MORGANTOWN, W.Va. —West Virginia fans might want to clear their office calendars for Tuesday, Nov. 12. That’s the day the Mountaineers visit Virginia Tech for a 1 p.m. tip-off as part of ESPN’s 24-hour college basketball marathon.
The matchup will be played at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va., the Mountaineers’ first trip there since February 2004.
That was also the last time the teams had played before the rivalry was renewed last season in Morgantown. You’ll recall point guard Juwan Staten driving for the winning layup with five seconds left to give West Virginia a 68-67 victory—one of the precious few highlights for a Mountaineers squad that finished 13-19.
ESPN’s midweek scheme to destroy workplace efficiency includes some blueblood matchups—such as Kentucky-Michigan State and Kansas-Duke—along with marginally interesting games like Colorado State-Gonzaga and Western Kentucky-Wichita State. And we might well be convinced to turn away from “Good Morning America” at 7 a.m. for a chance to see Florida Gulf Coast host a “dunk brunch” against Hartford
There’s also some filler (see Quinnipiac-LaSalle and LSU-UMass), though I should be cautious about throwing around that label. After all, WVU-Virginia Tech represents the only marathon matchup in which neither team is coming off a postseason tournament appearance.