It happens maybe once or twice a season, that day when the unexpected happens and the rest of the field is drawn closer to the leader in the Big 12 men’s basketball race.
It is on that day West Virginia generally finds itself in a position — if only a few breaks go the Mountaineers way — to have something to say about who is going to stand on top of the conference mountain.
That day came Tuesday.
No. 1 Baylor, which entered the week on a 21-game winning streak lost at home to Texas Tech.
Let’s say that again: The top-ranked and defending national champs lost at home, and now the rest of the Big 12 is back in business.
West Virginia did its part with a 70-60 victory against Oklahoma State, pulling the Mountaineers (13-2, 2-1 Big 12) within a sniff of the Bears and the top of the league standings.
I know, it’s January, early January at that. Most fans are just now beginning to pay attention to college hoops after a thrilling end to college football Monday night.
But, you can’t get into that feeling of being in a conference race unless you’re actually in the race.
That’s where the Mountaineers find themselves today: In the race.
How they got there is the interesting story.
Gabe Osabuohien continued to build on a fantastic season on Tuesday.
He scored 12 points, added eight rebounds, picked up a couple of steals and drew a few offensive fouls. He also went a perfect 4 of 4 from the foul line, not bad for a guy shooting just under 27% going into the game.
It was a night in which things went so well for Osabuohien, at one point he had asked to come out of the game while running down to the other end of the floor, then caught a pass near the top of the key, pump-faked, spun and drove to the basket for a lay-up.
Going back on defense, he drew a foul and had to go back to the other end to make two free throws before leaving to a standing ovation.
It was well deserved. It has been all season where it concerns the forward from Toronto.
Sean McNeil and Taz Sherman continue to hit big shots.
Jalen Bridges got into the action, too, finding a way to sneak into the lane multiple times for a lay-up after hauling in some nice looks from Sherman. Bridges tied a career high with 22 points.
Kedrian Johnson and Malik Curry, both battling bum ankles, continue to show heart, grit and determination at point guard, while dealing with an enormous amount of pain.
The defense was there again, too. Avery Anderson, who torched the Mountaineers for 31 points in Morgantown last season, made just three of his 13 attempts and didn’t get more than a few good looks at the bucket.
Overall, Oklahoma State (8-6, 1-2) shot just 40% (23 of 58) from the field, and at times, its offense looked as smooth as a back country road.
And so we ask, can this WVU team make a run to the top?
A lot will be determined Saturday, when the Mountaineers travel to Allen Fieldhouse to play Kansas, where WVU has never won.
Maybe that’s the beginning of the end, for WVU follows that game up with a couple of games against Oklahoma and top-ranked Baylor and another against No. 19 Texas Tech before the end of this month.
Or maybe it’s some sort of continuation to the story of what once looked like two guys and a rag-tag bunch that turned into the surprise team of the Big 12.
If this Oklahoma State game proved anything, it’s the Mountaineers aren’t just Sherman and McNeil carrying everyone else on their backs anymore.
Osabuohien has picked his game up a notch, Bridges too, and the combination of Johnson and Curry at the point has some real positives.
Do the Mountaineers look like a fine-tuned machine? Not exactly, but in a league that is as low scoring and defensive as the Big 12 is this season, WVU doesn’t need to be the Showtime Lakers.
They need to do what they do, as Bob Huggins always likes to mention, maybe get a little help along the way … and just maybe this WVU team will stay in this race for longer than you think.
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