MAILBAG: Staff Structure, Portal Talk, Expectations + More

Answering this week's questions from the fans.

Before we crack open this week's edition of the mailbag, I want to point out that I may have not worded my tweet the best way. Some of the questions appear to be directed at new WVU head coach Darian DeVries instead, so I'll answer for him. Let's dig in, shall we?

From @LewisWetzelWVU:

Q: Despite the cloud that surrounded his departure, do you have any thoughts on following a coaching legend like Bob Huggins?

A: I don't think the legendary shadow of Bob Huggins is going to be a distraction for DeVries. Sure, there is some pressure to follow in his footsteps, but the pressure would be there regardless. Much of the staff and roster in year one won't have any ties to Huggins nor were they around when his last summer events went down. I believe that over time, you'll see the two work together and he will use Huggs to really help drive this thing forward.

From @mgtnquasar:

Q: What do you think your new staff is going to look like? Will it be mainly from Drake, or do you plan to bring in new faces? Also, what sort of players would you like to get from the portal?

A: It may not be entirely Drake guys, but they will have connections to his coaching history. There's a chance one WVU staff member is kept, possibly two, but more than likely only one, if any.

From @WChuckp:

Q: No question, more of a concern. Do not let him have a gas station pepperoni roll as his first.

A: I typically don't throw these in here, but I had to include this. Yes! Darian, if you're reading this, you have to make sure you have someone point you in the direction of a real pepperoni roll. There are several good options, but don't go pick up a cold one from the gas station.

From @goJohnnyA:

Q: Can we bring back the press and pressure defense???

A: They will press from time to time, but I wouldn't expect some sort of return to the Press Virginia days. That's not happening. DeVries will change up his defensive looks, but primarily stick in a man-to-man defense.

From @trmn8rharley:

Q: How long does he think it will take to truly be competitive in the Big 12 and can he recruit at a higher level?

A: I don't see why they can't be competitive in year one. Am I suggesting the expectation should be top four of the Big 12? No, let's not get crazy. However, finishing in or around the middle of the pack and being on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament is certainly realistic. How well they do in the portal will determine the success in year one. Moving forward, high school recruiting will be just as important as it was in years past. With everything that he has at his disposal in terms of facilities, NIL, and so forth, I believe he'll recruit at a fairly high level. Look at the talent he was able to land at Drake... a program that was at the bottom of the MVC for years.

From @dwarkmke:

Q: What is the vision for building from what is essentially a completely clean slate roster-wise?

A: I expect they'll go guard heavy with one or two true bigs. I could be wrong with that assessment, but that's my gut. The roster will look entirely different in year two and be more of what we see in the future. This year is just about getting the best talent possible to compete right away.

From @wvug12:

Q: Does he plan to keep Jordan McCabe on staff?

A: Nothing is set in stone, but my guess is that McCabe would be heavily considered. He's young, a great communicator, and players respect what he has to say. His ability to relate this generation of recruits could really pay off.

From @steelers_wvu:

Q: What kind of players is he looking at in the portal?

A: The good ones. Alright, alright, I'm just messing around. He's contacted a few of his guys from Drake about following him over, most of which are guards. He hasn't been on the job long enough yet to really know what he's trying to identify in the portal. That will really get going after today's press conference. I imagine he wants immediate help, but would also like to land guys with multiple years of eligibility so that they're not just a one year Band-Aid.

From @MAClark85:

Q: Will his coaching style translate to Big 12 play or will he have to do some tweaking?

A: Every coach making this jump will have to tweak some things for sure. The Big 12 is a physical league and you need to have depth. How he rotated guys in the past will probably become a thing of the past. It's a game of chess in this league, not checkers. In the MVC, he really only had to gameplan for one, maybe two guys. In the Big 12, several guys can hurt you. It'll be an adjustment, but nothing he can't handle.

From @ErinH208504:

Q: Is he willing to say “you know who” eats “you know what”?

A: Haha. I get the sense that Darian is a pretty classy guy, but has some fire to him. I'm not sure that he'll say it out in the open but he may mumble it under his breath at some point during his tenure.

From @2chaw_:

Q: Will he keep the young guys like Jordan McCabe on staff? He’s young but his ability to reach recruits is phenomenal.

A: I do think he has a chance to stick as I mentioned in an earlier question. Probably the most likely of the old staff to remain.

From @wvufan2023:

Q: How do you think he goes about building the team/staff? Does he mix it up and go with guys from here and Drake or does he get a lot of players out of the portal and build his staff another way?

A: A little bit of both. I do see him landing some of his former Drake players, but not all that have entered the portal. Some guys just aren't a fit at this level or just may not be a good fit for WVU in general. Most of his staff will be brought over, I assume. There hasn't been much info relayed on that side of it, so it's anyone's guess.

From @cheifoftheeast:

Q: How do you plan to use the portal to rebuild our team?

A: I predict it will split down the middle between guys that have a ton of experience with maybe one year left with the other half being guys that have 2-3 years. You don't want to go heavy on one-and-done transfers because you'll be right back in the same spot this time next year.