It was lining up perfectly for West Virginia.
The Mountaineers were off to a 15-1 start and were set to regain the services of Esa Ahmad, last year's second-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder who missed the first half of the season after failing to meet NCAA eligibility requirements. They were ranked No. 2 in the country.
Things haven't exactly gone as planned.
West Virginia was run out of Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday, losing 93-77 to Iowa State. It was the first time the Mountaineers allowed 90-plus points since March 2013 -- when they were careening toward a 13-19 finish -- and the second-most points allowed by West Virginia since Bob Huggins took over in 2008.