In the month of March, the West Virginia University men’s basketball team won two major games consecutively. The first was against Notre Dame and the second was against Texas Tech. In the final game, WVU defeated Gonzaga with a score of 77-74 to capture their first NCAA National Championship in school history.
This win came just 15 years after they first joined the Big 12 Conference. This team included four seniors and three juniors, including Jevon Carter, who was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four by scoring 24 points against Gonzaga.
The players and coaches
These are the people who made it all possible for their victory
- Coach Bob Huggins
- Tarik Phillip
- Nathan Adrian
- Daxter Miles Jr.
- Devin Williams
- Jonathan Holton
- Elijah Macon
- Jevon Carter and Jaysean Paige
These players made this down-to-the-wire victory possible by contributing to their team in all aspects of the game. This included scoring points on the court, blocking out for rebounds and switching to different defensive positions when their area of expertise was compromised.
West Virginia University has received many honors following this recent victory. These included coach Bob Huggins being voted the Associated Press Big 12 Coach of the Year in his final year in coaching at WVU. Players Jevon Carter and Jonathan Holton were voted to the Big 12 All Conference First Team. Tarik Phillip, Jonathan Holton and Nathan Adrian were named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team.
Jevon Carter also received an additional award by being named the Co-Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year with Kansas State player Marcus Foster. Following this honor, Jevon Carter was also named the NABC National Defensive Player of the Year. In addition, Jevon Carter was selected to participate in the 2017 Reese’s College All-Star Game.
Has West Virginia ever won a national championship in basketball?
No, West Virginia University has never won a national championship in basketball. They have been to the Final Four four times before this win in school history, but have never even reached a National Championship. They were considered the underdogs going into this tournament and won over many fans by capturing their first championship.
What was WVU’s overall record?
West Virginia University finished with an overall record of 31-9.
How much has WVU improved since joining the Big 12?
Since joining the Big 12 Conference, West Virginia University has seen a significant improvement. In just over two decades, they have gone from being one of the worst teams in their conference to winning a National Championship. This shows that putting effort into reigniting and maintaining the historic pride of their team has had great potential for success.
How was WVU able to win the championship?
The way that West Virginia University won the national championships was through a combination of grit, tenacity and teamwork. Some people have said that if it wasn’t for fouls being called in favor of Texas Tech when they were playing, then WVU might have never won the championship. Jevon Carter was crucial to their win by being voted both NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
In conclusion, this team of West Virginia University players have been honored for their hard work and determination that brought them a national championship title. They truly deserve it, as they worked hard for this win every single day. They are national champions, and I think that is pretty cool.
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