West Virginia
Andre, Harris buying into key roles for West Virginia basketball
Not all impacts are felt in the scoring column in the game of basketball.
And that was certainly the case with what Eduardo Andre and Sencire Harris brought to the table in the 73-60 win over Georgetown.
Andre scored four points and three rebound but was a difference maker on the defensive end of the floor with four blocks including several where it led to the Mountaineers getting out in transition.
In a game where West Virginia struggled in the half court in the first half, but Andre’s three blocks in the second half especially a sequence where he got two blocks within three trips down the floor when the Mountaineers were trailing 43-41 with just over 12-minutes left.
“I really felt that Eduardo really ignited some of that for us. Blocked a couple of shots which led us to getting out in transition. We were able to get a couple open looks that we weren’t getting in some of the half court stuff, and I thought it freed us up a little bit,” head coach Darian DeVries said.
The senior five man is the best shot blocker on the roster for the Mountaineers and made the most of his 16 minutes playing his role on the team to perfection.
“It was good to have him back in the lineup for the reason that presence defensively,” DeVries said.
Harris scored just 6 points on 2-7 shooting but contributed across the board with 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and a pair of blocks all while playing relentless defense on the other end of the floor. He also helped to lead the break for West Virginia in their second half comeback.
Georgetown guard Jayden Epps was just 1-8 from the field in the second half of the game and was largely the assignment of Harris who was able to force him into contested shots. Compared to the first half where Epps was 5-6 from the field and had 13 points as Georgetown held a narrow halftime lead.
What type of impact did Harris have on the result? West Virginia was +19 with him on the floor, the highest mark of anybody on the roster.
“Sometimes people get so caught up in the scoring and I get it but Buck’s impact on winning with what he did tonight defensively that’s hard to do. To control a guy like Epps and hold him to two points in the second half and go get nine rebounds and lead the break in transition. There’s a lot of things that guys do that impact winning besides scoring and he’s certainly one of them,” DeVries said.
That’s where West Virginia has shown the most growth is that players are starting to understand and embrace their roles in order to be a better overall team. That isn’t easy with a collection of new players coming together, but they’re started to understand their individual efforts combine collectively to give the Mountaineers their best chance against any team on the schedule.
“I feel like that role acceptance on teams is a huge part of winning. And that’s what keeps some teams from winning is the inability for teams to do that and I feel like our guys are completely bought into whatever I’ve got to do to help the team and they’re growing into that now. And that’s fun to see as a coach,” DeVries said.
And the approach of Harris and Andre certainly fit that mold.
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!”
West Virginia
Vape Safety Act of 2026 passes W.Va. House, tightening oversight and licensing for shops
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — The Vape Safety Act of 2026 passed in the West Virginia House of Delegates on Friday, aiming to crack down on what lead sponsor of the bill Del. David McCormick, R-Monongalia, said are the bad actors in the vape shop world.
“They’re very lightly regulated,” McCormick said. “Here’s something that is becoming a blight on our landscape out here in our neighborhoods and towns. They’re all over the state and they need some oversight.”
McCormick said the bill will also strengthen licensing as to who can run the shops.
A key part of the legislation that passed the House by a vote of 88-5 is an FDA registry, requiring all the products sold in the shops to be approved at the federal level.
“Make sure that something doesn’t have 30 times the nicotine in it that it’s supposed to, which has happened, and get a 12-year-old kid addicted to nicotine,” McCormick. “That’s buying something that looks like Pokémon.”
Cracking down on the marketing strategies vape shops use is also included in the bill. It has gained support from both sides of the aisle.
“You walk into them and they have you know it looks fun and all the flavors and all the things,” Del. Hollis Lewis, D-Kanawha said. “So when teens go in there, it’s geared towards teens. So I think some regulation is important.”
Other provisions include vape shops not being allowed within 300 feet of schools, libraries or churches.
“I would deem these things almost attractive nuisance for kids and teenagers,” Lewis said. “What we want to do in this piece of legislation, we want to ultimately, above anything else, is protect our children and to get rid of bad actors to make sure that we know what’s being sold in the shop and we know who’s selling it.”
The No. 23 BYU Cougars (20-8, 8-7 Big 12) visit the West Virginia Mountaineers (16-12, 7-8) Saturday for a 5:30 p.m. ET (FOX) tip from WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NCAA basketball odds around the BYU vs. West Virginia odds and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions for the best bets.
BYU has dropped 2 of its last 3 games after falling 97-84 against UCF on Tuesday, failing to cover as a 13.5-point home favorite with the Over (162.5) hitting. F AJ Dybantsa led all scorers with 29 points and G Robert Wright III added 20 as only 3 Cougars players scored in double figures in the upset loss.
West Virginia has dropped 3 games in a row after falling 91-84 in overtime against Oklahoma State on Tuesday, failing to cover as a 1.5-point road underdog with the Over (143.5) hitting. G Honor Huff scored a game-high 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting from 3, while the Mountaineers overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to force OT before running out of gas.
– Rankings: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
Watch NCAA basketball on Fubo!
BYU at West Virginia odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated 10:20 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): BYU -135 (bet $135 to win $100) | West Virginia +110 (bet $100 to win $110)
- Against the spread (ATS): BYU -1.5 (-115) | West Virginia +1.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 142.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
BYU at West Virginia picks and predictions
Prediction
BYU 81, West Virginia 74
PASS.
There is better value on the Cougars to cover the spread.
BET BYU -1.5 (-115).
A win all but guarantees a cover for the Cougars in this matchup with such a slim spread. They have covered in 2 of their last 3 and 3 of their last 5, including back-to-back road games.
Neither side has played particularly well recently, with both teams being 4-6 straight up (SU) and 3-7 ATS over their last 10 games. This matchup will give Dybantsa, the nation’s leading scorer (25.1 points per game) who earned USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week honors last week, an opportunity to take over the game.
BET OVER 142.5 (-110).
The Mountaineers have scored at least 74 points in 2 of their last 4 games while allowing 67 or more in 3 of their last 5.
The Cougars have hit the Over in 7 of their last 10 games. They have scored 79 or more points in 4 of their last 5, including 90 or more twice in that span. They have scored 82 or more points in 7 of their last 10 and have allowed at least 86 in 6 of their last 9.
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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