Darian DeVries is “Shocked” WVU Basketball Was Left Out of NCAA Tournament

WVU basketball head coach Darian DeVries is as surprised as anyone that his Mountaineer team was left out of the NCAA Tournament.

“Obviously, we are extremely shocked, saddened and disappointed with not being selected for the NCAA Tournament,” DeVries said in a statement Sunday night. “We strongly believe that we have a resume that is worthy of an NCAA Tournament team. I am incredibly proud of this team and what they accomplished. They poured their hearts into this season and put all their collective efforts into making the NCAA Tournament, and I believe they did that.”

Statement from coach Darian DeVries. pic.twitter.com/AWPchdJ3du

— WVU Men's Basketball (@WVUhoops) March 17, 2025

DeVries’s comments reinforce those made by WVU athletic director Wren Baker earlier in the evening, as they both firmly believe the Mountaineers were a tournament-quality team.

“I can’t comprehend this team being left out. Our resume was better than several teams in the field and it’s a terrible travesty that we weren’t included. I have so much appreciation for Coach (Darian) DeVries, our coaching staff and players. They deserved better than what the committee delivered today,” Baker posted on social media.

DeVries’s and Baker’s comments came after some clarity was offered about the Mountaineers’ snub by a member of the committee.

Following the Selection Show on CBS Sunday evening, NCAA Tournament Selection Committee chairperson Bubba Cunningham offered an explanation on the Mountaineers’ exclusion.

“They had an outstanding year and unfortunately, Tucker DeVries was hurt and player availability was something we talk about quite a bit,” Cunningham said.

DeVries only played eight games this season before going out with an upper-body injury, last appearing in a game on Dec. 6. On Feb. 4, WVU announced he would have season-ending surgery.

West Virginia went 13-11 without DeVries in the lineup and picked up top-10 wins over Kansas and Iowa State, both of whom made the tournament.

Cunningham is the athletic director for North Carolina, which surprisingly did make the tournament as one of the teams that will play in the First Four in Dayton. The Tar Heels went just 1-12 in Quad-1 games and was thought to be on the wrong side of the bubble. All 111 bracketologists had WVU basketball making the tournament. Of the final four teams that got in instead of the Mountaineers, only 50 had Texas in, 30 had Xavier in and 27 had North Carolina in.

By rule, Cunningham was not allowed to be in the room during any discussion the committee had about North Carolina.