The West Virginia men’s basketball team was left out of the NCAA Tournament field, and the Mountaineers are “heartbroken” over the snub, saying they’re better than some of the 68 teams that made the cut.
West Virginia Finished Six Games Above .500
WVU finished the season 19-13 (with a 10-10 record in the Big 12) and expected to hear the school’s name called during the Selection Show on Sunday, but it didn’t happen, and they’re disappointed.
“Heartbroken for @WVUhoops,” AD Wren Baker said after the show. “I can’t comprehend this team being left out. Our résumé was better than several teams in the field, and it’s a terrible travesty that we weren’t included.”
However, Baker did praise the men’s basketball players for a great season.
Statements from Vice President/Director of Athletics Wren Baker and coach Darian DeVries. pic.twitter.com/YBYb3vPmSM
— WVU Men’s Basketball (@WVUhoops) March 17, 2025
“Let’s rally around these young men,” Baker said, “and let them know how proud we are of them!”
Head coach Darian DeVries also shared his disappointment, stating, “Obviously, we are extremely shocked, saddened and disappointed with not being selected for the NCAA Tournament. We strongly believe that we have a résumé that is worthy of an NCAA Tournament team.”
DeVries congratulated his players for a successful year as well.
“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.”
NCAA Selection Committee Cited Star Player’s Injury
NCAA Selection Committee Chair Bubba Cunningham spoke about their decision to leave West Virginia out, claiming the season-ending injury of star player and coach’s son, Tucker DeVries, was a contributing factor.
The 6-foot-7 guard underwent season-ending shoulder surgery last month after averaging 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per game in eight appearances this season.
.@MadDogUnleashed pulled no punches to Bubba Cunningham on their decision to leave out West Virginia.
“You can’t have that team play all year & now you tell me they’re not going to make it because DeVries is out. That’s not a fair thing to do.”
The Committee Chair’s response
pic.twitter.com/5mmJmJhXFI
— Mad Dog Sports Radio (@MadDogRadio) March 17, 2025
“The hardest part of being on the committee is having to draw that line,” Cunningham said.
Despite improving upon its 9-23 record from the previous season, it’s unfortunate that West Virgnia failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season.
Mountaineers Had Six Quad 1 Wins
The Mountaineers’ NCAA Tournament snub is puzzling. They were left out of the field despite having six Quad 1 wins, which is a metric that the selection committee says is significant. Apparently not.
North Carolina was the team that was put in over WVU. The Tar Heels went 1-12 in Quad 1 opportunities and also had a Quad 3 loss on its résumé. West Virginia doesn’t have a single loss below Quad 2.
ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi consistently had West Virginia on the right side of the bubble. In his final bracketology projection, he had the Mountaineers as a No. 10 seed in the South Region, facing No. 7 Missouri.
Lunardi was just as surprised as anyone that West Virginia was excluded.
“West Virginia was robbed of a spot. The Mountaineers beat Gonzaga and Arizona in Maui,” he said. “They also beat Kansas and Iowa State on the way to a 10-10 finish in the Big 12. That’s more than enough when compared with many other teams in this field.”
