West Virginia (6-2 straight up, 5-3 against the spread) senior guard Tucker DeVries is sidelined indefinitely with an upper body injury, the school announced earlier today.
“After consulting with our team doctors and other medical professionals, they have ruled Tucker out indefinitely as he deals with an upper body injury,” coach Darian DeVries said. “We have a great bunch of guys in the locker room who I know will rally around him during his absence.”
DeVries has played an average of 34.6 minutes per game in WVU’s first eight contests, averaging 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocked shots per game. The two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year has hit only 41.2 percent of his field-goal attempts, but he’s drained 47.3 percent of his launches from 3-point range.
DeVries, who was also the MVC’s Freshman of the Year during the 2021-22 season, his first of three years at Drake, has made 82.1 percent of his free throws for the Mountaineers. He has a 22/15 assist-to-turnover ratio.
DeVries led WVU to an 83-76 win over Arizona as a six-point home underdog by scoring 26 points to go with six assists and four rebounds on Nov. 29.
In 34 games for the Bulldogs last year, DeVries averaged 21.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.6 SPG. Drake fell 66-61 to Washington St. on the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, as DeVries contributed 14 points and six assists but was only 6-of-18 from the field.
Drake went to the 2023 Tournament as well, only to allow a 55-47 lead with 5:40 remaining to get away in a 63-56 loss vs. Miami in the opening round. DeVries had his worst performance of the season, making merely 1-of-13 FGAs and finishing with three points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals.
West Virginia is back in action tonight hosting North Carolina Central in Morgantown.