The West Virginia Men’s Basketball Team has had a very productive start to their 2024-25 season, with a good run in their Thanksgiving break tournament competing at the “Battle 4 Atlantis” and also picking up solid non-conference wins.
To take a deeper look into the games they have already played, it’s good to dive into their Quad Wins based on net rankings. The Quad system in college basketball is a method used by the NCAA Selection Committee to evaluate team performance for the NCAA Tournament. It aids in assessing a team’s schedule strength as well as the caliber of its wins and lossses. Based on the opponent’s NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) ranking and whether the game is being played at home, away, or at a neutral location, the system separates games into four quadrants (Quads 1-4).
According to bballnet.com, West Virginia is 2-1 in Quad 1. Both wins came during the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, including victories over then-No. 24 Arizona and then-No. 3 Gonzaga. Their lone Quad 1 loss came on the road to rival Pittsburgh in the Backyard Brawl. Pitt, which received 28 votes in the latest AP Top 25 poll, sits just outside the rankings.
In Quad 2, the Mountaineers are 0-1, with their loss coming against Louisville in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals. Louisville had momentum at the time but fell to Oklahoma in the tournament’s championship game. Since then, Louisville has dropped three of its last four, albeit to teams currently ranked No. 17, No. 5, and No. 4 in the country.
West Virginia has dominated in Quads 3 and 4, going an undefeated, 6-0 (1-0 in Q3 and 5-0 in Q4). Their most notable win in these categories came against Georgetown in the Big 12 vs. Big East Classic, where the Mountaineers defended the Coliseum with a 73-60 victory.
The Mountaineers have performed well against tough opponents while also taking care of business against teams they are expected to beat—a promising sign as they prepare for the Big 12 gauntlet.
However, the road ahead is not getting any easier. After a Q4 matchup against Mercyhurst this Sunday, WVU will have a break before starting conference play on New Year’s Eve at No. 8 Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse.
The remainder of West Virginia’s schedule includes 11 Quad 1 games, six Quad 2 games, three Quad 3 games, and one Quad 4 matchup—this Sunday against Mercyhurst.
The Big 12 currently features four teams ranked in the Top 25, with another four, including WVU, receiving votes.
Barring no hiccups against Mercyhurst, the Mountaineers should be 9-2 heading into their clash with Kansas, setting the stage for an early-season conference battle with significant implications.
