West Virginia Basketball: 3 reasons Tucker DeVries’ game will translate to the Big 12
On March 24th, the West Virginia men’s basketball program announced the hire of Darian DeVries, who has become the 23rd head coach in program history.
Shortly thereafter, Tucker DeVries (son of Darian) committed to join West Virginia Basketball for his final season of eligibility after spending the previous 3 seasons with his dad at Drake. The Mountaineers have a special talent now at their disposal in Tucker DeVries who is a 2-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year.
2021-22 (Freshman)
13.3 PPG | 4.6 RPG | 2.1 APG | 41.6 FG% | 33.9 3PT % | 29.8 MPG
2022-23 (Sophomore)
18.6 PPG | 5.7 RPG | 1.8 APG | 44.6 FG% | 37.3 3PT % | 32.9 MPG
2023-24 (Junior)
21.6 PPG | 6.7 RPG | 3.7 APG | 44.4 FG% | 36.3 3PT % | 35.5 MPG
As he transitions to high-level, Big 12 basketball, what can we expect to see from Tucker DeVires in a Mountaineer uniform? Here are 3 reasons as to why DeVries’ game will translate well in the Big 12 and why he is capable of making an All-Conference Team.
1. You can’t teach size
Tucker DeVries is a 6’7, 210-pound, guard. One of the reasons that some guards struggle to make the jump from the mid-major level to the Big 12 is because of their lack of size in comparison to the competition. Pairing DeVries' 6’7 frame with great footwork and the ability to create shots for himself, his size will not be a problem. With DeVries' ability to score at all three levels, he will be able to find matchups to exploit on the offensive end. Last season at Drake, DeVries attempted 7 threes per game and just over 9 shots from inside the arc.
2. DeVries’ jump to the Big 12 was a necessary step in his career
If you’ve followed Tucker’s college basketball career at all, you know that he denominated in the MVC the last two seasons. Naysayers may point to the argument that Tucker only moved to the Big 12 because of Darian DeVries accepting the head coaching job at WVU, but most if not all Power Conference teams would welcome the addition of Tucker DeVries.
A 2-time conference player of the year returning for another season at a mid-major is just about unheard of in today’s world of college basketball. With all due respect to the MVC, the Big 12 Conference is a new challenge that Tucker needed to face head-on. Again, DeVries' skill set will allow him to be successful in this new challenge.
3. DeVries will have to make far fewer adjustments than most transfers
Not only does DeVries have the body and skillset to compete in the Big 12, but he also has something else to his advantage, in that he doesn’t have to learn a whole new system at WVU. His dad has coached deVries throughout his entire college career and that will continue in Morgantown. Frequently learning a new program’s offensive and defensive schemes can be a challenge. DeVries arrives in Morgantown with a head start from a schematics standpoint and can focus on helping his new teammates adjust.
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There are a lot of new faces in the Mountaineer basketball program this season, actually, just about all of them are new faces. No one player has higher expectations than Tucker DeVries does, and rightfully so. It is a valid argument to believe that Tucker DeVries will earn All-Conference honors in the Big 12 this season, he is just that good!