West Virginia roster excites DeVries
The West Virginia roster is coming together, and head coach Darian DeVries sees a lot to like about the pieces of the puzzle that are in place thus far.
The Mountaineers currently have 11 scholarship players on the roster and DeVries was asked about each of the scholarship newcomers during an appearance on the podcast 3 Guys Before The Game.
Two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Tucker DeVries continues his rehab on his shoulder surgery and has been participating in everything without contact. The hope is that he is able to be fully cleared by mid-July and as long as he is he should participate in the Italy tour.
Another one of the impact additions came in the form of former Oklahoma State point guard Javon Small. Small already had proven himself in the Big 12 last season where he averaged 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 44-percent from the field and 37-percent from three. And it comes as no surprise that he has been impressive thus far with what he has shown on the floor.
“He has such a great understanding of how to play. His vision, his ability to put people in ball screens and make the right reads but also use those bursts of speed when he needs to,” DeVries said. “I think our fans are really going to enjoy watching him play.”
UIC wing transfer Toby Okani was another player that DeVries prioritized on the recruiting trail due to his great size and athleticism standing 6-foot-8. He has the ability to defend the one through the five and also can rebound the basketball effectively. The fifth-year senior also has improved his shooting.
“He’s done a good job with that,” DeVries said.
The most recent addition came in the form of Jayden Stone, and he is coming off a season where he averaged 20.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 42-percent from the floor and 31-percent from three for Detroit Mercy. However, he will have a more secondary role with the Mountaineers and it’s something that he has embraced since arriving on campus.
“He has great athleticism. He can shoot the three and he can play off the bounce,” DeVries said.
Illinois transfer Sencire Harris is another piece in the backcourt and while the sophomore has the ability to get in the paint and score in the open floor his impact might be most felt on the defensive end at first. In fact, DeVries simply called him one of the guys that can go disrupt the ball for the Mountaineers.
A former player for DeVries at Drake that joined him in Morgantown is guard Joseph Yesufu. He had the best season of his career with the Bulldogs prior to transferring to Kansas and then Washington State. His familiarity with the system should help with adjustments although he is likely to return from injury in the fall.
West Virginia added a pair of high school prospects in guards KJ Tenner and Jonathan Powell and the two are quite different. Powell is a 6-foot-6 guard with great length that already has plus strength and has shown the ability to be assertive on the offensive end.
“I think he’s somebody that’s going to continue to get better and better,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tenner stands 6-foot-0 but has been the biggest surprise on the roster to date. There were questions on how long it would take him to adjust at the point guard spot, but he has done so thus far.
“He’s been terrific. He brings great energy and always has a smile on his face. Great feel for a point guard and that’s something that’s hard to teach but he has it,” DeVries said. “There’s a lot of things instinctually he does that I’m excited about.”
In the frontcourt, the biggest player on the roster is center Eduardo Andre. The 6-foot-11 center gives West Virginia some much-needed length and rim protection, along with the ability to run the floor.
The other possible five on the roster is sophomore Amani Hansberry who is playing there as an undersized option as well as at the four. DeVries has been impressed with how hard Hansberry has worked at developing in the role as a stretch five as well as taking advantage of things in the post.
“I love the way he’s shooting the ball right now. He has a great feel for the game and the way we run offense as a passer and screener,” DeVries said.
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