The 7 Best WVU Tournament Moments of the Decade
7. Jevon Carter does it all...literally everything vs No. 12 Murray State
Now, by no means was No. 5 West Virginia beating No. 12 Murray State in the first round the biggest triumph in Mountaineer history. However, Mountaineer icon, Jevon Carter, dropping 21 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 6 steals was a performance to behold. Why? Mountaineer fans heard the chirping from all over Vegas, where pundits claimed the Racers could potentially upset the Mountaineers. Carter made certain that the Mountaineers were not going to fall victim to that noise. He showed up on both ends of the floor, but most importantly, held Racer star, Ja Morant to just 14 points.
6. West Virginia advances past Marshall, 94-71
Thanks to the coronavirus, this is now the Mountaineers' last NCAA Tournament win. This game was truly a sight for the eyes. While it briefly started out as a very proficient Marshall three-point contest, the Mountaineers got control. After No. 13 seeded Marshall and Jon Elmore took down No. 4 Wichita State, the banter began. Several experts' saw this game as a bad matchup for the Mountaineers. They were wrong.
5. West Virginia gets past No. 12 Buffalo & Bobby Hurley
The Mountaineers' tournament stature in the NCAA tournament was on the line. The analysts fully expected the Mountaineers to flounder against Buffalo - a team that was on the rise, led by the former scrappy Duke guard, Bobby Hurley. This was certainly a matchup that gave Mountaineer fans a sense of malaise. However, West Virginia let this game get close before Tarik Phillips hit a highly contested three to seal the victory, 68-62.
4. West Virginia downs No. 4 Maryland
Oh, what an incredible moment to relive. This game featured the freshman assassins, Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles Jr. and was the moment that Mountaineer fans knew, those two had a lot more in store. No. 4 Maryland was another questionable matchup for the No. 5 seeded Mountaineers. The Terrapins were headlined by Diamond Stone and Melo Trimble. However, the tandem was absolutely zero match for the freshman and the Press Virginia.
3. Press Virginia
And thus, a style was born. The "Press Virginia" defense was something that no tournament team was looking forward to facing. It featured a group of the most hard working basketball players in the entire country. The style played a pivotal role in the wins above, but was so special that it needed its own spot on this list. Press Virginia is something that can't be elucidated. You just had to have seen it first hand. It was a style that matched the state’s underdog mentality perfectly.
2. The Butler
Da'Sean Butler is essentially the Michael Jordan of West Virginia basketball. Okay, he isn't, Jerry West probably is. However, for the younger generation, Butler is exactly that. He appeared in 146 games for the Mountaineers, but his most incredible accomplishment? Leading the Mountaineers back to the Final Four for the first time since 1959 and also led West Virginia to a Big East title. Which was, at the time, similar to winning the SEC in football. From various game winners, to that terrible knee injury against Duke, Da'Sean Butler is Morgantown treasure. The Butler really did do it.
1. Does goes Big Blue, hello Gold & Blue
The aforementioned Da'Sean Butler, along with the perfect supporting cast upset No. 1 seed Kentucky, creating a scintillating moment engrained in West Virginia fans forever. However, you could make a serious case that this was one of the most talented college basketball teams of all-time. This John Callapari team featured seven future NBA players. This game was one that was hard to watch. No, not because the Mountaineers played bad basketball. I mean, they pulled off the upset. However, it was horrifying watching those final minutes unravel. This is without a doubt, the greatest accomplishment of the decade for West Virginia basketball. A trip to the Final Four and a memory that no Mountaineer fan will ever forget.
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