We are a long, long way from the beginning of the college basketball season, but West Virginia basketball was on our minds last week. Best player returns to school. Top post player picks professional basketball. Blue-blood program added to the home schedule. That was four days.

So, a whole lot changed, right? Yes and no.

After digging in and poring over some stats and some conversations I had with people in and around the program, I came away with this: The Mountaineers are used to this and seemed situated to succeed.

They have pieces in place and a plan to proceed. They’ll need a couple of things to go their way — two new starters, no fewer than four Power 5 non-conference opponents and five first-year players among the variables — but there are expectations once again inside the Coliseum: “I think,” coach Bob Huggins said, “we’re going to perform at a very high level.”

How? With whom? Why? There are questions, and though answers will have to wait, some clues are already available.