Getting an early handle on the revamped WVU basketball team

I’m old enough to remember when you had a firm grasp on college basketball teams’ personnel from season to season.
A few seniors would graduate, and a few freshmen would take their places. Easy peasy.
Not anymore though – especially this coming season at WVU.
Of course, the transfer portal and NIL influence has hit all college basketball programs. At the end of last season’s 9-23 disaster, however, WVU and its collective basically fired its players and interim coach Josh Eilert was let go and replaced by Darian DeVries.
Mostly new players, transfers from places like Fresno State, Washington State, Oklahoma State, Illinois and, of course, DeVries’ last stop Drake dot the roster. There’s a whole new coaching staff. And I’m reminded why I’m blessed to be at Wheelhouse Creative and not tracking (and having to remember) all the comings and goings.
Yet you guys know me. There was Curious George. I’m Curious Mitch. I had to listen in on Coach DeVries’ presser on Tuesday, at least to see if anything would stick in this brain. I will be rooting for the Mountaineers after all and would like to have SOME idea, besides that DeVries’ son Tucker is supposed to be a standout.
So, what I learned:
• First, that it’s probably best not to dwell on the schedule. I glanced and saw the Mountaineers heading to the Bahamas and playing Gonzaga. And then either Indiana or Louisville. And then maybe Arizona. Georgetown is on the schedule. Then 20 games in the Big 12 – the nation’s toughest conference.
• DeVries prefers 90 minutes of intense practices rather than long, drawn out practices.
• A one-day break from practices to go bowling was terrific for chemistry. “I thought it was great for us,” said the coach. “I didn’t anticipate that. The next day we knew those personalities. We don’t have a lot of great bowlers, but that’s OK.”
• The trip to Italy was helpful for a new cast off and on the court. “On the basketball floor I liked the way they came together and played,” DeVries said. “The three games were a little different, but they did what they needed to and won handily. We played a lot of guys who got a ton of minutes.”
• A short list of players to know immediately? Well, DeVries mentioned a few players prominently. Of course, there’s his son Tucker, one of the nation’s top wings, who averaged 21.6 points for Drake last season.
Also mentioned a lot was combo guard Joe Yesufu, who is recovering from a hip injury after playing at Drake and Kansas with a side trip to Washington State. Illinois transfer Amani Hansberry apparently is the starting (undersized at 6-8) big man. (He was the 2023 Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year.) The other apparent starter is Toby Okani a fifth-year transfer from University of Illinois-Chicago. (He was an All-Defensive player in the Missouri Valley Conference.) DeVries also mentioned 6-11 Eduardo Andre, a Fresno State transfer, who would sub for Hansberry.
• DeVries also talked about adding Sencire Harris from Illinois and Abraham Oveadier from Ghana late. “It was much needed. We’re hoping they can give us minutes and, even more importantly, give us depth.”
• As mentioned, Yesufu has been recovering from a hip injury. “He’s been participating in practice. He’s been full speed… He’s still working his way back.”
• As for the offensive and defensive styles, DeVries mentioned a “five out” offense and spacing the floor. “We try to make it position-less as possible, open up the floor as much as possible,” he said. “There will be times when we’re really position-less 1 through 5 because of our lack of size. But I do think on the offensive end we have guys that can handle it, play make and space the floor. We put a huge emphasis on ball movement. Then taking care of the basketball is probably our No. 1 priority every single day. Not turning the ball over.
“[Hansberry] is an undersized 5 man, but he’s also going to present some opportunities for us on offense with his ability to space the floor. We have to utilize that since we are undersized.
“On defense we have to get creative on how to protect ourselves with a little bit of lack of size.”
• And finally, I was hoping to get a sense of the coach’s personality. I think I did with this nugget:
“I want our identity to be to walk into that gym and have everybody walk out talking about how hard we play, how connected we are, to feel that life and energy every day… That enthusiasm and love to compete and try to play at the highest level. We could talk X’s and O’s too, but without that, nothing else matters.”
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Mitch Vingle covered sports in West Virginia for 38 years. Follow Mitch on Twitter at @MitchVingle and be sure to check out the rest of Wheelhouse Creative’s website for your marketing and advertising needs. If interested, call us at 304-905-6005.