What We Learned From Wednesday (Jan. 21)

This was a grind-it-out, but thorough win by Arizona that showed off just how dominant its defense can be. The Wildcats were a good defensive team last year. But, like any of the eight new Big 12 teams, they struggled at times with the grind of dealing with Big 12 defenses night in and night out. Head coach Tommy Lloyd focused on making sure his freshmen were willing defenders and that his holdovers understood they had to raise their level of play on that end.

Mission accomplished. Arizona’s Ken Pom defensive efficiency is 92.9, just a hair behind Houston’s 92.8. The Wildcats are also one of only three teams in the Top 10 of Ken Pom in both offensive and defensive efficiency. Michigan and Duke are the other two.

The offensive efficiency was why Arizona eventually won. Cincinnati’s offensive efficiency is No. No. 177 in Ken Pom. At No. 7 in defensive efficiency, the disparity is the biggest in the Big 12. Arizona’s defense is why no single Wildcat had to have a dominant offensive game. Four players were in double figures.

Teams that can play both ways at a high level are rare. They’re teams that usually compete for national championships. Arizona’s two-way ability is why it is 19-0 and off to its best start in more than a decade. The Wildcats are a worthy No. 1 team. Not to look past West Virginia this weekend, that trip to BYU on Jan. 26 is going to be a massive test for the Wildcats. It’s one that they appear poised to pass.

Can West Virginia Play Way into NCAA Tournament?

Forgive West Virginia Mountaineers fans for being leery of another season spent on the NCAA Tournament bubble. Last year WVU was essentially the first team out, saw coach Darian DeVries bolt for Indiana, leading to the hiring of Ross Hodge and another roster overhaul.

Wednesday’s win over Arizona State is unlikely to impress tournament committee members, but it was still a solid win for the Mountaineers as they had to change three time zones to beat the Sun Devils. It’s not an easy trip and WVU needed nearly the entire game to pull away. Honor Huff was not on his game (just six points) but Treysen Eaglestaff dropped 23 points, including six 3-pointers.

The Mountaineers are now 13-6, 4-2 in the Big 12. I wrote earlier this year that Big 12 teams that want a real shot at the NCAA Tournament need to win 20 games before the Big 12 Tournament. It’s not a guarantee — but it’s close. By that standard, WVU needs seven more league wins. That would make the Mountaineers 11-7.

Can WVU do it? Well games with three ranked teams remain — No. 1 Arizona on Saturday, No. 12 Texas Tech on Feb. 8 and No. 14 BYU on Feb. 28. The Mountaineers have two wins against Kansas State and UCF. The slate is forgiving enough to lead me to believe WVU could win 18 or 19 games by Kansas City. Would that be enough? It wasn’t last year. WVU finished 19-13 after losing to Colorado in its first Big 12 Tournament game.

I wasn’t bullish on the Mountaineers coming into Big 12 play and that 21-point loss to Iowa State in the opener led me to believe this would be a rough season. WVU has won four of its last five games. I still wouldn’t say I’m bullish on the Mountaineers. But I see a team growing fast and one that has a path to get to double-digit Big 12 wins. And, with the strength of this conference, that could help nudge the Mountaineers into March Madness.

For what it’s worth, WVU is not on ESPN’s Joe Lunardi’s radar yet. The Mountaineers aren’t being considered. A few more wins could change that. A win over a ranked team certainly changes that.