DeVries to sign up with father, transfer to West Virginia
Mar 28, 2024, 03:09 PM ET
MORGANTOWN, W.Va.– New West Virginia coach Darian DeVries’ brought some reinforcements from Drake.Tucker DeVries sat
in the front row for his dad’s initial news conference Thursday as Darian announced that his child, a two-time Missouri Valley Conference player of the year, is joining him with the Mountaineers.That might have drawn the loudest cheer from numerous West Virginia fans all set to carry on from a year of misery.Tucker called his papa’s choice to come to West Virginia” a family
decision.”His transfer wasn’t precisely a shock.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated “For me to be able to come here for my senior year and to be a part of
all of this, I’m looking actually forward to it and I’m very excited, “Tucker said.He led Drake in scoring this season at 21.6 points per game. Tucker and his papa had one last game at Drake in the first round of the NCAA tournament on March 21, a 66-61 loss to Washington State.That was just the start of a busy week.The hiring at West Virginia was revealed Sunday night, Tucker underwent surgical treatment on his right shoulder Tuesday for an injury sustained in January yet he continued to play through.
He went into the transfer website Wednesday. The 6-foot-7 guard’s right arm remained in a sling Thursday, and he anticipates a complete recovery by this summer season. “Prepared to get healthy and get to work,”Tucker said.Eventually, that suggests getting to experience Big 12 basketball.”Maturing in the Midwest, you see a lot of the programs in the Big 12 around, and I have a lot of buddies and previous
teammates in the Big 12, “Tucker DeVries said.
“To be a part of that myself will be pretty unique.”The task will be huge, and results may not be seen till after Tucker consumes his eligibility. The brand-new coach will be accountable for digging a program out of a hole that started with the resignation last summertime of Hall of Fame coach Bob Huggins. West Virginia lost a school-record 23 games this past season under interim coach Josh Eilert.Darian has actually seen this type of reconstruction project before. When he came to Drake in 2018, he was the Bulldogs ‘4th coach in 16 months and the school had gone 6 straight seasons without a winning record.He assembled a 150-55 record in 6 seasons and took Drake to the NCAA tournament 3 times.
Drake won at least 25 games in 4 straight seasons, tying a school record for wins this season at 28-7. The five-year contract is worth$2.8 million in the very first year with$100,000 raises each year. A top-six surface in the Huge 12 in either of the first two seasons can earn an automated one-year extension plus another$100,000 bonus offer paid throughout a 6th season.West Virginia will pay an undefined buyout at Drake, according to his memorandum of understanding gotten by The Associated Press through a Liberty of Info Act request.West Virginia, which signed up with the league in 2012, has never won a Huge 12 routine season or tournament title and has 3 last-place surfaces considering that 2019.”The Big 12 clearly is a very defensive-oriented league. It’s a really physical league, “Darian stated. “There’s no concern that in order to be successful in the Big 12, you have to defend. You have to have the ability to rebound.
You have to have some physicality. Your team has to have some toughness. We will hire to that. We will coach to that. We will teach that.”And it will start with
his son.