Dance Card: West Virginia, Big XII at-large

Who? The Mountaineers of West Virginia.

What? They're in the mountains. Hence, they are Mountaineers, and they are serious business. And the gun is real. But the beard is optional.

Where? Morgantown, West Virginia, which was settled by a guy named Zackquill.

When? March 23rd in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Why? A very strong team from the Big XII.

How? They were an at-large selection.

Surprise? Predicted to finish third in the conference, they tied Baylor for first, but fell to second on tiebreakers.

RPI: 13

SOS: 67

Record: 29-4 (16-2 Big XII)

Good wins: Sweeping through Oklahoma, taking out both the Sooners and the Cowgirls. At Baylor.

Bad losses: Ohio State to open the season.

Who's running this show? Mike Carey, since 2001. Everything he's done has been in the state of West Virginia.

Extra, Extra! West Virginia has kindly put together a compilation of newspapers with direct links to the appropriate section. Well done, Mountaineer Sports Network. Well done.

Sophomore guard Bria Holmes leads the Mountaineers in scoring with 15.1 per game, but the player to watch for this team is strong senior post Asya Bussie, who puts up 13.0 points and pulls down 7.6 rebounds per game. This experienced team, with a rotation comprised primarily of juniors and seniors, has something to prove in their second Big XII season, after taking a year to adjust to the additional travel. And Big East fans know that Mike Carey is an evil genius- his teams are rough, but they get the job done.