No. 16 WVU has much to play for in quarterfinals of Big 12 tourney

MORGANTOWN — Regardless of what happens at the T-Mobile Center on Friday, no one on the 16th-ranked WVU women’s basketball team is going to be sweating it out on Selection Sunday.

The Mountaineers (23-6), seeded fourth in the Big 12 tournament, had long ago secured a spot in the NCAAs.

That doesn’t exactly mean WVU has nothing to play for at noon Friday, when it faces fifth-seeded Kansas State (26-6).

“Some teams have to win it to get into the NCAA tournament. Other teams probably know they’re in, but need seed lines for the NCAA tournament,” WVU head coach Mark Kellogg said. “There’s still a ton going into it.”

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The only bubble WVU finds itself on is whether or not it gets selected as one of the 16 regional hosts for the first two rounds of the NCAAs.

“I believe we may have to win the whole tournament to become a host,” WVU guard J.J. Quinerly said. “I think that’s a possibility for us.”

“I don’t know if we’re going to get a chance to host or not,” added Kellogg. “If we go win three (at the Big 12 tournament), that maybe puts us in the ballpark.”

The Mountaineers would have a much better argument with a second win this season against the Wildcats, who knocked off UCF 80-65 on Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals.

WVU, meanwhile has been resting and preparing, the result of earning a double-bye. WVU’s double-bye, in part was earned, because it beat Kansas State in the regular season 70-57.

“It was good for our kids, a good opportunity for us,” Kellogg said. “But only if you take advantage of it.”

K-State is ranked 20th in the AP Top 25, but is No. 9 in the NCAA’s NET rankings. WVU is ranked 11th in the NET, meaning this could be an opportunity to move into the top 10 and essentially closer to being a host school for the opening rounds.

The pregame news will center around Wildcats’ 6-foot-6 center Ayoka Lee.

She sat out the first meeting against WVU this season recovering from a fractured foot. She tried to return on Feb. 22 against Kansas, but still felt discomfort.

K-State head coach Jeff Mittie said going into the Big 12 tourney that Lee would be held out and not play again until the NCAA tournament.

So far, that’s been true. Lee did not play against UCF on Thursday.

Whether or not Mittie continues to hold Lee out remains to be seen.

For WVU, it becomes a question of how far has the program come under Kellogg in his second season.

Quinerly is in her final season and WVU has not advanced past the Big 12 quarterfinal round since playing Baylor in the title game in 2021, the year before Quinerly arrived on campus.

“I’ve said I definitely want to do something special here before I leave,” Quinerly said. “Hopefully we’ll get the chance to do it this year.”

To do it, the Mountaineers will need more production other than just Quinerly, who is averaging 34.5 points per game over the final two games of the regular season.

“We need to get (Sydney) Shaw and Kyah (Watson) going again,” Kellogg said. “We’re going to need them. When you’re talking about tournaments and potentially playing three games in three days, you need your full roster to produce and stay involved.”