Mark Kellogg's tinkering with WVU women's hoops schedule has brought the program an upgrade
It ended up being an exercise of frustration of sorts.
Two 25-win seasons under Kellogg produced nothing better than a No. 6 seed in the NCAA tournament for the Mountaineers, despite being ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 all of last season and for nine weeks during his first season.
As to how that was possible, it's a 50-50 answer. As in WVU's overall SOS was ranked No. 55 last season, 52nd the year before.
'You don't want to over-schedule, but you don't want to under-schedule, either,' Kellogg said. 'That's the delicate balance. How do you get the right schedule for the team you are expecting to have? We maybe under-scheduled it a bit last year, looking back at it. We'll wait and see what this year looks like, but hopefully it's the right schedule.'
It is a schedule that will be noticeably different, beginning with no match-up against rival Pitt.
In the current landscape of NET and strength of schedule rankings, losing the Panthers may not be a bad thing. Pitt is a combined 21-43 over the last two seasons, and even a road win over the Panthers does little to change the needle in terms of SOS.
WVU will also travel to Texas A&M and Temple will travel to Morgantown, in what are return games from last season.
What will be new is Georgia Tech and Villanova will also visit the Coliseum this season.
Those two teams combined for 43 wins last season, with Georgia Tech advancing to the NCAA tournament, while Villanova advanced to the semifinals of the WBIT.
During Thanksgiving, the Mountaineers will participate in the Baha Mar Hoops tournament in the Bahamas, with Ohio State, Alabama and Minnesota being possible opponents.
A game against Minnesota would pit WVU against former head coach Dawn Plitzuweit, who coached WVU to the 2023 NCAA tournament before leaving for Minnesota.
The bigger scheduling news is Kellogg said WVU is signed to play against 'a top 10 opponent' at The Greenbrier Resort in November.
The opponent is expected to be announced as soon as Thursday.
'I think we've got some challenges in front of us that we need to play well to win,' Kellogg said. 'Hopefully our nonconference (schedule) will be helped. That's probably what held us back to being a six (seed) last season instead of a five.'
The ultimate goal is to get WVU in a position to host one of the 16 regionals in the NCAA tournament, Kellogg said.
There's really two ways to accomplish that. Short of putting together a magical 30-win season and dominating the Big 12, WVU's other option is putting together another top-25 caliber season against a schedule that is ranked in the 20s or 30s rather than the 50s.
Finding that scheduling comfort is no easy task. Power Five teams outside of the Big 12 may have no interest in traveling to Morgantown.
Kellogg said caution must also be used as to not creating a super schedule just for the purpose of being able to say WVU plays a great schedule.
'You don't want to go too much the other way, either,' Kellogg said. 'You get beat up too much and you're not prepared or don't have the right mindset going into Big 12 play.
'If you slip a little bit and lose those nonconference games, that doesn't help you either.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
11 minutes ago
- New York Times
A day after 8 players were traded, Joe Ryan and Twins take stock: ‘It's just sobering'
CLEVELAND — He briefly thought he'd been traded, discovered it wasn't the case, and then watched in bewilderment as many of his Minnesota Twins teammates, some seated beside him, were shockingly dealt on one of the most excruciating days in team history. Joe Ryan relayed a trade deadline experience similar to ones told by many of his teammates who woke up Friday still playing for the Twins the day after the club shipped out eight key players in a blitz before Thursday's trade deadline. Advertisement Though the remaining Twins knew to expect trades involving impending free agents, multiple players said they were waylaid when the series of deals included team-controlled relievers Griffin Jax, Louis Varland and Brock Stewart as well as star shortstop Carlos Correa. In all, the Twins traded 10 players off their major-league roster between Monday and Thursday, a frenzy that also included closer Jhoan Duran going to Philadelphia. In the aftermath, players took stock Friday as they returned to action for the first time in nearly 48 hours. Shortly after delivering another good pitching performance in a 3-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians in 10 innings, Ryan admitted thinking he wouldn't even be in a Twins uniform after an erroneous report temporarily left him thinking he'd been traded to the Boston Red Sox. 'I obviously thought I got traded for several minutes,' Ryan said after allowing two earned runs in six innings at Progressive Field. 'Then I was like, 'Is this going to happen? What's the deal?' That was a weird mix of emotions. I was with Griffin during that. It was just weird. Then he didn't think he was going to get traded and he got traded and I didn't. … It's been a whirlwind.' Some in the visiting clubhouse recounted how they spent their wild day, noting multiple groups of players watched the events unfold together at the team hotel. Others, many fresh faces having just arrived to replace those who'd been traded, started the process of acclimating to a new clubhouse full of unfamiliar teammates. And then there were a few who admitted they're still trying to process what happened as the Twins' front office embarked on one of the busiest days at the trade deadline in baseball history. 'It's got to be historic, right?' said third baseman Royce Lewis, who spent Thursday at home before flying later that night. 'Pretty unique situation.' Advertisement The scene was so surreal that Twins president Derek Falvey and general manager Jeremy Zoll flew to Cleveland on Friday morning to answer any players' questions. Manager Rocco Baldelli addressed the entire team and spoke with some individuals to discuss the opportunity the series of deals presented. The Twins also brought along outfielder Byron Buxton, who's on the trip even though he's on the injured list, believing the veteran's presence would be helpful. 'Having that leader definitely helps,' outfielder Matt Wallner said. 'It was the most interesting day of my big-league career for sure. … Saying goodbye sucks.' Wallner was with Trevor Larnach, Cole Sands, Justin Topa and Bailey Ober Thursday. Gripped by a need for instant information, Wallner re-activated a social media account he hadn't used for two years to keep up with trade speculation. He's since deactivated it. He noted the trades of Varland, which players learned of 10 minutes before the 5 p.m. CT deadline, and Jax, which arrived six minutes later, were the biggest shockers. The series of moves creates an opportunity for Sands and Topa to pitch in high-leverage innings. Before Friday's game, Baldelli spoke to both relievers to discuss their new roles. 'Ever since I've been in the big leagues we've had Griff and Duran in the back of the bullpen,' Sands said. 'Knowing that there's responsibility for others now, including myself, to go out there and shut the door and go get those (outs), it's a little different. We're going to have to go embrace that opportunity.'' Experiencing a day unlike any other he's seen in a professional career that began in 2000, Baldelli knew he needed to gather his players and see how they felt. He also wanted to deliver a message about the opportunity being afforded to some. Equally affected, Baldelli was excited to get back to work after a taxing week. Advertisement 'Sometimes the best thing to get away from something is to go play,' Baldelli said. 'It actually helps you relax. … No one's done processing all parts of what went on. That might take some time to happen, but we have to get back to work.' For rookie Alan Roden, Friday was his first day at a new workplace. The Wisconsin-born left fielder was acquired with minor-league pitcher Kendry Rojas in a deal that sent Varland to the Toronto Blue Jays. Though the 25-year-old spent Thursday preparing for a Triple-A game in Buffalo, Roden wasn't stunned to learned he'd been traded. One of eight players added to the Twins' roster on Friday, Roden tried to meet new teammates before he started and batted second, finishing 0-for-5. 'You always know (being traded is) a possibility at that time of year, especially when you're a prospect on a team that's trying to compete,' Roden said. 'It was a pretty normal day until it wasn't.' Now in his 11th season in the majors, catcher Christian Vázquez couldn't recall experiencing a day like Thursday before. He also grappled with being an anomaly on the Twins' roster, the only impending free agent of the team's six to not be traded. 'It's the first time I've seen this in my career,' Vázquez said. 'It's hard. But it's a business. Maybe God wanted me here for a reason. Yeah, I'm still here.' Four days removed from the birth of his son, Ryan Jeffers also spent Thursday at home before catching a late-night flight to rejoin the club. He'd spent part of the day at the aquarium and riding a carousel with his 2-year-old daughter. For a minute, Jeffers also thought he'd been traded. But as he stood by his stall in the Twins' clubhouse Friday, Jeffers opined why his team underwent such a drastic facelift. 'We've shown glimpses of greatness and glimpses of one of the worst teams in baseball,' Jeffers said. 'Maybe a reset was needed. Maybe this is the harsh reality of what was needed for this club. It's a hard pill to swallow for players, fans and everyone associated with the organization.' Advertisement Thursday's deadline outcome was particularly strange for Ryan to consider. After spending part of the day listening to Grateful Dead tracks and trying to distract himself, Ryan joined Correa, Jax and Varland on Thursday. Ryan and several others noted Varland was emotional after learning he'd been traded away by his hometown club. Multiple players wondered aloud Friday why the team traded away Varland, Jax, Duran and Stewart, players who were several seasons away from reaching free agency. Only 15 minutes before Varland was traded, Ryan thought he'd been sent to Boston. Within seconds, the report of the trade was removed from social media, but Ryan still thought it could happen. 'It felt like I was throwing an intense situation in a game,' Ryan said. 'We were with Carlos, too. We were sitting in there and it felt like a f—ing horserace. … There's some guys that I'm confused by why they got moved. I'm happy, I hope their opportunities work out for them and I hope they have great careers. But it is weird when your friends that you've been with for so long are just gone the next day. … It's just sobering.' (Photo of Ryan: Nick Cammett / Getty Images)
New York Times
3 hours ago
- New York Times
How to watch WNBA MVP favorite Napheesa Collier and the Lynx take on A'ja Wilson's Aces
Just one week ago, the Minnesota Lynx stomped the Las Vegas Aces by 31 points thanks to an efficient 48 combined points from Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams. In the 109-78 victory on July 25, the Lynx (23-5) held the Aces to 38 percent shooting and connected on nearly 55 percent of their own attempts. Advertisement Minnesota, which owns the best record in the WNBA, faces Las Vegas (14-13) looking to duplicate its performance. The teams square off in Las Vegas' Michelob Ultra Arena for a nationally televised matchup on ABC. Live coverage is also available on ESPN+. Saturday's matchup is one of the 13 regular-season WNBA games on ABC, a league high since its inception. The league is as popular as it's ever been, setting a variety of viewership and attendance records in the past year. If you like scorers, two of the best in the WNBA will take the floor: Collier (23.8 points per game) and A'ja Wilson (22.1 ppg). Collier is also the clear favorite to win WNBA MVP at BetMGM. Since the loss to the Lynx, the Aces have won two straight games. Wilson shined her last time out in Los Angeles against the Sparks, scoring 34 points on nearly 70 percent shooting from the floor. Minnesota has a comfortable lead ahead of defending champion New York Liberty (17-10) for the best overall record. Despite that, the Lynx head into the weekend with the same odds as the Liberty to win this year's title. Las Vegas is tied with the Golden State Valkyries for the seventh-best record in the WNBA, currently holding on to one of the eight playoff spots. But the Aces look to continue rising in the standings over the last two months of the regular season. Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of A'ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier: Brad Rempel / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Twins' Jhoan Duran trade could be next, with 2 teams battling for star closer
The top reliever available ahead of the MLB trade deadline appears close to being dealt. That's Minnesota Twins closer Jhoan Duran. "A number of relievers have already been traded today — Tyler Rogers, Taylor Rogers, Andrew Chafin, Luis Garcia and Tyler Kinley — and the expectation is that Jhoan Duran could be next. Mariners and Dodgers making a push, according to sources, though other teams still trying, too," writes Mark Feinsand on X. Duran is the ultimate prize for bullpen seekers, unless A's closer Mason Miller is moved. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Dominican right-hander throws in the low-100s. His best pitch is a splinker that can get up to about 100 with nasty downward movement. MORE: Angels' new trade pickup is not a fan of California Duran has spent four seasons in the major leagues, and he's been one of the best bullpen arms in baseball the whole time. He broke in as a 24-year old in 2022 and had a 1.86 ERA with 89 strikeouts in 67.2 innings. In 2023, Duran put up a 2.45 ERA with 84 more punchouts in 62.1 innings. He struggled the most in 2024, with a 3.64 ERA and a 6-9 record while striking out 66 in 54.1 innings. Duran is back to his usual self statistically this season with a 2.01 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 49.1 innings. MORE: Red Sox phenom Roman Anthony makes MLB history not done since Elmer Valo in 1940 The star reliever has 16 saves in 49 appearances, with the Twins happy to use him in multiple different situations. If he went to the Dodgers, he'd probably be the closer. Between injuries and ineffectiveness, their bullpen hasn't quite shaped up the way they expected it to. The Mariners already have a strong closer in right-hander Andres Munoz, so that'd be a less certain situation. It'd be great for Seattle to have both guys, but as far as how they'd be used together, that'd be something to be figured out if they can actually pull off the deal for Duran. MORE MLB NEWS: Dodgers sign Missouri football's QB to contract Brewers' Andrew Vaughn has tied a Barry Bonds MLB record Emmanuel Clase goes from trade target to concerning Guardians story Orioles' catcher used a Happy Gilmore swing to hit a home run There's a sad truth to Aaron Judge's injury for Yankees Edwin Diaz is MLB's best pitcher since learning his legs were different lengths
