Va. − The Iowa State women’s basketball team knew it was facing a difficult task dealing with West Virginia's intense defense Sunday. But the job got monumentally more difficult with the news that Cyclones star point guard Emily Ryan wouldn’t be available for the tough Big 12 Conference road matchup.

West Virginia fans stormed the court and joined the players in singing John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”

And, yes, West Virginia's Darian DeVries has entered the conversation. Have you paid attention to the Mountaineers? In Year 1 under DeVries, West Virginia is 13-4 with four Quadrant 1 victories — specifically wins over Iowa State,