As West Virginia prepares to face Kentucky in the opening game of the NCAA Clemson Regional this Friday, head coach Steve Sabins isn’t planning to change his coaching style — even with the stakes higher than ever.
Sabins, who is new to managing in the NCAA Tournament, remains excited but grounded. He expects to lead the Mountaineers just like he did throughout the regular season — by focusing on each game one at a time.
“I think that’s been the main mindset all season,” Sabins said. “Until you clinch a Big 12 title, everything stays the same. Then, when you play in a tournament, things can change quickly. This is my first time going through that, so it’s definitely a learning process for me. But before that, we just played game by game.”
West Virginia’s season was marked by two impressive winning streaks — a 13-game run to start, and another 14-game streak in the middle of the season. Sabins credits that success to focusing on the task at hand, not worrying about future opponents or the bigger picture.
“For the first 90% of the season, we asked ourselves: what do we need to do to win today? That was our only concern,” Sabins explained. “That mindset worked really well for us.”
He acknowledges that as the season progressed, managing player fatigue and health became more important. Sometimes that meant dialing back intensity to keep players fresh. But Sabins knows that too much backing off can be tough mentally for players.
“As you start managing arms and health down the stretch, especially after clinching a tournament spot, it’s a delicate balance,” he said. “You don’t want to lose focus, but you also want to keep everyone healthy.”
Looking ahead to the NCAA Regional, Sabins hopes his consistent approach pays off. Last season gave him a firsthand look at what it takes to succeed in this tournament round — and he’s ready to put those lessons into action with the Mountaineers.
With Sabins at the helm, WVU will take the Clemson Regional one game at a time, sticking to the process that’s brought them this far.
