West Virginia Mountaineers: Transfer 101: Tucker DeVries
The West Virginia basketball program has secured a foundational piece of the 2024-25 roster with a commitment from Drake transfer forward Tucker DeVries.
DeVries, 6-foot-7, 210-pounds, was immediately linked to the Mountaineers when his father Darian DeVries accepted the head coaching position in Morgantown and that has come to fruition.
DeVries was named the Missouri Valley Player of the Year this past season averaging 21.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists for the Bulldogs this past season. He also was named the MVC Player of the Year the previous season where he averaged 18.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
As a true freshman, DeVries was named the MVC Freshman of the Year after he led the Bulldogs at 13.9 points per game and scored in double figures in 30 games that season.
The senior forward entered the transfer portal on March 27, and it didn’t take him long to confirm the news that he would finishing out his career in Morgantown.
DeVries immediately becomes the centerpiece of the West Virginia roster that will be built this off-season and should slide into the same role he has played over the past three seasons.
The Iowa native had a strong track record coming out of high school being named Mr. Basketball in the state as well as the Gatorade Player of the Year as the 100th ranked prospect nationally. The former four-star prospect lived up the billing and then some in the MVC and now will try his hand in the Big 12.
DeVries has one season of eligibility remaining in his career.
WVSports.com breaks down the transfer of DeVries and what it means to the West Virginia Mountaineers basketball program both now and in the future.
The data:
DeVries was in the top 35 of the country in usage and delivered, shooting 50 percent from two, 36.2 percent from three and 82.2 percent from the foul line. Those are strong numbers and his offensive rating of 109.9, which is a measure of offensive efficiency, indicates that.
The Drake transfer is a potential NBA-level talent who also posted strong numbers on the defensive end where he has matured over his career and is aware of his surroundings despite not possessing elite athleticism. This is a massive addition for the Mountaineers under their new head coach.
Fitting the program:
It doesn’t take a lot to figure out that DeVries will be a fit for his new surroundings. He has already spent three years in his father’s system and has been a centerpiece to what he has done during that time. The senior has continued to get better each year and now will have the challenge of stepping up a level to compete in the Big 12 Conference. That will be a rewarding experience and one that will provide even more insight on the areas that DeVries will need to continue to develop as a player.
The Mountaineers had to fit the transfer portal in order to build a roster for next season and there’s no better place to start than here as DeVries will likely serve as the first major piece in a series of them.
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