DJ Thomas Powers West Virginia to a Spot in the Crown Championship Game

For the second time in three days, the West Virginia Mountaineers have delivered a win, keeping their 2025-26 season alive for one more game. Ross Hodge's squad defeated the Creighton Bluejays in the semifinals of the College Basketball Crown by an 87-70 score, setting up a date in the championship with Oklahoma on Sunday.

A few of my rapid takeaways from this one...

DJ Thomas is growing up before our very eyes

The true freshman continues to get better with every game he plays. And for those wondering why play in anything if it's not the NCAA Tournament? This is why. It's extra opportunities for young guys like Thomas to build confidence and improve their game. I'm not sure if he had a conversation with Ross Hodge lately about his aggressiveness on the offensive end, but it seems like someone told him not to think about how many shots he's taking and if it's there, to put it up. Thomas finished the game with 20 points on 9/14 shooting.

With all due respect to Amir Jenkins, Thomas is, without question, priority No. 1 in the coming days for Ross Hodge as far as roster retention is concerned. I haven't heard anything that leads me to believe that Thomas wouldn't be back, but until there's confirmation of his returning, anything can happen.

Chance Moore is going to be missed

I know, in this day and age, you can just go out in the portal and find another guy that does what Chance Moore does, but still, the point remains. He's been one of the most reliable players for the Mountaineers this season, particularly when it comes to attacking the basket. When the ball is in his hands, and he's got a sliver of space, there's no slowing down that locomotive. Playing with that level of physicality can lead to players falling off balance or out of control, but not Moore. He plays strongly through contact and with enough finesse not to get knocked off course.

Spreading the wealth

This was one of the best offensive performances we've seen from West Virginia in quite some time. They were able to get the looks they wanted, and much of that stems from multiple guys consistently putting the ball in the hoop. Crazy concept, right? The more people that can knock down shots, the more it opens up the floor. Four Mountaineers finished in double figures, and Harlan Obioha was close with nine. Having a balanced scoring attack will be key against the Sooners.

West Virginia and Oklahoma will battle for the College Basketball Crown championship on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on FOX.