College Hoops Top 50

Last Year: 9-23; 4-14, 13th in the Big 12

Head Coach: Darian DeVries (First Year; had been 150-55 in six seasons at Drake, with three NCAA Tournament appearances)

Projected Starting Lineup

PG Javon Small – 6’3″, 190 Senior

G Jayden Stone – 6’4″, 185 5th-year Senior

W Tucker DeVries – 6’7″, 220 Senior

F Toby Okani – 6’8″, 210 5th-year Senior

C Eduardo Andre – 6’11”, 240 5th-year Senior

Experienced Reserves

G Joseph Yesufu – 6’0″, 190 5th-year Senior

G Aden Tagaloa-Nelson – 6’1″, 197 Sophomore

G Sencire Harris – 6’4″, 174 Sophomore

F Ofri Naveh – 6’6″, 185 Sophomore

F Haris Elezovic – 6’8″, 235 Senior

F Amani Hansberry – 6’8″, 240 Sophomore

Freshmen

G KJ Tenner – 6’0″, 166

G Jonathan Powell – 6’6″, 191

C Abraham Oyeadier – 6’9″, 221

The lords DeVries have come to Morgantown, and this year they will attempt to re-raise the Mountaineers’ banner. 

There have been some changes over the past year-plus for West Virginia, and last season did not end up being fun. A roster assembled, then picked apart, then re-formed, and put under the direction of an interim coach wasn’t proof against the mighty Big 12 Conference. By early March, WVU’s campaign was over, with a share of last place in the league a bitter result to a whole lot of tumult. So, the administration went out looking for something solid to rebuild upon. 

By bringing in two-time Missouri Valley Coach of the Year Darian DeVries as their new head coach, the Mountaineers have added one of the best coaches outside of the major conference ranks. By adding his son, Tucker DeVries, West Virginia has added a two-time MVC Player of the Year who can help point the program in an exciting new direction. With their combined reputations as the driving force of WVU’s resurgence, a strong new crew has been assembled. 

It’s a very new group; sophomore forward Ofri Naveh is the lone returnee from last season’s rotation, and the fits at each spot on the floor have been a developing story this fall. There are proven players who can get the job done though, and after all, there isn’t much of anywhere to go but up. 

Among his many talents, Tucker DeVries has proven to be a big-shot maker who steps up at the end of big games.

In Tucker DeVries, WVU has corralled one of the most creative and battle-tested shot makers in America. His production may have come in the Valley, but DeVries has proven capable of consistently dominating the action, and his skills will translate to one of America’s toughest leagues. Like all of the very best players, Tucker DeVries has added new facets to his game with each passing season. As a freshman, he established that he can score inside and out and function as a stretch-4 on a loaded veteran team. As a sophomore, he broke out as a prime-time scorer in his own right, and DeVries developed into a steady, reliable three-point weapon. His junior year was all about growing as a playmaker, and that was another resounding success. In addition to scoring the most points in the Valley fir the second straight campaign, DeVries finished ninth in the league in assists last year, too.

Among his many talents, Tucker DeVries has proven to be a big-shot maker who steps up at the end of big games. He hit a buzzer-beating triple for Drake to force overtime at UAB last year, and DeVries became a flat-out closer when Drake had a lead late. He’s not the most physical wing of all, but DeVries uses his 6’7″ height and veteran toughness to make plays in the paint or outside the arc, and he fits in a variety of lineups due to his willingness new guard bigger guys and rebound effectively. In taking over as one of the faces of a Big 12 program, DeVries will have to prove himself all over again, but he’s been up to each challenge so far. 

To aid Tucker DeVries, his coach brought in a co-star to help him out and run the offense. Proven in Big 12 competition by his season at Oklahoma State last winter, Javon Small is a multi-talented lead guard who can take the pressure off of DeVries and fill the stat sheet. Though he was injured for part of his last season at East Carolina prior to transferring to OK State, Small has averaged 15.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists over his past two campaigns.

“He is a tremendous playmaker at both ends of the floor,” Darian DeVries said upon Small’s signing. “He has a great feel for the game and can hurt you as a scorer and a facilitator.”  A probing ballhandler who like to drive and see how the defense reacts, Small was also at his best as a shooter last year in his Big 12 debut. He sank 61 triples at a 37.4% rate, both career-bests, and Small made an outstanding 50.7% of his mid-range tries, per Bart Torvik. One thing he will have to do is clean up some things with his decision-making. Last year, Small coughed up the fourth-most turnovers in the Big 12, and the teams Darian DeVries coached at Drake were known for their efficiency and smart play. 

After putting up huge numbers for a terrible team last year, Jayden Stone is coming aboard to prove that he can get buckets at the highest levels, too. Originally from Australia, Stone scored 25 or more points in 11 of his 26 games last season, trying all he could to keep 1-win Detroit Mercy in games. After two largely unproductive years at Grand Canyon, Stone averaged 18.5 points over his two campaigns in the ‘other’ MoTown, and last winter in particular, he did his scoring from everywhere. He made 51.2% of his two-point tries last year, and Stone made a strong 46.5% from mid-range on high volume. He also knocked down 62 triples, but Stone converted them at just a 31.2% rate. It’s clear that Stone has scoring skill and the confidence to go get it done under tremendous duress. The question for him to answer is: just how much of his game will translate to the Big 12, and how efficient he can be in the minutes he gets. 

Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks)

– 7.0 – Average Score Margin (310th)

0.371 – Free Throw Attempts Per FG Attempt (69th)

0.281 – Opponent FT Attempts Per FG Attempt (67th)

9.3 – Opponent 3FG Made Per Game (351st)

70.3% – Defensive Rebound Rate (301st)

He didn’t play for Drake, but Darian DeVries became familiar with Toby Okani’s game while he played for Valley rival Illinois-Chicago. A big wing with frontcourt skills, Okani was named to the MVC All-Defense team and did a great deal of the heavy lifting as a rebounder for the Flames last year. He led the league in blocked shots last year, and Okani is as dangerous swatting shots out on the wing as he is closer to the basket. He racked up plenty of fouls, too, but a good portion of that must be attributed to the fact that Okani was usually playing against much larger players. In Morgantown, he should see some better matchups at both ends of the floor, and when Okani has an advantage near the paint, he knows how to take advantage. He’s best on slashes to the rim, quick post-up’s, putbacks, and feeds off of screening action, but Okani shows glimmers of a three-level scoring repertoire. Though he hasn’t been efficient, Okani shoots open jumpers, and he knocked down 33 triples at a 32.0% rate last season, both career-bests. With his ability to guard all over, Okani is going to play this winter, but how much he plays will probably depend upon the quality of his offense. 

To support Small at the point, Darian DeVries has brought in a familiar face who’s looking to end his career on a high note. Four years ago, Joseph Yesufu did something of a superhero act for DeVries and Drake. With injuries all over the Bulldog backcourt, DeVries turned to his sparsely-used sophomore reserve, and Yesufu answered the bell. To close the 2020-21 season, Yesufu averaged 23.2 points, including 47 combined in Drake’s two NCAA Tournament games against Wichita State and Southern Cal. He then transferred to Kansas, where he was a reserve again. After two years of that, Yesufu headed to Washington State, but suffered a serious hip injury which ended his season after just six games. 

A confident ballhandler who has flashed real potential as a shooter, Yesufu can fill it up and distribute at the same time when he’s rolling. Despite his point guard size, Yesufu is really not a ball screen star, but he’s an effective spot-up shooter. Kansas moved him off-ball his second year and he found greater success. DeVries knows that about Yesufu, and should be able to maximize his effectiveness at WVU. Reunited with DeVries, Yesufu hopes to get rolling again, and to help a new team to make the NCAA Tournament. 

With the hiring of former Illinois assistant coach Chester Frazier to be his top lieutenant, DeVries also picked up a couple of new talents to develop. Two young transfers – guard Sencire Harris and big man Amani Hansberry – have accompanied Frazier to Morgantown, and figures to play significant roles for the Mountaineers. 

A 4-star recruit two years ago out of St. Vincent-St. Mary’s high school in Canton, OH, Harris missed last season as a redshirt. During his freshman campaign, he made seven starts for Illinois and averaged nearly 15 minutes per contest. With the Illini in search of a point guard, Harris got some run with the ball in his hands. Though he’s not a natural point guard, Harris can make plays out of ball screens and showed some aptitude creating for others. He was by far better on the drive as a rookie, and Harris struggled with his jumper and at the foul line – he sank just four of 20 tries at the charity stripe. A solid defender, Harris should get minutes due to his two-way skills, and if he can consistently provide points, Darian DeVries will be pleased. 

Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on

N Gonzaga – November 27

N Louisville/Indiana – November 28

@ Pittsburgh – November 15

vs Georgetown – December 6

vs UMass – November 8

Hansberry is part of a new and relatively unproven post situation for the Mountaineers, and the WVU coaching staff is counting on him to make an every-game impact in his second season. Last year, Hansberry didn’t play much in a deep, veteran frontcourt for the Illini, but his coaches at the time were pleased with his attitude and commitment. 

“He does everything we ask him to do, and then he does that with kind of a nastiness, and I say that in a really good way,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood praised Hansberry last winter. “There’s a physicality about him, there’s a toughness about him, he plays with great edge and he’s super, super competitive.” He was a borderline Top 50 prospect just a year ago, and for exactly the attributes Underwood mentioned in describing Hansberry. The young forward is a tough customer with good hands on both ends of the floor, and seems only to need minutes to start producing numbers. Other teams in the conference such as Houston and BYU won’t feature overwhelming size in the lane, and Hansberry is going to be playing in the middle at times, so he will have some kind of a chance. He’s going to earn cheap buckets inside off of putbacks and feeds from Small and Tucker DeVries. If Hansberry can bring the noise on a consistent basis defensively, set great screens, and drop the hammer when he gets chances under the bucket, Hansberry could graduate immediately to a role of 25+ minutes per contest. 

The Mountaineers will have a genuine pivot to help out in Fresno State transfer Eduardo Andre. He spent two years as a reserve at Nebraska before heading west to the Bulldogs, where Andre became a solid contributor and made 33 starts over the past couple of seasons. He racked up 65 blocks across 49 games with Fresno State, and Andre can play with physicality in the lane. Together with Hansberry and Okani, Andre gives the Mountaineers some solid rim protection, and Darian DeVries is hoping that they can cover up some other deficiencies in the post. He lacks much offensive refinement, and Andre (who entered last season a 64.0% career foul shooter) sank just 44.2% of his freebies last winter. He’ll need to be efficient and avoid foul trouble, but Darian DeVries did outstanding work developing Darnell Brodie over the past four years and has plans for Andre. 

A freshman on last year’s team, Israeli forward Ofri Naveh has returned to Morgantown for his second season. He played regularly early on; Navreh started seven of the Mountaineers’ first ten games, and showed good rebounding instincts and some toughness. With a refined jumper and more strength, Naveh could play a more consistent role on this year’s team. West Virginia also has Aden Tagaloa-Nelson listed on its hoops roster, which is noteworthy because he’s also a wideout on the Mountaineers’ football team. A prep standout on the hardwood, it remains to be seen if Tagaloa-Nelson can hoop at the Big 12 level, but he’ll get a look. 

This year’s top rookie is Jonathan Powell, a former Xavier commit who has been rated a 4-star prospect by some services. He’s got legit size and athleticism, and Powell projects as a quality wing scorer going forward. He can score from the outside and get to the rim effectively, and as Powell acclimates to the Mountaineers’ new play style, he should start picking up a solid chunk of the perimeter minutes. WVU’s other two freshmen are less-heralded additions, but point guard KJ Tenner and late signee Abraham Oyeadier, a post player, will develop and give the Mountaineers good looks in practice as they get up to speed. Darian DeVries also added an interesting veteran in Haris Elezovic out of Canada. A senior in terms of eligibility, Elezovic has experience playing against some of the best collegiate teams north of the border, and provides vitally important depth up front. 

It’s going to be another interesting season in Morgantown, but this time, the Mountaineers can feel confident that they’re building something genuine for the future. While Tucker DeVries will only be there for one year, his dad is already rebuilding the roster and will move West Virginia forward. The Mountaineers don’t necessarily have an intimidating frontcourt, and it will take a team effort to defend and hit the glass. Those are things that Drake did under DeVries, and his WVU teams will get there. This winter, there will surely be ups and downs, but with terrific coaching and a terrific star to rely upon, West Virginia will have some things to celebrate.