The hits keep coming for West Virginia men’s basketball. Just 48 hours after being controversially left out of the NCAA Tournament, head coach Darian DeVries has accepted the head coaching job at Indiana, leaving the Mountaineers searching for a new leader once again.
This past week has been a perfect reflection of the chaos that has engulfed WVU basketball over the last two years. The instability began in June 2023 when legendary coach Bob Huggins was forced to resign following a DUI arrest in Pittsburgh. With no other choice but to step down or be fired, Huggins’ departure sent the program into turmoil. Athletic director Wren Baker responded by appointing longtime assistant Josh Eilert as interim head coach for the 2023-24 season. However, after a challenging season filled with struggles, Baker sought a fresh start and hired DeVries in March 2024.
DeVries, who had built a strong program at Drake, appeared to bring much-needed stability to WVU. But just 360 days later, he’s gone, leaving the Mountaineers scrambling yet again.
A Program in Disarray: What If Huggins Had Stayed?
DeVries’ departure raises an interesting question: How different would things be if Bob Huggins had made one different choice back in June 2023? What if, instead of getting behind the wheel that night, he had simply called an Uber?
Had Huggins remained at WVU, there’s a good chance the Mountaineers would have been in a much stronger position. The 2023-24 roster was loaded with talent, and under the guidance of a Hall of Fame coach, they likely would have won more than just nine games. The offseason chaos that followed Huggins’ departure coaching uncertainty, roster turnover, and transfers may never have happened.
What Would the Roster Look Like?
Had Huggins stayed, key players like Kerr Kriisa may have remained in Morgantown instead of transferring to Kentucky. RaeQuan Battle, who faced eligibility issues, might have played another season at WVU rather than leaving. Additionally, Huggins’ reputation and recruiting ability could have kept the team more stable in the transfer portal, preventing the massive roster shakeups that occurred.
One of the biggest what-ifs surrounds Javon Small, who had a breakout season under DeVries at WVU. Would he have even come to Morgantown if Huggins had still been running the program? And if he had landed elsewhere, would he have developed into the player he became this season?
Would DeVries Have Still Landed at Indiana?
Another major question: Where would Darian DeVries have ended up in 2024 if WVU had never hired him? With multiple successful seasons at Drake, he was on the radar of bigger programs, but it’s unclear if he would have landed a major job like Indiana at that time. Would another program have given him an opportunity a year earlier? And without his success at WVU, would Indiana still have pursued him and his son, Tucker DeVries, in 2025?
A Program at a Crossroads Again
In the end, one decision on a single night in June 2023 set off a chain of events that dramatically altered West Virginia basketball. If Huggins had never resigned, the Mountaineers’ roster, coaching staff, and trajectory could look vastly different today. Instead, the program is once again in disarray, searching for another new head coach while trying to regain its footing in a rapidly changing college basketball landscape.
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