Mountaineers Wrap Up 2025-26 Season in Las Vegas This Weekend
WVU’s Mountaineers head to Las Vegas this weekend as the 2025-26 season reaches its final stop. The team will play a quarterfinal game against Stanford on Thursday at 8 p.m. EDT. West Virginia finished the year 18-14.
Tournament format and schedule
The eight-team College Basketball Crown is a single-elimination event. All quarterfinals will be played at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Semifinals are scheduled for Saturday. The championship game is set for Sunday. Fox will televise all seven games nationally.
Thursday matchups
- West Virginia vs. Stanford — 8 p.m. EDT
- Rutgers vs. Creighton — later quarterfinal
- Oklahoma vs. Colorado — earlier contest
- Baylor vs. Minnesota — nightcap
Prize money and broadcast
The Crown carries a $500,000 prize pool. The winning team splits $300,000. The runner-up receives $150,000.
FS1 will carry the WVU game with Tim Brando, Jim Jackson, and Allison Williams on the call. Radio coverage begins at 7 p.m. on Mountaineer Sports Network.
Stanford scouting report
Stanford enters the tournament at 20-12. The Cardinal finished 9-9 in ACC play and tied with Cal for ninth place.
Stanford lost 64-63 to Pitt in the ACC Tournament. The Cardinal had won four straight games to close the regular season.
Freshman guard Ebuka Okorie averages a team-high 22.8 points per game. The 6-foot-2 guard is from Nashua, New Hampshire, and is on draft radars.
Senior Benny Gealer provides support at 11.1 points per contest. WVU coach Ross Hodge said Okorie is a difficult cover.
Team travel and injuries
West Virginia flew to Las Vegas on Tuesday and held a workout before Thursday’s game. The athletics office released a 12-player travel roster.
Freshman guard Amir Jenkins is not traveling. He is scheduled for offseason shoulder surgery. Long-term prognosis depends on additional procedures.
Roster construction and recruiting
The team was built to reach the NCAA Tournament and fell short by a few possessions. Coach Hodge has started conversations with players who retain eligibility.
WVU’s incoming November class ranks 20th nationally by ESPN.com. It includes five-star point guard Miles Sadler from Bella Vista Prep in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Other November signees are four-star guard Kingston Whitty from Mableton, Georgia, and 6-foot-10 forward Aliou Dioum from Dakar, Senegal. Dioum and Sadler were teammates at Bella Vista.
Hodge mentioned the staff may add another prep recruit this spring. Several transfer portal additions are also possible to replace seven seniors. Honor Huff led the team with 15.8 points per game.
Coach perspective and offseason timing
Hodge described the Crown as a last chance to play together. He emphasized the team values time together more than tournament money.
The Big 12’s agreement with FOX determines Crown participation for the top teams not in the NCAA Tournament. The transfer portal calendar officially opens next Tuesday.
Hodge said the new portal timing reduces overlap between postseason play and recruiting activities. That change limits conflicts with official visits.
What’s next
Thursday’s winner will face the Rutgers-Creighton victor on Saturday at 4 p.m. EDT. The Mountaineers aim to wrap up the 2025-26 season with a win in Las Vegas.
