Photo by: WVU Athletic Communications
Mountaineers Invade Kansas City on Wednesday
October 23, 2024 04:42 PM | Men's Basketball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia coach Darian DeVries and players Tucker DeVries and Javon Small were in Kansas City today for the men's portion of Big 12 Media Days at T-Mobile Center, site of the 2025 Big 12 men's and women's basketball championships.
The women were in Kansas City yesterday.
DeVries took questions from media on the arena floor and later joined his son, Tucker, on the ESPN+ set.
The elder DeVries was asked to define his team's style of play in 2024-25.
"We'd like it to be a fun style of play, and a style of play people will see a bunch of guys loving the game, enjoying it and playing with great passion and physicality," he said. "You've got to be physical in this league … and then unselfishness. This group, to this point through the summer and fall workouts, I think they've done a great job of that."
The Mountaineers were predicted to finish 13th in this year's preseason media poll ahead of Utah, Colorado and Oklahoma State. West Virginia is coming off a 9-23 season in 2024 when Josh Eilert took over the program as the team's interim coach.
DeVries was hired last spring after leading Drake to six straight 20-win seasons and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
Tucker DeVries was a two-time Missouri Valley Player of the Year playing for his father at Drake, while Small earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors at Oklahoma State last season. DeVries, the nation's ninth leading scorer last year, was left off the All-Big 12 preseason squad, including newcomer of the year.
The two preseason teams were dominated by Houston, Kansas, Baylor and Iowa State, each getting two players on the two five-man squads.
Kansas was picked to win the league, followed by Houston, Iowa State and Baylor.
West Virginia defeated Charleston 96-61 in a preseason exhibition game last Friday night and will have a closed scrimmage against an undisclosed opponent at an undisclosed location coming up before opening the regular season at the WVU Coliseum on Monday, Nov. 4, against Robert Morris.
The Mountaineers will face UMass four days later, on Friday, Nov. 8, and then will hit the road for the first time on Friday, Nov. 15, when it plays rival Pitt in Pittsburgh.
Tickets for the 2024-25 season remain on sale and can be purchased through the Mountaineer Ticket Office by logging on to WVUGAME.com.
The women were in Kansas City yesterday.
DeVries took questions from media on the arena floor and later joined his son, Tucker, on the ESPN+ set.
The elder DeVries was asked to define his team's style of play in 2024-25.
"We'd like it to be a fun style of play, and a style of play people will see a bunch of guys loving the game, enjoying it and playing with great passion and physicality," he said. "You've got to be physical in this league … and then unselfishness. This group, to this point through the summer and fall workouts, I think they've done a great job of that."
The Mountaineers were predicted to finish 13th in this year's preseason media poll ahead of Utah, Colorado and Oklahoma State. West Virginia is coming off a 9-23 season in 2024 when Josh Eilert took over the program as the team's interim coach.
DeVries was hired last spring after leading Drake to six straight 20-win seasons and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
Tucker DeVries was a two-time Missouri Valley Player of the Year playing for his father at Drake, while Small earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors at Oklahoma State last season. DeVries, the nation's ninth leading scorer last year, was left off the All-Big 12 preseason squad, including newcomer of the year.
The two preseason teams were dominated by Houston, Kansas, Baylor and Iowa State, each getting two players on the two five-man squads.
Kansas was picked to win the league, followed by Houston, Iowa State and Baylor.
West Virginia defeated Charleston 96-61 in a preseason exhibition game last Friday night and will have a closed scrimmage against an undisclosed opponent at an undisclosed location coming up before opening the regular season at the WVU Coliseum on Monday, Nov. 4, against Robert Morris.
The Mountaineers will face UMass four days later, on Friday, Nov. 8, and then will hit the road for the first time on Friday, Nov. 15, when it plays rival Pitt in Pittsburgh.
Tickets for the 2024-25 season remain on sale and can be purchased through the Mountaineer Ticket Office by logging on to WVUGAME.com.
????? First stop: Big 12 Radio on @tunein pic.twitter.com/JvLktvsZ7N
— WVU Men's Basketball (@WVUhoops) October 23, 2024
???????? & blue ?? pic.twitter.com/Slkn0vGKMo
— WVU Men's Basketball (@WVUhoops) October 23, 2024
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