West Virginia's Honor Huff brings the ball up the court against Houston during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

MORGANTOWN — When it comes to telling the story about the WVU men’s basketball team, Chance Moore’s mind quickly drifts back to last summer.

“It was a crazy journey starting this summer,” the WVU forward said. “We were on that turf, and all of the practices and all of the hills we had to run. It was all meant for us to get better by 1% everyday.

“For most of us, it was our first time playing high-major (basketball). I feel like we did solid for the most part.”

As for WVU head coach Ross Hodge, his thoughts go back to a rivalry win against Pitt.

“For as long as I live, I’ll never forget it,” Hodge said. “My first Pitt game here, I’ll never forget that.”

That 71-49 victory over the hated Panthers seems like years ago now. They’ve been followed with ups and downs. The highlights were victories against Kansas and BYU, which just may have the top two picks in the 2026 NBA Draft in Darryn Peterson and A.J. Dybantsa.

The setbacks were there, too. Losses against Utah, Baylor, Kansas State and Oklahoma State have put a major drag on whatever case the Mountaineers (18-13) have for inclusion into the NCAA tournament this season.

“Obviously, we let a couple get away,” Moore admits. “The one thing about this group is we always fight to the end. That’s what I love about us.”

That’s what the seventh-seeded Mountaineers hope to have when they walk into the T-Mobile Center at 7 p.m. today for the second round of the Big 12 tournament, fight. WVU plays the winner of Tuesday’s first-round game between BYU and Kansas State.

The Mountaineers beat BYU, 79-71, during the regular season and split two games with K-State.

It’s that never-say-die attitude Hodge admits is what he was looking for when putting this team together.

“We put this team together with the idea that we could win games in March and could make a run in the NCAA tournament,” Hodge said. “I still believe this team can do that. Does that mean it’s going to be perfect? No, it hasn’t been perfect.”

WVU’s run through the Big 12 regular season was one filled with twists and turns seemingly around every corner. When the Mountaineers seemed to be in a no-win situation, they somehow found a way to win. The opposite was true, too.

What lies ahead for WVU? Maybe no one truly knows, but the goal for the players is to go into the Big 12 tournament believing that good things can still happen.

“No one is home. No one has a homecourt advantage,” WVU guard Honor Huff said. “Everyone is playing for something. The top teams are solidified (for the NCAA tournament), but even they’re playing for something. We all have something to play for. We have to go in with a little bit of an edge, because we’re playing for something a little bit bigger.”

Any victory would be a positive step forward and the first Big 12 tournament win for WVU since 2023.

Last season, the Mountaineers were upset in the second round by 16th-seeded Colorado. In 2024, Cincinnati knocked WVU out of the tournament in the first round.

“All of us are just trying to put our best foot forward,” WVU forward Brenen Lorient said. “It’s 0-0 for everybody. We’re just trying to get as many wins as we can.”