West Virginia's appearance in the Big 12 tournament features a wild finish already, but only now is it getting interesting.

Sources told 247Sports overnight that forward Sagaba Konate could play in tonight's 7 o'clock quarterfinal game against Texas Tech. The preseason all-Big 12 pick is considered a game-time decision.

Konate has not played since Dec. 8. The junior is with the team in Kansas City and was on the bench for the win against Oklahoma, but he was in sweats. However, a team source said Konate has "been after it every day" lately and is positioned to return to the lineup against the regular season co-champions.

He had surgery in the offseason on his right knee and was limited in preseason practices, but Konate played the first five games, including three games in four days as part of the Myrtle Beach Invitational. He then sat out a home game and played in three more, including one game against Pitt that began with him on the bench. Konate was dominant, though, and had 16 points, nine rebounds and seven blocked shots in 27 minutes.

Konate set the school's career record for blocked shots in the win, but that was the last time he played. The initial prognosis was that he'd miss between two and four weeks, and there was soon some degree of disagreement between Konate and the team about his status. When pressed, Coach Bob Huggins would articulate his frustration with the progress as well as with the advice Konate was receiving from his family before ultimately saying he didn't know Konate's plans.

All of that was happening before the backdrop of Konate entertaining his NBA dream over the summer and ultimately choosing to return to school, where suddenly his knee and his future were questionable.

Reconciliation never seemed impossible, though, and Konate was welcome around the team for games and practices. Huggins even once said that Konate considered a medical redshirt, something he could not apply for if he plays tonight.

"He's talked about it, but he talks about it and then he talks to his brother, and then things change," Huggins said at the time. "I think he ought to do what's in his best interest, but I think he ought to get a more educated opinion."

In eight games during the regular season, Konate played 24.1 minutes per game and averaged 13.6 points and 8.0 rebounds. He shot 43.5 percent from the field and sunk his shooting percentage by shooting 9-for-23 from 3-point range. Though not quite as explosive as before, he still blocked 22 shots.

He's never played with Derek Culver, a 6-foot-10, 255-pound freshman who averaged a double-double in Big 12 play and had nine such games in the regular season. In addition to creating a possibility of seeing that tandem on the floor at once, Konate would help WVU's frontcourt. The Mountaineers dismissed starters Esa Ahmad and Wesley Harris from the team last month and have been starting freshman Emmitt Matthews at small forward and Lamont West at power forward. They sometimes play with three guards and 6-foot-7 guard Jermaine Haley playing on the wing.

However, forwards Logan Routt and Andrew Gordon were differences in the first-round win. Culver was burdened with foul trouble in both halves and only played 14 minutes while getting six points and seven rebounds. Routt played 16 minutes and was 3-for-3 from the floor to finish with eight points and five rebounds. Gordon played 11 minutes and had four points, four rebounds and two blocked shots.