Record predictions for 2024-25 WVU basketball season.

It’s November 3rd, which means it’s the eve of the 2024-25 basketball season and the official start of the Darian DeVries era at West Virginia.

How will things go for the Mountaineers this season? This is how we see it happening.

Oh yes! It’s time for mountaineering basketball. While this may be the first year with a new coaching staff and essentially a whole new roster, there is a lot to be excited about in this group. It’s a mix of top-tier talented veterans and a group of talented but unproven guys who will now get a chance to be an important piece of the puzzle.

The non-conference slate is a mixed bag with some quality opponents in Pitt, Gonzaga, UMass and whoever they bring into the Battle 4 Atlantis, as well as some really low-quality teams like Mercyhurst, North Carolina Central. Bethune-Cookman and some others. Beating Gonzaga is no easy task, but beating a quality Pitt team on the road is certainly possible. I think you’ll see a non-conference chalkboard where the Mountaineers win games they should and lose games they are underdogs in.

Big 12 play is the usual challenge, but it may be even more challenging now that four new teams from the PAC 12 are entering the league. West Virginia’s Big 12 opener is already on the road at Kansas, so how How about welcoming you to the conference? , Darian?

I liked a lot of what I saw from the team’s performance against Division II Charleston, and as we saw here recently, these games can no longer be taken for granted. NC State’s Final Four team narrowly lost to Lees-McRae.

I was surprised at how cohesive the Mountaineers were on offense considering the number of strangers in the lineup. They followed the basketball really well, they attacked well and they made good shot selections. Defensively they played with great energy and communicated well. They may lack size, but their length should cause some issues for teams.

Sensir Harris and Toby Okani will be headaches on defense and could end up as Big 12 defensive backs at the end of the season. As long as they execute their role and Amani Hansberry can compete in the paint with some of the Big 12’s best players, they’ll be fine defensively.

We all know about Tucker DeVries’ scoring prowess and Javon Small’s playmaking ability, but West Virginia will need a third offensive threat to really make some noise. Is that Hansberry downstairs? Is that Jaden Stone on the bench? Or could it come from an unlikely source? If they can’t find that consistent third option, they’ll have a tough time in Big 12 play.

It’s going to be an interesting season, even if the record doesn’t look all that pretty. They will find a way to cause some upset, and West Virginia fans will be very happy to see the program in the hands of Darian DeVries.

The Darian DeVries era begins Monday night, and in his first season, his Mountaineers are projected to finish near the bottom of the Big 12 Conference standings in 13th place.

Given the low expectations for DeVries’ first season, the Mountaineers could surprise some people and earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Tucker DeVries is ready to prove he can compete at the highest level in college basketball. The two-time Missouri Valley Conference Larry Bird Player of the Year and MVC Tournament Most Outstanding Player averaged 21.6 points a season ago and is West Virginia’s top NBA prospect since Deuce McBride.

West Virginia has 14 new faces on its roster. This year, the Mountaineers had the opportunity to travel overseas to play a pair of friendlies in Italy this summer, and the offensive fluidity at the tournament is a testament to the fact that they are ahead of schedule in team chemistry.

The biggest question heading into the season, however, is the Mountaineers’ frontcourt. Length at guard and on the wing can counter that, and rebounding will require a team effort to remain competitive in the Big 12.

West Virginia will get an early test against Frank Martin’s UMass team in Game 2 before heading to Pittsburgh for a backyard brawl next week. These first three games of the season may not be indicative of the rest of the schedule, but it will be a good start.

The Mountaineers could position themselves nationally with an upset win over Gonzaga in the Battle 4 Atlantis Thanksgiving week, but it still won’t matter if they finish 0-2 in the Bahamas.

West Virginia will defend its NCAA Tournament bid during the Big 12 Tournament. The Mountaineers open at No. 1 Kansas, which has been a house of horrors for the program, followed by a two-game homestand.

Overall, WVU plays eight preseason ranked league games, four of which are at home and two against top-five opponents (No. 4 Houston, No. 5 Iowa State). The Mountaineers will certainly need to win one of these ranked games to bolster their resume.

It’s a battle every night in the Big 12, and only two Mountaineers, Oklahoma State transfer guard Javon Small and the lone returner from a season ago, Ofri Navea, have experience playing in America’s toughest league.

There’s a lot of optimism surrounding Darian DeVries after six consecutive 20-plus winning seasons. In his first year, he led the program to its first winning season in six years, including its first 20-win season in 10 years. Then in the third year in 13 years, led the program to its first NCAA bid.

The Mountaineer faithful hopes DeVries can continue West Virginia’s success after a tumultuous season that included the untimely departure of Hall of Fame head coach Bob Huggins.

DeVries’ attention to detail is why I believe he can hit the ground running and his son Tucker has the potential to become a Morgantown legend. The father-son duo could be the tandem the program needs to get back on track and make the postseason.

I’d venture to say that the Mountaineers have 19 regular season wins (19-12), including ranked wins over Arizona and Cincinnati.

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