West Virginia begins Big 12 play in just a few minutes on ESPNU with a road game against Kansas State, and then the Mountaineers travel to TCU, where I’ll meet the team for Monday night’s game in the new Horned Frogs facility.

The calendar has turned, but Bob Huggins just cannot turn the page on his most consistent critique of his 11-1 team.

“We turn it over too much,” he said. “We work like crazy to get the other team to turn it over and then we just give it back to them. It’s not good.”

This isn’t the first time this season Huggins has harped on the Mountaineers’ turnover bug. He said WVU had “taken being terrible to a new level” following an 18-turnover performance against Marshall. West Virginia committed 18 turnovers against Stetson, 16 versus Bethune-Cookman, 17 against Kennesaw State, 18 in a loss to Virginia and 17 in Wednesday’s 25-point win at Virginia Tech.

“I don’t know why we throw it away,” Huggins said. “I wish I knew. But we do. We throw it around, and it’s going to get us. Eventually, it’s going to get us. It has been [a problem] since the Bahamas. I’ve done a great job coaching, haven’t I? Hasn’t changed since the Bahamas.”

Huggins knows the turnovers could be a problem as Big 12 play commences today. No. 19 West Virginia travels to face Kansas State (10-2) on ESPNU at noon. The Mountaineers were predicted to finish sixth in the 10-team league, and the first opponent, K-State, has only lost to nationally ranked programs North Carolina and Texas A&M.

And while West Virginia ranks first nationally in turnovers created, the team is No. 272 in turnovers made (14.3 per game). The Mountaineers are tied with Southeast Missouri State and Lehigh in turnovers.

“You can’t be careless with the ball,” WVU senior forward Jonathan Holton said.