West Virginia wanted to establish a culture under new head coach Darian DeVries.
From the moment DeVries was hired he’s discussed the importance of playing with toughness as well as connectivity on both ends of the floor.
This team has done a good job living up that billing.
The Mountaineers won their second consecutive Big 12 road game in as many tries beating Colorado 78-70. Those two wins match the entire total of the previous three seasons in conference road games as West Virginia was just 2-25. That includes the program’s first road win over Kansas 62-61 to open the conference schedule and add to their resume through 15 games.
This West Virginia basketball team currently sits 12-3 on the season and each of those losses have been in the quadrant one category on the road at Pittsburgh, on a neutral floor against Louisville in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament and at home against Arizona. This was a team that was picked No. 13 in the Big 12 preseason poll.
When it comes to wins, the Mountaineers of course have that road win at Kansas, but also have been able to beat No. 3 Gonzaga and No. 24 Arizona on a neutral floor and notch a home win over a resurgent Georgetown program.
West Virginia currently is perched at No. 29 in the NET Rankings and are 4-2 in games away from Morgantown. That’s impressive under any circumstances considering that DeVries had to completely rebuild the roster this past season with only one returning player in Ofri Naveh. That fact is even more eye-catching because Naveh hasn’t played in a game this season and is spending the year redshirting.
But when you throw on top of the adversity that this team has overcome through almost the first half of the schedule it’s downright shocking what West Virginia has accomplished to date.
This team has been without senior forward Tucker DeVries since the win over Georgetown and senior guard Jayden Stone has yet to suit up in a game all-season. Throw in injuries to Amani Hansberry who missed the Kansas game and guard KJ Tenner who hasn’t played in the last two and this team has found a way to win even with their already thin depth being stretched to the max.
While Hansberry has returned to the lineup and Tenner appears close, there is no timetable for when or if DeVries or Stone will make it back to the floor. That’s difficult for any team, but especially one that is going through the meat grinder that is the Big 12 Conference schedule.
In the absence of DeVries, senior guard Javon Small has taken on the lead role and has responded in a major way. Small is averaging 19.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5 assists while playing 36 minutes per game and has emerged as one of the premier guards in the country.
Small has played all but 9 minutes since the Mountaineers entered the Big 12 Conference schedule.
Others have stepped up as well with Eduardo Andre elevating his play since being inserted into the starting lineup when Hansberry went down due to injury while guard freshman Jonathan Powell, sophomore guard Sencire Harris and senior forward Toby Okani have all bought into their roles.
The most recent example of this was senior guard Joe Yesufu scoring 18 points, a season-high when Harris dealt with foul trouble against Colorado. Yesufu proved to be the difference maker down the stretch by both getting to the rim and hitting several key baskets to propel the Mountaineers.
DeVries has done a masterful job maximizing what he’s been able to get out of his roster which featured a rotation of only eight players against the Buffaloes. The head coach has also been able to win in a variety of ways and pushed the right buttons to put the program in the best position to win.
Now, things won’t get easier in the short term as West Virginia must square off against No. 12 Houston at 12-3 and 4-0 in the league on the road and then return home to play No. 3 Iowa State at 14-1 and 4-0 in the conference. After that it’s a home game against Arizona State and a road trip to Kansas State before Houston comes to the Coliseum.
And that’s just the first month in the league.
Still, with a 3-1 start the Mountaineers are proving that even with their challenges they are looking to maximize what they can do and there are going to be plenty more chances to showcase their brand of basketball.
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