West Virginia
West Virginia basketball trying to control what they can control
For West Virginia the pathway to winning basketball games comes down to what they can control.
On the offensive end, that means that the Mountaineers want to try to score in a broken floor because that gives them the best chance to get points, but at the same time they have to be mindful.
With a rotation that has become eight players of late, that means avoiding a track meet in order to preserve guys that are playing a lot of minutes right now so finding that balance of when to push and be more deliberate on that end of the floor is critical.
That means if the opportunity isn’t there to run, West Virginia has to make sure they get quality shots on possessions in order to maximize what they can do on the offensive end.
“We still want to take advantage of those open floor opportunities as much as we can and once we get in the halfcourt be intentional with what we can get,” head coach Darian DeVries said.
Some of that is a game-by-game basis where the Mountaineers might put an emphasis on kicking it ahead and pushing it, while other times it’s a situation where they need to see what is there and get into their sets in order to utilize the players on the floor the best way possible.
When West Virginia isn’t scoring in the open court it comes down to taking care of the basketball and making sure they get good movement on that end while being unselfish.
It’s no secret that West Virginia lost some of their offensive firepower when Tucker DeVries was lost for the season which puts more on an emphasis on others picking up the slack.
Senior forward Toby Okani is one of those that has upped his level of play on offense in the past couple games showcasing the ability to get in the paint, shoot some jump hooks, shots at the rim and grab offensive rebounds. It’s something the Mountaineers need.
“So, he’s done a nice job of kind of utilizing all the things he’s capable of, and that’s been a nice little burst for us on the offensive side of it because those are the things that he’s capable of doing,” DeVries said.
The Mountaineers always try to find ways to get senior point guard Javon Small scoring opportunities but if teams are committing multiple people to him that means finding other players to score. That too can lead to good possessions on offense and allow some others to step up and fill the void.
“And hopefully that balance kind of evens itself out as we continue to move along and we’ll get, you know, find ways to get Javon free and he’ll score,” DeVries said. “I mean, he’s going to score. They’ve just done a good job these last couple of games. Like I said that balance has been good for us.”
Against BYU, West Virginia did that as DeVries felt that it was as good as the offense has played scoring almost 70 points and hitting 55-percent from the field in the second half despite the loss.
“We can’t make the ball go in the basket, you know. We can get some open opportunities and things, and sometimes, you know, we hit them, sometimes we don’t, but I know what we can control on the other end of the floor right now,” DeVries said.
On the defensive end is a different story and something that the Mountaineers have much more control over. That means remaining disciplined and solid on that end and avoiding the issues that plagued them in that loss to BYU where West Virginia struggled to keep the ball in front of them being too aggressive to limit the easy opportunities where an opponent can get to the rim or kick it out for open shots.
“We played plenty hard enough we just didn’t play with enough discipline with some things we got too aggressive at times and then they were able to get by us and get downhill and play a numbers game,” DeVries said. “We still want our guys to be aggressive and into the ball but making sure they also do a good job of keeping in front.”
DeVries believes that his team is still in great spirits overall and has been focused at playing at a high level.
Sitting at 15-9 overall, West Virginia is still approaching the big picture of a potential NCAA Tournament berth with a game-by-game basis and the message to the team has been that they’re still playing for something. Still, they have to do their part and control what they can control in the meantime.
“The thing that does matter is you’ve got to find ways to continue to get wins, and that’s our primary focus, and that’s the game-by-game mentality of, hey, our next opportunity is at Baylor, and what do we got to do to go try to win that game?” DeVries said.
West Virginia
Commentary: As Mountaineers ready for elimination game, harping on errors does no good – WV MetroNews
OMAHA, Neb. — There’s no denying the impact a pair of West Virginia errors in the seventh inning played in the outcome of what amounted to a 5-2 loss to North Carolina on Sunday night at Charles Schwab Field.
There’s no reason to harp on them either.
Tyrus Hall and Brodie Kresser would like nothing more than to have made fairly routine plays, particularly Kresser’s miscue that prevented a potential inning-ending double play.
Instead, Gavin Gallaher followed with a two-run triple to break a 2-all tie and UNC scored three unearned runs in the inning. Neither team would score again.
“Over the course of 62 games, that stuff happens,” second-year WVU coach Steve Sabins said. “I think we have the best fielding percentage in our league. Tyrus is one of the best defenders in the nation. So we’ve had really good success. And that’s kind of part of it. You don’t want it at that time. But I feel very confident that any mistakes that are made are made because mistakes happen in baseball, not necessarily the moment or the situation. I feel like our guys have played really free and aggressive this entire time.”
The Tar Heels are now within one victory of a spot in the Men’s College World Series Finals, while the Mountaineers (46-16) suffered their fourth loss in 22 games since May, and now have to defeat Troy on Tuesday to get another crack at the No. 5 national seed.
WVU never led Sunday and scored one of its two runs on a double play that Matt Ineich hit into in the fourth inning.
The next time Ineich stepped into the batter’s box in the sixth, the Mountaineers were in their best position of the game to lead with runners at first and second, before the shortstop hit into his second 4-6-3 twin killing in as many at bats.
Consider that among its single-season program record 46 victories this season, only two for West Virginia have come scoring two or fewer runs and four have with three or fewer runs. On both occasions that the Mountaineers won with two runs, they prevented the opposition (Liberty and TCU) from scoring.
Baseball is a game predicated on handling failure, not dwelling on it. Succeeding three times every 10 trips to the plate leaves you in position to be enshrined in Cooperstown at the highest level.
Let it not be forgotten that Kresser’s single to start the bottom of the 10th inning led to him scoring the winning run in the Mountaineers’ 6-5 victory over Kentucky to win the Morgantown Regional. He’s been a mainstay in the Mountaineer lineup each of the last three seasons — two that have ended in Super Regional appearances and this year, which will at some point end in Omaha.
“It is what it is. Have to flush it,” Kresser said. “Can’t let the moment get too big.”
Hall has hit exceptionally well throughout the NCAA Tournament and broke a 5-all tie last Friday against Troy with a two-run single in the eighth. He’s also made numerous high-level defensive plays throughout the 2026 campaign, including a few in the MCWS.
Sabins has described Hall as the best defensive third baseman he’s been around and numerous teammates have offered similar praise.
“I just missed it. It happens,” Hall said.
A big part of what’s made West Virginia’s 2026 season so successful is the team’s ability to stay present.
The Mountaineers haven’t dwelled on losses or harped on wins. They didn’t get too low after a 23-1 midweek loss to rival Pitt or an 11-9 postseason loss to Kentucky, and didn’t get too high after fending off elimination twice in one day, including an 11-9 win over the Wildcats that featured five ninth-inning runs.
Staying present and not living in the past has never been more important than now as WVU seeks a second win over the Trojans to prolong its stay on college baseball’s premier stage.
“We’re one of the best defensive teams in the country and sometimes things happen,” said Mountaineer relief pitcher Reese Bassinger. “You’re playing on a really good surface. Sometimes the ball takes a really weird bounce. I don’t really know what happened there, but it happens. We move forward.
“Kresser and Tyrus are some of the best defenders we have and I know without a doubt I would throw that same pitch over and over and I guarantee Kresser fields it for a double play every other time. That guy has been the rock. He’s been a captain for us. He’s a guy that everyone loves. Nobody cares about that. We move on, keep pitching, keep hitting and just go on the next game.”
A body found in a burning vehicle in West Virginia has prompted a homicide investigation.
In a press conference on Monday, Sean Snuffer, the chief deputy of the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, said first responders were called to a rural section of Cabin Creek Road on Sunday around 9:50 a.m. for reports of a “suspicious vehicle.” A 911 caller said the vehicle’s doors were open and items were scattered around the vehicle, Snuffer said.
About 13 minutes later, a 911 caller said the vehicle was on fire, officials said. After crews arrived and extinguished the vehicle fire, a body was found. The remains were taken to the medical examiner’s office, and an autopsy on Monday determined the death was a homicide, Snuffer said. Officials are not releasing the manner of death at this time.
The victim’s identity has not been released as of Monday night, though Snuffer said the body appears to be an adult male. Snuffer said the investigation is “active and ongoing.” It was not immediately known if there were any suspects.
“We can’t answer a whole lot of questions,” he added. “I know people are going to want to know exactly what happened, but we can’t release that information.”
The fire marshal is investigating the cause of the vehicle blaze. Anyone with information on the case can contact detectives with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office at 304-357-0556 or leave a tip on the sheriff’s website.
KENOVA, W.Va. (WSAZ) – A man is facing multiple felony charges after a two-day investigation, according to West Virginia State Police.
On Friday, troopers say they responded to a brandishing complaint in Kenova.
During the investigation, troopers located the suspect, Skylar M. Larcart, 27, of Kenova, and found a firearm.
Troopers say they were then granted permission to search Larcart’s residence and vehicle. Their search resulted in the finding of a rifle, approximately 25 grams of marijuana and digital scales.
On Saturday, troopers say they also obtained a search warrant at Larcart’s residence.
During this search, investigators found multiple firearms, controlled substances and U.S. currency.
As a result of the investigation, Larcart was charged with 17 counts of persons prohibited from possessing firearms and three counts of possession of a controlled substance.
Troopers say over the course of the two-day investigation, Larcart accumulated a total of 21 felony charges and three misdemeanor charges.
Larcart is currently being held in the Western Regional Jail on a $20,000 bond.
Copyright 2026 WSAZ. All rights reserved.
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