7. Kansas
15. Arizona
17. Texas Tech
18. Baylor
38. Cincinnati
42. West Virginia
47. BYU
60. Arizona State
74. TCU
75. UCF
76. Utah
86. Colorado
96. Kansas State
109. Oklahoma State
WVU also received a little bump in the NCAA’s NET Rankings, jumping from No. 33 last week to No. 29 today.
Sunday’s win at Colorado was much less impressive than the one inside Allen Fieldhouse. The Mountaineers let a comfortable lead slip away during a second-half scoring drought that has become all too familiar for the team recently.
Joseph Yesufu scored 18 points off the bench and almost single-handedly preserved WVU’s lead in the final minutes, scoring seven straight points during one stretch. Javon Small finished with a game-high 26 points as he continued to lead the Big 12 in scoring.
The Mountaineers lost earlier in the week, 75-56, in a rematch against Arizona. WVU got as close as five points in the second half before the Wildcats pulled away in the final minutes.
WVU continues its two-game road trip at Houston on Wednesday (8 p.m./ESPN+). The Cougars are ranked No. 3 in KenPom and are riding an eight-game winning streak.
For a related story, WVU basketball plagued by scoring droughts in Big 12 play.