The West Virginia men's basketball team knows its next step in search for a Big East Conference Championship.
The Mountaineers were selected as a third seed in the Big East Tournament, which begins Tuesday in New York City. WVU will play Thursday at 9 p.m. against Louisville, Cincinnati or Rutgers at Madison Square Garden.
No. 1 Syracuse, No. 2 Pittsburgh and No. 4 Villanova also earned double-byes.
"We deserve (the double-bye)," said senior Wellington Smith. "You can't put it in words how it feels that we know we can go into the Big East Tournament and win it."
A loss would have given the Wildcats second and put WVU as a No. 4 seed.
Pittsburgh claimed the No. 2 seed and will play Seton Hall, Providence or Notre Dame. Villanova enters as a four-seed.
"We beat a team that is known for winning games like that, especially at their house," Smith said. "(Villanova guard) Scottie Reynolds is known for hitting that last second shot, but yet we had everything in place."
If all goes right in the Big East Tournament, the Mountaineers are hoping to find themselves as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which begins March 18. NCAA seedings will be announced March 14.
"If we go to New York and play well and win, it would be hard for us to not be a one-seed, I would think," said WVU head coach Bob Huggins.
None of that seemed likely after West Virginia's first half of play against the Wildcats. The Mountaineers scored just 16 points in the first 20 minutes and shot just 24 percent from the field including a 2-for-12 mark at the foul line.
It was the lowest offensive production in the opening half of a game by WVU since Huggins took over as Mountaineer head coach in 2007.
"If there's such a thing of making an opponent overconfident, I think we've mastered it," Huggins said. "We do a great job of (playing poorly) in the first half. We come back (after halftime) many times like a totally new team. I don't like it much."
West Virginia shot 15-29 (51.7 percent) from the field after its rough first half along with a 16-for-18 free-throw performance.
WVU's proven ability to battle back and claim a victory over a top-10 opponent should pay off in the postseason if a similar case presents itself, players said.
"We needed a game like this to get us going before the Big East Tournament," said forward Da'Sean Butler. "It was a great arena, a great team and a great atmosphere. They're a Final Four team and a National Championship-caliber team."
Smith said it was the "biggest victory of the season," and it came at the right time with the Mountaineers entering the conference tournament. He added that the team still has yet to reach its full potential.
"We're going to cherish this one a little bit," Smith said. "We'll be ready next week."
The Mountaineers have Sunday and Monday off before they begin preparation for their opponent Tuesday.
is a member of the 
3 comments