![\"NCAA](\"https:\/\/images.deadspin.com\/tr:w-900\/28455210.jpg\")
Mar 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Ebuka Okorie (1) on the court in the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images <\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\nSenior-dominated West Virginia and freshman-led Stanford go head-to-head Thursday night when the College Basketball Crown Tournament continues in Las Vegas with its second day of quarterfinal matchups.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n The second-year event pitting teams from the Southeastern Conference, Big 12, Big Ten and Big East will continue Saturday in Las Vegas with the semifinals, where the West Virginia-Stanford survivor will meet the winner of the Thursday second quarterfinal between Rutgers and Creighton.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n The nationally televised finals are set for Sunday afternoon, with the winner guaranteed $300,000 in name, image and likeness money.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n When last seen on March 11, West Virginia (18-14) was alternating losses and wins over its final five games, capped by a 68-48 drubbing at the hands of BYU in the Mountaineers’ opening game of the Big 12 Conference tournament.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Mountaineers coach Ross Hodge labeled the long layoff an “enjoyable experience,” especially for his five key seniors — Honor Huff, Brenen Lorient, Treysen Eaglestaff, Chance Moore and Jasper Floyd — who might otherwise have already gone their separate ways in pursuing future basketball dreams.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n <\/p>\n “Anytime you get to continue to play, it’s hard to not take advantage of those opportunities,” Hodge said this week. “When you have a group that legitimately wants to keep playing and gets opportunities to be together, I’ve always been of the mindset that you need to honor that and have an appreciation level.”<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Stanford (20-12) had a four-game winning streak snapped in its most recent outing, a 64-63 loss to Pittsburgh in the opening round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament on March 10.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Accepting a bid to the Crown tournament allows Stanford fans at least one more chance to see prized freshman Ebuka Okorie, an All-ACC first-team selection who had averaged 27.3 points over the final eight games of the conference regular season before he was limited to just 14 points by Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Stanford coach Kyle Smith realizes his star will have options in the offseason.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n