First-year head coach Darian DeVries did the herculean work after taking over last March. He signed 14 new players, overturned the coaching staff and won 19 games, including 10 in Big 12 play, to put the Mountaineers in every major NCAA Tournament bracket projection. He pulled the Mountaineers out of Bob Huggins' shadow.

DeVries replaces Mike Woodson, who guided the Hoosiers to only one NCAA Tournament appearance in the last four years.

First West Virginia was a surprising omission from the NCAA Tournament. Then the Mountaineers lost their coach.