Excerpt from a college basketball notebook by C.J. Moore:
The Big 12 is a monster, and this is a tough job, especially considering the roster was a wreck, but I’d bet on DeVries. Remember, athletic director Wren Baker once hired Grant McCasland at North Texas. He knows ball and had a year to evaluate potential hires. — Moore
What should I actually expect from the new West Virginia coach? — Josh H.
Consistently putting together rosters that are better than you think. Darian DeVries was one of the best talent evaluators at the mid-major level when it came to both high schoolers and transfers while at Drake. He got some steals, and it wasn’t just his son. I love what he’s done in the portal so far at West Virginia. Tucker DeVries, who we have No.1 in our portal rankings, was a good start, but I also like Javon Small and love Amani Hansberry. Hansberry is one of those hidden gems who DeVries finds and wins with. He didn’t get to play much his freshman year at Illinois because he was behind two older bigs, but he was one of my favorite players in the 2023 class. He’s a skilled big who can play inside and out and really pass, the type of modern center who can be a hub of an offense. He’s going to turn into a really good college player.The Big 12 is a monster, and this is a tough job, especially considering the roster was a wreck, but I’d bet on DeVries. Remember, athletic director Wren Baker once hired Grant McCasland at North Texas. He knows ball and had a year to evaluate potential hires. — Moore
