Joe Mazzulla seems pretty confident he’s playing next season.

When this season ends for the Mountaineers (19-8, 8-6 Big East), who have another critical road game Thursday night at Cincinnati, their off-season program begins a week later. That would be three months after Mazzulla’s surgery.

“You know I’ll be ready,” he said.

He’ll spend three more weeks in the apparatus. Then comes the likely painful process of fighting through aches and stiffness to regain strength and range of motion. For now, he’s focused on strengthening and developing his right hand.

That doesn’t sound like a big deal until you remember he is left-handed.

“Right now, the thing I’m happiest about is the chance to be ambidextrous,” Mazzulla said. “I have nothing but time, so I decided I better make the most of it.”

You think he’s kidding … but he’s not. The lefty is dead serious about becoming a righty if that’s what it takes to play again

If you want to think about the worst cases scenarios, Mazzulla would keep his scholarship if he’s unable to play again. The NCAA provides a hardship waiver that allows the player to remain on scholarship and not count toward the the NCAA limit of 13 athletic scholarships. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think that’s anything to worry about.

(Ir)regardless, it’s at least noteworthy because when Alex Ruoff graduates and, presumably, Bird Sowards comes off scholarship, the Mountaineers would have 11 players on scholarship, including the healthy Mazzulla. Three recruits are signed for next season and WVU is going after junior college guard Casey Mitchell. The math doesn’t work there.