West Virginia’s basketball roster has taken shape for the upcoming season after a wave of departures and additions. So, WVSports.com takes a look at what the roster will look like and which players will fit in next season.
Players departing 2023-24: Center Jesse Edwards (Graduate), Guard RaeQuan Battle (Graduate), Guard Kerr Kriisa (Kentucky), Forward Akok Akok (Graduate), Forward Quinn Slazinski (Graduate), Guard Noah Farrakhan (Hampton), Forward Patrick Suemnick (Oklahoma State), Guard Kobe Johnson (St. Louis), Forward Josiah Harris (Akron), Guard Seth Wilson (Akron) and Guard Jeremiah Bembry (Transfer)
Incoming players for 2023-24: Forward Tucker DeVries (Drake), Guard Javon Small (Oklahoma State), Forward Toby Okani (UIC), Guard Jayden Stone (Detroit Mercy), Center Eduardo Andre (Fresno State), Forward Amani Hansberry (Illinois), Guard Sencire Harris (Illinois ), Guard Joseph Yesufu (Washington State), Guard Jonathan Powell (high school), guard KJ Tenner (high school)
–In the first year under new coach Darian DeVries, this is a nearly complete rebuild, with just one player, Ofri Naveh, returning from last season. And with that, the Mountaineers return just 3.7 percent of their total scoring and 1.4 percent of their rebounds from the previous season.
–All four players with double-digit scoring averages are now gone, with guard RaeQuan Battle (16.1 points), center Jesse Edwards (15.0 points), forward Quinn Slazinski (12.3 points) and point guard Kerr Kriisa (11.0 points), all leaving.
–The only returning player is sophomore Ofri Naveh. The Israeli product averaged 2.6 points and 2.5 rebounds, but was limited to just 13.8 minutes per contest. Still, he understands the game and should be able to help as an athletic forward.
–The good news is that even though West Virginia is dealing with a lot of roster turnover, coaches have effectively used the transfer portal to find proven options to fill holes on the roster. And while there has been a lot of turnover, the lineup could end up being a positive one considering the overall experience.
–One of the centerpieces of the lineup will be forward Tucker DeVries, a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year during his time at Drake. DeVries, Darian’s son, understands the system and has been highly productive, averaging 21.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists for the Bulldogs last season. He was also named MVC Player of the Year the previous season, where he averaged 18.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He will be a key piece.
–Another critical piece to the build was another transfer from the Missouri Valley Conference to the UIC wing, Toby Okani. The Mountaineers prioritized him when he entered the transfer portal and he is coming off a year in which he averaged 11.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game for the Flames while shooting 39 percent from the floor. and 32 percent of three. Okani is a versatile piece on both ends of the floor and is highly athletic which allows him to fit in several different spots. His versatility on defense with his ability to defend one through five along with his rebounding makes him a critical piece to the overall roster construction.
–West Virginia lost its entire point guard room from a year ago, but the Mountaineers were able to add Oklahoma State transfer Javon Small to the roster. Small had already proven himself in the Big 12 last season, where he averaged 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 44% from the field and 37% from three. He is a high-level option who also has the flexibility to play without the ball.
–The Mountaineers also have some flexibility at point guard behind Small with Joseph Yesufu, who spent his first two years with DeVries at Drake before transferring to Kansas and then Washington State. During his sophomore season, he was named the Missouri Valley Conference Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 12.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game and understands systems. Freshman KJ Tenner is the next piece there, and while the true freshman was highly productive last season, averaging 21.2 points, 4.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game, en route to Mr. Basketball victory in Division 4A in Tennessee. He could count on a few minutes to spell out the first two options.
–At two guards, West Virginia was able to add Detroit Mercy guard Jayden Stone, who is coming off a season in which he averaged 20.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 42 percent from the field. floor and 31 percent from three. He was asked to do more for his team last season. He will play more of a secondary role for the Mountaineers, where he has already shown the ability to excel at shooting 52 percent from three. He will be surrounded by better players, which will open up his skill set.
–The final two guards on the roster are Illinois transfer Sencire Harris and freshman Jonathan Powell. Harris was a top-100 recruit in the 2022 class and redshirted last season to make the Illini stronger. Still, he has the ability to get the ball into the zone and is one of the best defenders on the roster, which should put him on the floor for the Mountaineers. Powell could also tell time and at 6-foot-2 he has the strength and frame to be an effective play. The first-team all-Ohio selection averaged 19.1 points per game last season and was the second-leading scorer in the Greater Western Ohio Conference and his shot could put him on the floor.
–The front court is the most limited spot on the squad at the moment, with Eduardo Andre and Amani Hansberry taking on these roles. Andre is a traditional big who at 6-foot-2 can run the floor and protect the rim while scoring with his back to the basket. He averaged 7.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game. As for Hansberry, he is a highly skilled big man who was a former top-100 player who saw limited time during his lone season with the Illini due to his experience in the front court. However, he has impressed with his overall ability thus far and has become a top-five option for the Mountaineers that will fit into what the coaches want to do in a five-rounder.
–Still, even with these pieces in place, it’s clear that West Virginia would like to add even more size to the mix to round out the roster. But if that can’t happen, this is the type of lineup that could succeed, given the length and overall versatility.
–My projected starting five: Small, Stone, Okani, DeVries and Hansberry.
