After a win over Columbia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the West Virginia Mountaineers aim to keep their season going as they take on the site host, North Carolina, on Monday night in second-round action.
There's no question that the Mountaineers belong in the tournament, as they are a sneaky good team that probably deserved better than a No. 6 seed.
In fact, the early betting lines have West Virginia listed as the favorite against North Carolina, a game being played at Carmichael Arena.
Interesting...
Well, let's dive into what you need to know about the West Virginia Mountaineers:
West Virginia Mountaineers
Overall record: 25-7
Conference Record: 13-5
Home Record: 16-0
Away Record: 5-5
Neutral Site Record: 4-2
Meet the Team
Head Coach
Mark Kellogg (Second Season): Career Record- 604-257
Previous Head Coaching Stops
Fort Lewis (2005-2012)
Northwest Missouri State (2012-2013)
West Texas A&M (2013-2015)
Stephen F. Austin (2015-2023)
What Kellogg has accomplished as a head coach:
"Kellogg is the sixth-winningest active Division I women’s basketball coach in the country by winning percentage with a 470-128 (.786) career record entering his second season with the Mountaineers.
In his first season with West Virginia (2023-24), Kellogg compiled 25 wins, marking the most ever by a first-year coach in program history. He guided the Mountaineers to a fourth-place finish in the Big 12 regular season and West Virginia's 15th all-time bid into the NCAA Tournament, reaching the second round. WVU was ranked in the AP poll nine times, including finishing the season as the 24th-ranked team in the country.
Prior to West Virginia, he spent eight seasons (2015-23) at Stephen F. Austin where he compiled a 195-55 (.780) mark with seven consecutive seasons of 23 wins or more."
Key Players
JJ Quinerly is one of the nation's top scoring threats.
The 5-foot-8 senior from Norfolk, Virginia averages 20.8 points per-game while shooting just under 45% from the floor. Her latest game was impressive, as she scored 27 points, recorded 7 assists and 7 steals in the Mountaineers victory over Columbia.
A player who doesn't leave the floor much (if at all), Quinerly has a knack for putting the ball in the basket. She's had some big-time performances as of late, including back-to-back 30-point games against Utah (38 points) and Cincinnati (31 points).
Quinerly is a high volume shooter who also is susceptible to turning the basketball over. North Carolina must put a ton of pressure on her so she can't get her open looks, forcing her to make bad decisions trying to facilitate the rock.
One word to describe Jordan Harrison is consistent.
The junior guard has been very consistent during her collegiate career, as you know what to expect from the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma native every time she steps on the floor.
Harrison will shoot the basketball at a high (and efficient) level, will help facilitate the basketball and will make an impact on the glass. Simply put, Harrison is a player who makes winning plays for her squad.
A transfer from Auburn, Shaw has embraced a bigger role with the West Virginia Mountaineers this season. She's averaging double-digit scoring for the first time in her collegiate career, as she has quickly developed into an impact player among the team's starting unit.
Projected Starters
No. 5 Sydney Shaw
No. 10 Jordan Harrison
No. 11 JJ Quinerly
No. 14 Kylee Blacksten
No. 32 Kyah Watson