Thursday, February 20, 2025, 5:27PM |  20°
MENU
Advertisement
West Virginia head coach Darian DeVries in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Boulder, Colo.
1
MORE

Inside Darian DeVries' remarkable turnaround of West Virginia men's basketball

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Inside Darian DeVries' remarkable turnaround of West Virginia men's basketball

Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley: 'If my vote was today, I’m voting for coach DeVries for Big 12 Coach of the Year'

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — When Darian DeVries took over the West Virginia men’s basketball team, he said from the jump the goal was for the program to return to winning ways. He was adamant the 2024-25 season wouldn’t be a rebuilding year.

DeVries was met with excitement — but also a good amount of doubt.

The season has been anything but easy. Coming off the heels of a tumultuous season that resulted in a lot of controversy surrounded by former coach Bob Huggins, DeVries knew he had his work cut out for him.

Advertisement

He put together a team of experienced transfers and promising underclassmen, aiming to have more depth and versatility on the floor. In just a few months, he’s taken the team from an unknown factor to one of the fastest-growing teams in the nation.

West Virginia guard Joseph Yesufu (1) is defended by Houston guard Terrance Arceneaux (23) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Morgantown, W.Va. (AP Photo/Kathleen Batten)
The Associated Press
West Virginia men's basketball can't slow down Houston in loss

No one really knew how competitive the team would be, especially after the disappointment of a 9-23 finish last year. The Mountaineers’ first true test came against Pitt, which went about as poorly as it could have and ended in a 86-62 loss.

It was just 12 days later when West Virginia would shock the world with a 86-78 overtime victory against then-No. 3 Gonzaga. Javon Small led the team with 31 points, followed by Amani Hansberry’s 19 and Tucker DeVries’ 16.

They celebrated the win but knew the job wasn’t even close to done.

Advertisement

“We don’t really listen to a lot of outside stuff,” coach DeVries said then. “By no means have we arrived or anything. It was a great win, a great 45 minutes, but we still have plenty of room to grow into and we look forward to doing it.”

Beating Gonzaga was almost brushed off as a fluke for the Mountaineers. No one expected them to beat the Bulldogs, but anything can happen in college basketball.

A few days later, West Virginia continued to prove it’s a force to be reckoned with with a win against then-No. 24 Arizona.

Then the injury bug hit. Two-time MVC Player of the Year Tucker DeVries suffered an upper-body injury and was sidelined indefinitely, announced by the team on Dec. 10. West Virginia would have to figure out how to play without DeVries’ leadership and 14.9 points per game.

MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA - JANUARY 18: Javon Small #7 of the West Virginia Mountaineers dunks the ball in the second half against the Iowa State Cyclones at WVU Coliseum on January 18, 2025 in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
The Associated Press
Kansas State hands West Virginia men's basketball its third loss in four games

The hits kept coming when freshman reserve Hansberry sustained an injury on Dec. 22, further impacting the team’s depth.

Despite the odds, West Virginia put together a third ranked win — and it was against a formidable foe in Kansas. The Mountaineers had never defeated the Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse, edging out the home team 62-61 courtesy of Small’s free throw with 1.8 seconds remaining.

They won the game down three players — DeVries, Hansberry and Jayden Stone. But it didn’t matter, and that was the message coach DeVries had in the locker room after the game.

“It doesn’t matter,” DeVries said in a video posted by the team. “We’re going to take our five and we’re going to go compete. And if it’s not good enough that night, you’re going to have to earn it. You’re going to have to take it from us. But tonight, you took it from them because you stayed together, you stayed within yourselves, you stayed composed.”

As the transfer portal continues to be a challenge for coaches, it takes time for teams to jell. That should’ve been the case for West Virginia, with nine transfers, but instead DeVries’ squad has played well together even in the biggest moments.

In less than a year at the helm, DeVries has led West Virginia to four ranked wins, three of which were against top-10 teams. They sit at 13-6 overall with a 4-4 record in conference play. The Mountaineers have already won more games than last season and still have a few more weeks to play.

The Mountaineers had finally earned a AP top 25 ranking following their win over No. 2 Iowa State on Jan. 18 but quickly found themselves in a bad situation. West Virginia dropped two straight despite having Hansberry back in the lineup.

But even while losing, DeVries has been collecting praise.

“If my vote was today, I’m voting for coach DeVries for Big 12 Coach of the Year,” Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley said after defeating West Virginia on Jan. 21. “The job that he’s done here has been unbelievable. From where they were projected to finish and what they did in nonconference and everything they’re doing in our league is pretty special.”

It’s not even like there’s been a magic answer to West Virginia’s success this season. Sure, it sits in the top three of defensive teams in the Big 12 — holding opponents to 64.4 points, 40.1% shooting and a league-best 28.5% from 3-point range.

But the Mountaineers’ success has come down to one thing: team chemistry.

“Our guys have played incredibly hard in those wins,” DeVries said. “They played together, and that's been our formula for most of the year. When we've been able to do that, we've had some success. Some of the nights where we don't quite have that, it's been a little bit more of a challenge for us.”

First Published: January 30, 2025, 1:00 p.m.

RELATED
SHOW COMMENTS (1)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
Penguins hall of fame broadcaster Mike Lange works the play-by-play during the Alumni game at Heinz Field on Dec. 31, 2010.
1
sports
Mike Lange, longtime Penguins broadcaster, dies at 76
Mike Lange be­gan an­nounc­ing for the Penguns in 1974.
2
sports
How the hockey world is reacting to the death of Penguins broadcaster Mike Lange
Penguins broadcaster Mike Lange during a press conference at Consol Energy Center.
3
sports
Jason Mackey: What Mike Lange meant to me, and why we must carry on his incredible legacy
Dr. Sylvia Owusu-Ansah helped writers of "The Pitt" with her perspective working in emergency medicine.
4
a&e
'It's very real,' says the Pittsburgh ER doctor who consulted on 'The Pitt' TV show
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, GM Kevin Colbert and president Art Rooney II watch afternoon practice Friday, July 27, 2018, at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe.
5
sports
Brian Batko’s Steelers mailbag: Should there have been a better long-term plan at quarterback?
West Virginia head coach Darian DeVries in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, in Boulder, Colo.  (David Zalubowski/Associated Press)
David Zalubowski/Associated Press
Advertisement
LATEST sports
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story