MORGANTOWN -- Best Virginia, the WVU-based alumni team, is back for another run, as the Mountaineer alumni team is set to compete in the $1 million The Basketball Tournament.
Best Virginia begins its run towards the prize on Friday at 8 p.m. against DuBois Dream, which is composed of a majority of players from the Mountain East Conference (MEC).
The coach for Best Virginia is former Mountaineers guard Jarrod West Sr.
West last coached Best Virginia in 2019 in the Richmond Regional, which was the first year it competed.
Best Virginia didn't get out of the Richmond Regional, falling to Overseas Elite, 80-68, in the second round. TBT returns to ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä for the third year and fourth overall in West Virginia.
West is excited to get another shot at coaching Best Virginia.
"It's unbelievable," West said at Best Virginia's practice on Wednesday in Morgantown. "I'm 49 years old, and any time you can get the juices flowing, it's a good feeling. We had a great day [on Tuesday] at the scrimmage. Being on the sidelines with these guys is great. I love this tournament. It's the purest form of basketball. It's like you take your crew and we meet at the park and winner stays up. I'm excited for the group we have.
"We have 10 adults in the room. I like to say that they are disciplined, ready to win and know their role. I'm excited for Friday."
Four of the players listed on DuBois Dream's final roster have ties to West Liberty.
These players are all familiar with the Dream's coach in former Hilltoppers assistant Michael Lamberti.
Lamberti was an assistant at West Liberty from 2018-23 before becoming the coach at Coker University in South Carolina.
He since has been named the coach of his alma mater West Liberty, replacing Ben Howlett, who is now the leader at IU Indy.
"We're really excited," Lamberti said. "I got reached out to around November or December about the opportunity, and if I thought we could get some alums from the teams that run the system that know West Liberty. I was fired up back then, and we've been talking about this for a long time. It's going great to see all this come into fruition."
One of the unique and popular things associated with TBT is the Elam Ending, which comes in the fourth quarter with four minutes remaining.
At the next dead ball, a target score is calculated by adding eight points to the leading team's score. The first team to reach that target score wins the game.
West loves the idea of the Elam Ending.
"It's like playing a second game," West said. "In most sports, like football and basketball, you can milk the clock and play not to lose. You can let the clock die down. With this, you have to execute and score a basket. It allows the other team to get involved sometimes because the Elam Ending shot selection isn't the best. I love it. It puts a lot on the coach to execute, get good shots, get the ball in the players' hands you want and defend.
"It creates a lot of intensity and chaos. You can be down 10, which we've seen, when the Elam hits and can come back and make a run."
Five players on Best Virginia's roster played at WVU, with Toby Okani and Eduardo Andre being the latest among them.
It's a mix of players who have played in different eras of Mountaineers basketball but have a common theme - intensity.
"It seems like they have a really talented group with a lot of good athletes that have played at a high-Power Four level," Lamberti said. "The individual talent is there, but, at the same time, as we've gotten this group together, we've worried about ourselves. We worry about the style of play we're going to put on the court and ultimately what we want to play. It's proven that, if we can play the right way with the right guys, it tends to be pretty successful."
West is excited to put the final touches together before the 8 p.m. tip on Friday.
"We've really stressed defense," West said. "James Reese fits in perfectly, and obviously guys like Wesley Harris. Toby was a great addition with his energy and effort. We're a defensive-minded team that can score. I like what we have and the group we have. Everybody has been great -- no egos, distractions or knuckleheads. They all got one thing on their mind, which is to win."
