Many wondered how this year’s WVU men’s basketball team would perform with a brand new roster and coaching staff.
First-year coach Darian DeVries had to piece together a roster ahead of the 2024-25 season.
The producers of 97% of the Mountaineers’ scoring — 2,171 out of 2,234 points — were gone after the 2023-24 season.
DeVries brought along his son, Tucker, to Morgantown, and the two of them, along with everyone else on the roster, have had an impressive start to the season.
The Mountaineers have already piled up three ranked wins — over No. 3 Gonzaga, No. 24 Arizona and most recently No. 7 Kansas inside Phog Allen Fieldhouse.
The win over the Jayhawks was the first-ever by WVU in Allen Fieldhouse. The Mountaineers had lost their previous 11 games there.
WVU’s three ranked wins in the first 12 games of the season were the most in such a time frame since 1957-58.
The ‘57-’58 Mountaineers, led by Chelyan native Jerry West, won three consecutive ranked games against No. 19 Richmond, No. 5 Kentucky and No. 1 North Carolina.
DeVries has also joined Bob Huggins as the only WVU coach in the last five (not counting interim Josh Eilert) to have won 10 of his first 12 games as the coach.
DeVries assembled the best start by a first-year coach since 1945-46, when Lee Patton was the coach. WVU finished 24-3 that season.
DeVries had more ranked wins with three in his first 12 games than Huggins, John Beilein, Gale Catlett, Joedy Gardner and Sonny Moran picked up in their first dozen outings. The other five coaches combined for one ranked win in their first 12 games.
This year’s Mountaineers haven’t done anything real flashy as their offense is tied for 213th nationally in scoring offense, averaging 74.2 points per game.
However, WVU has shown parallels to prior Mountaineer teams with its tenacity, grittiness and commitment to the defensive end of the floor.
West Virginia has held its first 14 opponents to an average of 63.4 points per game, which is tied for 19th nationally.
WVU athletic director Wren Baker hit a home run with DeVries and also the women’s basketball coach Mark Kellogg.
The Mountaineers women are 38-10 under Kellogg, who’s in his second season in Morgantown.
The difference between Kellogg and DeVries is that Kellogg had more returning productivity.
DeVries has made the most of what he’s had while also getting the best out of the Mountaineers.
An example is leading scorer Javon Small. Small, an Oklahoma State transfer, has recorded double figures in all 14 games this season, including six games going over 20 points.
Now, all these numbers and tidbits are great. However, the remaining Big 12 slate will be an interesting one for the Mountaineers.
WVU still has conference games against nationally-ranked Iowa State, Cincinnati and Baylor.
Yet, fans shouldn’t be concerned about what’s to come. They should feel confident, especially after the victories the Mountaineers have gotten thus far.
This isn’t 1958, with Fred Schaus on the sidelines as WVU totals ranked win after ranked win.
This is a rejuvenated program after going 9-23 under Eilert last year.
DeVries has the Mountaineers poised for success and projecting for a spot in the NCAA tournament — a major improvement from a year ago.
