Wren Baker Tells it Like it is, WVU has More Recent Success Than Indiana

The West Virginia University men’s basketball program lost its head coach, Daria DeVries, to what is considered one of the most coveted head coaching positions in college basketball.

West Virginia is not without its tradition. West Virginia native, WVU alum, and NBA logo Jerry West led the program to its first national championship, to Hot Rod Hundley and Rod Thorn making runs to the Sweet 16 in the early ‘60s all the way to Bob Huggins returning home and guiding the Mountaineers back to the Final Four in 2010.

And incase you didn’t know, West Virginia has a national championship under its belt, claiming the 1942 title after running the NIT, which was considered the premier tournament at the time.

“We have a great basketball tradition,” West Virginia University Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker stated. “We’ve been to 31 NCAA tournaments, 11 Sweet 16’s, and two Final Fours.”

Indiana University has had its success, but Baker made a fair point Wednesday afternoon when addressing the media on the current head coach search.

“Since 2000 [0-1 season], we’ve been to one more NCAA tournament than them, and three more sweet 16’s,” Baker said. So, recent history. Our program has been just as successful if not more.

Baker did Indiana a favor. West Virginia has been to the ‘big dance’ eight times since the 2010-11 season compared to Indiana’s six. The two programs have made three Sweet 16’s apiece during that span. However, West Virginia’s most recent trip to the Final Four came in 2010, while Indiana last appeared in the Final Four in 2002.

West Virginia does lack in the national championship category though. Indiana has five, but the last one is was a better part of four decades ago which came in 1987 under the direction of Bob Knight, who was forced out following the 1999-2000 season.

“I recognize it’s (Indiana) one of the historical storied brands in college basketball,” Baker said. “I just felt like we had a special thing going here too.”

Historical is right. You must dust off the record books to find those numbers.

Baker is not alone in believing West Virginia basketball is one of the best jobs in the country. According to ESPN commentator and Mountaineer fan favorite, Fran Fraschilla, WVU is a top 25 program.

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