The West Virginia Mountaineers basketball program will welcome a number of talented transfers into the fold and WVSports.com looks at each of those.
What are the opportunities for each this coming season and how do they fit into the picture with the basketball program?
We examine each.
2023-24 statistics: 21.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists
DeVries was one of the premier transfer options available this off-season after back-to-back Player of the Year honors in the Missouri Valley Conference. DeVries was in the top 35 of the country in usage and delivered, shooting 50 percent from two, 36.2 percent from three and 82.2 percent from the foul line. Those are strong numbers and his offensive rating of 109.9, which is a measure of offensive efficiency, indicates that.
He will unquestionably be one of the primary options for West Virginia this coming season and will be a major factor on the offensive end. Expect him at the four and while it will be a step up in competition, DeVries is more than ready for it. DeVries will be a starter and a critical part of any success the Mountaineers will have in year one.
2023-24 statistics: 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 44-percent from the field and 37-percent from three
Small is a proven point guard that has already experienced success in the Big 12 Conference. He possesses great size and is an effective and efficient scorer at all three levels. The talented guard can score off the bounce in the mid-range but excels shooting off the catch. He is difficult to guard and understands how to take good shots which is critical to his overall shooting percentages.
Small is a strong passer and is effective in pick and roll situations either scoring or distributing the basketball. He is a guard that is going to immediately upgrade the West Virginia backcourt as a point guard that can not only get his teammates involved but can be a major scoring option as well. He also could potentially play the two as well depending on the lineup giving the Mountaineers even more options by taking him off the ball to maximize what is on the floor at any given time.
For as much as DeVries is a critical piece, Small is every bit the same. Make no mistake about it the success Small has will dictate the success of this team.
2023-24 statistics: 11.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals
Okani is a strong presence on the defensive end and at 6-foot-8 has the length and athleticism that makes him an intriguing fit. But he has continued to improve his jump shot to go along displaying the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the rim and finish. He is most comfortable in that area right now with 52-percent of his field goals coming at the rim and he is effective off ball screens.
Okani has continued to develop his overall offensive profile although he still needs to improve in some areas such as shooting off the bounce. Given his size, Okani is a plus passer with a 12-percent assist rate and gives the Mountaineers a valuable piece that can fit into the program as a seasoned option that plays with energy and effort on both ends. His presence is going to allow West Virginia to play DeVries at the four and he will provide a veteran that has a track record of success.
2023-24 statistics: 20.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 42-percent from the floor and 31-percent from three.
West Virginia needed somebody on the roster that can score the ball and Stone definitely fits that mold. He can create off the dribble and is a natural scorer that can put the ball in the basket. The graduate transfer has good size and also can effectively shoot the basketball across to space the floor.
While that total was only at 31-percent from three this past year, Stone shot 52-percent in 13 games the season before with the Titans when he was used more in a secondary role which is what he will be asked to do in Morgantown. Still, he is a scoring option that not only can generate his own points off the bounce but can play off the tandem of point guard Javon Small and wing Tucker DeVries in order to hit shots and help provide even more space for those two to operate on the court.
Stone also is an effective rebounder which makes him a strong fit for what head coach Darian DeVries wants to do especially on the defensive end of the floor to get out in transition. He will settle in as a two but could move around.
2023-24 statistics: 7.3 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 60-percent from the floor
This is an experienced option at the college level with four years under his belt and perhaps most importantly he has made improvement in each of those seasons. Andre possesses excellent size at the position and is active when it comes to rebounding on both ends of the floor as well as blocking shots.
Andre is a traditional big in the sense that he scores near the rim and has a nice mix of post moves on top of some plus athleticism to get there and finish. He isn’t going to be a primary scoring option, but can score the ball at the rim.
Over the past two years, Andre has shot 59.3-percent from the field and the left-hander gets solid positioning using his strength to finish.
Andre also is going to be effective as a screener and his ability to rebound the ball on the defensive end is a fit for what DeVries wants in order to prevent second chance opportunities. The big has played at least 21-minutes per game in each of the past two years at Fresno, but now is going to have to prove how he can hold up in the Big 12 Conference against more difficult competition.
2023-24 statistics: 6.2 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.8 assists and shot 35-percent from three
Yesufu is an experienced guard that has already played well in DeVries system when he was at Drake. The pairing is one that makes a lot of sense as he should be able to step in without any sort of adjustment and can provide help at the point guard spot next to what the program already has in the fold in Oklahoma State transfer Javon Small. The Mountaineers needed to find more help there and now have a pair of experienced options to go along with true freshman KJ Tenner at the one.
Yesufu played primarily point during his time with Drake but also has spent time at the two at Kansas, so he has the ability to move around if need be to get the best grouping on the floor. Yesufu is explosive with the ball and has been a solid spot up shooter throughout his career. He has hit 40-percent of his shots and 32-percent from three point-range during his time playing college basketball. The experienced guard also is very effective finishing in transition, which is a strong match for West Virginia.
Yesufu makes good decisions in ball screen situations and has displayed the ability to finish with plus athleticism for his size. He has played in a total of 119 games over the course of his career but started only 16 of those with 7 coming during his sophomore season at Drake and six last year at Washington State.
West Virginia needed to get a mature option in the backcourt and Yesufu is a strong match given the fact that he is a solid on-the-ball-defender and already understands the expectations set by DeVries. It doesn’t hurt matters that he played the best basketball of his career while with the Bulldogs.
2023-24 statistics: 2.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per game while shooting 45-percent from the floor.
Hansberry is a solidly built front court option and while his game isn’t necessarily above the rim, he is a crafty and skilled forward. He has plus mobility and vision which makes him a skilled passer, a good fit for what West Virginia wants out of their big men in Darian DeVries scheme.
While he saw limited action at Illinois given older, more experienced options in front of him, Hansberry did play hard when he was on the floor and was well-thought of in the program. He can rebound the ball and has the ability to finish with both hands at the rim. At West Virginia there will be more opportunities for him and while he is more in the build of a traditional four, he is likely to see minutes at the five, too.
2023-24 statistics: 3.7 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. He also shot 43-percent from the floor and 32-percent from three.
Known as defensive stopper, Harris fits the mold of what new head coach Darian DeVries wants given his plus size at 6-foot-4 and length. There were obvious ties given his connections to Chester Frazier as well, which will help with the transition to Morgantown as he begins the next chapter of his career.
Harris was able to see action in every game as a true freshman and even made seven starts but the biggest holdup for him was simply the need to fill out his frame and get stronger. That played a major role in his decision to redshirt this past season and now should be in a better position to handle that department.
During his time away from the floor, Harris bought into his improvement during the redshirt and his defense and toughness alone is going to help him find a role. The offensive side of his game needed to continue to improve along with his strength and that is something that was a focus as well. He will serve as a two guard.
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Another successful weekend for the West Virginia Mountaineers results in another slight bump up in the top 25 rankings. WVU took two of three from Kennesaw State on the road, allowing them to slide up to No. 23 in D1Baseball’s new batch of rankings.
1. UCLA
2. LSU
3. Texas
4. Mississippi State
5. Georgia Tech
6. Arkansas
7. Auburn
8. North Carolina
9. Florida
10. Southern Miss
11. Georgia
12. Oklahoma
13. NC State
14. Clemson
15. Wake Forest
16. Coastal Carolina
17. TCU
18. Oregon State
19. Tennessee
20. Florida State
21. Kentucky
22. Texas A&M
23. West Virginia
24. Miami
25. UTSA
West Virginia had a 6-0 lead in game three of its series against Kennesaw State, looking well on their way to a clean three-game sweep of the Owls.
Unfortunately for Steve Sabins, the bullpen imploded following another strong five-inning outing from the big lefty Maxx Yehl. Bryson Thacker, Carson Estridge, and David Perez combined to give up four runs on five hits over the final three innings, allowing the Owls to steal Sunday’s game.
The loss frustrated West Virginia fans and rightfully so, but there’s no need to panic. The name of the game is to continue winning the series. You do that, you’ll find yourself in a position to make the NCAA Tournament and earn a high seed. Obviously, you don’t want to blow the opportunity of a sweep, especially when you’re up 6-0, but it’s not a loss that is going to ruin their resume. Losing the series, on the other hand, would have.
No single mid-week game this week for West Virginia. Instead, they’ll play a quick two-game series against Radford at home beginning Tuesday. They’ll get one day of rest before opening up a three-game series at home against Columbia, which will be the final series of non-conference play. WVU will have a single mid-week game against Maryland on Tuesday, March 10th, before beginning Big 12 action on the road against Baylor.
Mar. 2-4 Radford
Mar. 6-8 Columbia
Mar 10 Maryland
Mar 13-15 at Baylor
Mar. 17 Penn State
Mar. 29-21 BYU
Mar. 24 at Marshall
Mar. 27-29 at Arizona State
Mar. 31 at Arizona
Apr. 3-5 UCF
Apr. 7 Marshall
Apr. 10-12 at Texas Tech
Apr. 15 at Penn State
Apr. 17-19 Houston
Apr. 21 Pitt
Apr. 24-26 at Cincinnati
Apr. 29 at Penn State
May 1-3 Kansas State
May 5 Marshall (Charleston, WV)
May 8-10 at Kansas
May 14-16 TCU
May 20-23 Big 12 Championship (Surprise, AZ)
West Virgnia built a six-run lead through five and half innings, but the Kennesaw State Owls (5-5) scored seven unanswered runs in three frames to knock off the Mountaineers (8-2) Sunday afternoon 7-6.
West Virginia captured an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first after sophomore Matt Ineich hit a leadoff single before sophomore Gavin Kelly and senior Paul Schoenfeld were issued walks to load the bases with two outs on the board. Then, redshirt freshman Ryan Maggy line a two-RBI single to centerfield in his first career start.
The Mountaineers extended their lead in the second when Kelly hit a three went opposite field for a three-run home run, his first of the season, for a 5-0 advantage.
West Virginia starting southpaw pitcher Maxx Yehl threw five scoreless innings. The redshirt junior recorded four strikeouts on the day and limited the Owls to four hits.
Kelly added a run in the sixth, clearing the centerfield wall for his second home run of the afternoon and a 6-0 WVU lead.
Redshirt sophomore Bryson Thacker took the mound in the six. After a high and wide throw on a ground ball, a walk, and with two outs, junior Cooper Williams drooped an RBI single in right field to put the Owls on the board. Then, a pitch in the dirt rolled to the backstop to add another run, closing the gap to four, 6-2.
Carson Estridge was handed the ball in the seventh. The senior right-hander gave up a leadoff double before registering the next two outs, including a strikeout, before freshman McCollum line an RBI single just out of the reach of the glove of Kelly. Senior Jackson Chirello cut the deficit one, hammering the 3-1 pitch well over the right field wall and into the Waffle House parking lot for a two-run home run.
West Virginia head coach Steve Sabins turned to the clubhouse leader in saves David Perez to get the Mountaineers out of the inning. The freshman returned to the mound in the eighth. Senior Jamarie Brooks reached after hitting a sharp ground ball over to first that went between the legs of senior Ben Lumsden. Then, Williams blasted a two-run home run and a 7-6 Owls lead.
In the ninth, senior Matthew Graveline nearly tied the game with the swing of the bat, driving 0-2 pitch off the top of the left field wall for a one-out double to put the Mountaineers into scoring position. However, redshirt senior Harry Cain sat the last two Mountaineer hitters to collect his second win of the season as the Owls completed the comeback with the 7-6 decision.
West Virginia is back in action on Tuesday for the first of a two-game series against Radford. Game one and game two (Weds) are both scheduled for 2:00 p.m. and the all the action will stream on ESPN+.
Delegate Larry Kump of Berkeley County has died, state officials announced. Kump was 78 years old.
Kump, a Republican, served in the House from 2010 to 2014, again from 2018 to 2020 and finally 2022 to the present. He had announced plans to run again in the coming electoral cycle.
“As a battle-tested and liberty minded Christian and Constitutional Conservative, my consecrated action principles of good governance remains solid and steadfast,” he wrote to supporters in January.
He had been serving in the ongoing legislative session, but had been absent in recent weeks.
The daily prayer in the House of Delegates this past Wednesday included an expression of concern for Kump: “A special prayer for Delegate Larry Kump. Lord, you know where he is in the hospital now, and I pray right now that you would send your angels there to touch him, to be with him.”
Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Kump’s death on social media, calling Kump “a devoted public servant who dedicated many years of his life to improving West Virginia.
“Delegate Kump served with a deep commitment to the principles he believed would strengthen our communities and protect our freedoms.
“On behalf of the First Lady and myself, we extend our condolences to Larry’s family, friends, former colleagues, and all those who had the privilege of knowing and serving alongside him. His legacy of service and his love for our state will never be forgotten.”
Secretary of State Kris Warner also posted condolences to Kump’s family. “Larry was a conservative Christian and a true Mountaineer! He will be sadly missed by his friends and colleagues,” Warner posted.
The West Virginia Democratic Party also put out a statement to offer condolences, saying Kump’s work reflected a lifelong commitment to accountability, public policy, and the effective administration of government.
“Delegate Larry Kump devoted his life to his family, his community, and to his state. He brought experience, independence and thoughtfulness to his role, and he never lost sight of the people he served,” said Mike Pushkin, the Democratic Party chairman who is also a delegate from Kanawha County.
Kump was known for his turns of phrase, for example kicking off his comments on the House floor with “Great googly moogly” for emphasis. He often described his adoration for his “beloved and bodacious wife Cheryl.”
He regularly concluded interactions and written communications this way: “Meanwhile, and for sure and for certain, may God bless you all real good!”
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