Mountaineers lose key player to season-ending injury
Yesterday at 02:45 PM
West Virginia men’s basketball suffered a significant blow to its resurgent season on Tuesday when news broke that Drake transfer Tucker DeVries would miss the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury. He has not played since December 6.
CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein was first to report the news that will sideline the Mountaineers’ second-leading scorer and rebounder. West Virginia has since confirmed.
“Since early December, we have consulted with our team doctors and numerous medical professionals to evaluate and treat Tucker’s injury,” head coach Darian DeVries said in a statement. “Tucker did everything he could to get back on the court this season, but unfortunately it has been determined by all parties involved that surgery is necessary. He will be out of action for approximately three months.
“We will apply for a medical redshirt and certainly look forward for Tucker to come back healthy for his final year. As I’ve said before, we have a great bunch of guys in the locker room who have rallied around him during his absence. I have complete confidence in our team that they will continue to do so.”
After Bob Huggins’ ill-timed resignation amid controversy last offseason, West Virginia went with Josh Eilert to coach the team on an interim basis in 2023-24. The Mountaineers went 9-23 and hired Drake’s Darian DeVries in the offseason. He brought his son, Tucker, with him, and the 6’7 senior made an immediate impact.
His best game of the season came in the Battle 4 Atlantis third-place game, an 83-76 overtime win over Arizona. DeVries scored 26 points on an absurd 8-12 three-point shooting performance. He also finished the game with six assists.
West Virginia men’s basketball still has realistic NCAA Tournament hopes
The Mountaineers are just 8-5 since DeVries’ injury, but that includes a signature win at Kansas and another resume-booster at home against Iowa State. West Virginia is currently the best 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament field, according to Bracket Matrix.
In DeVries’ absence, Javon Small has emerged as not just the team’s best player, but a legitimate All-American candidate. In addition to his 19.0 points and 5.1 assists per game, he also ranks sixth in KenPom’s Player of the Year rankings. The transfer from Oklahoma State is also shooting 50% from three in his last three games.
It doesn’t get much easier from here, but that is life in the Big 12. West Virginia’s next game is Wednesday night at a mediocre TCU team with games against BYU, Baylor and Texas Tech still remaining.
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