As we have reached the end of conference play for the West Virginia men's basketball team, the Mountaineers have already matched their 2023-2024 season win total (9) and are poised to try and make a splash in conference play. But first, let's take a look at our Non-Conference Play Superlatives for WVU basketball.
ALL-AROUND MVP - TUCKER DEVRIES
DeVries is currently out indefinitely with an injury, but was a crucial part of the team's success during their first 8 games on the season. Not only is DeVries the second-leading scorer on the team with 14.9 points per game and second overall on the team is assists (22), but his defense has been stellar as he sits third on the team in both steals (14) and blocks (12). He also offers the role of the experienced floor general, having numerous years of Division 1 basketball experience under his father Darian DeVries' system under his belt.
OFFENSIVE MVP - JAVON SMALL
Small has been the most dynamic offensive weapon this season -- he has scored double-digits in all 11 games so far this season and leads to team in scoring, averaging 19.7 points per game. He also leads the team in assists with 53 total -- more than double the player with the second-most assists on the roster. He has also converted a team-high 28 three-point buckets this season.
DEFENSIVE MVP, TOP "HUSTLE PLAYER - SENCIRE HARRIS
Sencire "Buck" Harris has been so important in two separate but strongly related areas that we are awarding him a pair of honors here -- he is being named both the Defensive MVP and the Top Hustle Player on the roster.
No one works quite like Harris does on the court, and the results show on defense in particular -- he's second on the team in defensive rebounds (45), steals (17), and blocks (13). He is also second on the team in total rebounds (51) while averaging the third most minutes played per game (28.5).
TOP REBOUNDER - AMANI HANSBERRY
Hansberry has been an absolute bully on the boards for an undersized WVU team that had concerns regarding rebounding headed into the season. Hansberry has notched 73 total rebounds -- including 27 on offense -- and is averaging 6.6 rebounds per contest, which is 2 more than any other player on the team. Hansberry suffered an injury against Mercyhurst and while he didn't return, he walked off under his own power. The Mountaineers will need him healthy to be a prescence on the boards in Big 12 play.
BENCH PLAYER MOST LIKELY TO MAKE NOISE IN BIG 12 PLAY - JOSEPH YESUFU
Yesufu got off to a slow start this season,only averaging 4.5 points and 1.9 rebounds per game and only making 8 appearances with no starts. However, he has come alive a bit as of late -- he tallied his highest-scoring game at WVU (14 points) against North Carolina Central, and has clocked 20+ minutes in each of his last three appearances -- previously, he had played just 14 minutes at the most in a single game. He is 6-15 from behind-the-arc and 9-of-19 from the field overall in those games. He also will have Big 12 experience, unlike any of his teammates, as he previously has played with Kansas.
FAN FAVORITE - JAKE AUER
Auer is a fifth-year senior and former Division 2 standout with Rockhurst (MO) who played high school ball against Tucker DeVries in Iowa. Auer has only made appearances in clean-up time this season, but is efficient is his appearances -- he has scored 21 points going 7-of-9 from three-point range in just 20 minutes of action, and every time he scores at home, the WVU Coliseum goes crazy. He may even prove an efficient enough three-point shooter to work his way into some special packages over the course of a long Big 12 season.