Welcome back to our 82 in 72 countdown on The Center Hub! After looking at the first handful or so of teams we’ve ranked, we have broken into our top 75 teams heading into the 2024-25 college basketball season. We break the top-75 seal in Morgantown, West Virginia, where the Mountaineers land at #75 in our collective preseason rankings. Let’s dive deeper into where our team ranked West Virginia and the outlook for first-year coach Darian DeVries in Morgantown…

It has been a long 500 days for West Virginia basketball fans…After losing the all-time leader in program wins, Bob Huggins, due to a mixed bag of legal troubles before the 2023-2024 season, the program suffered considerably following Huggins’s dismissal from the school. Due to the timing of the dismissal, West Virginia’s athletic department hand was put in a bind, which led to Josh Eilert’s interim hiring and eventual dismissal following the 2023-2024 season. Eilert had the cards stacked against him and was left with an individually talented roster, curated by Huggins, where the pieces didn’t match the puzzle. The Mountaineers come into 2024-2025, losing standouts Jesse Edwards, Quinn Slazinski, Kerr Kriisa, and RaeQuan Battle, but their outlook is much better than the previous season(s).

Darian DeVries comes to West Virginia after spending the previous six seasons at Drake, where he won more than 20 games every year. In DeVries’ six seasons at Drake, the program was selected for the NCAA tournament three different times, which is remarkable when you consider that Drake was also never ranked lower than a 12 seed under DeVries in the dance. 
DeVries undoubtedly brings a winning pedigree as a head coach and Dana Altman disciple, but he also brings his son, Tucker DeVries. DeVries could be a dark-horse pick to win Big 12 Player (and my dark horse)of The Year if the Mountaineers can craft their dreams into reality and finish in the top three in the conference. Last season for the Drake Bulldogs, DeVries averaged 21.6 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 3.7 APG with a 52.3 eFG%. Now, combine that experienced production with 35.9 ppg, 10.3 RPG, and 6.8 APG, and you have the brand new Mountaineers backcourt’s combined splits from 2023-2024. Insert Javon Small and Jayden Stone. Stone hails from Detroit Mercy and is coming off a massive junior-senior year spike in his production, while Small transfers by way of Oklahoma State after starting all 31 games for the Pokes last season. I have no doubts this trio will be the battery for West Virginia this upcoming season, but who will be the engine?

Newly hired assistant Chester Frazier could answer that question for you, as he brings two sophomores with him from Illinois who will be the make-or-break to West Virginia’s upcoming season, [likely starting]center Amani Hansberry and [likely sixth man]Sencire Harris. Hansberry has been promising early in his West Virginia career, garnering positive early returns and even leading the team in scoring in the first contest of their summer Italy trip. Hansberry played sparingly while a Freshman at Illinois, but the same cannot be said for Harris. When watching Illinois last season, Harris stuck out. Sencire plays with contagious energy on both ends, especially on the defensive end, and as he began to get comfortable in the Big Ten, so did his offensive flow and overall feel. Harris played various roles for Illinois last season due to a fluctuating roster. Still, the outlook is only positive for Sencire this season with a more defined role and improved offensive game.

The swing for West Virginia will be Freshman Jonathan Powell, who could contend for a starting spot and who I think will be the best professional hooper on this roster. Powell is a fluid combo guard with plus length (6’6″), a three-level scoring game, and a fluid jumper to boot. The freshman is coming off an impressive Italy trip, posting 48 points in the three games, which is a promising early return. Powell, along with transfers Toby Okani (from UIC), Eduardo Andre(from Fresno State), who is an intriguing big, and Joseph Yesufu (from Washington State), should round out the WVU rotation. 
There is new life in West Virginia basketball and a team that will surely breathe some back into the WVU Coliseum. Sleep on Darian DeVries and his team of new coming coaches and players at your own risk; the DeVries father/son combination has won 25 games every season they have been together.