West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey lashed out at the men’s NCAA tournament selection committee after the Mountaineers were among the teams snubbed, and he asked his attorney general to investigate and work closely with the NCAA to ensure that the process is transparent and fair.
“West Virginia deserved to be in the NCAA tournament,” Morrisey, standing at a lectern with a sign reading “National Corrupt Athletic Association,” said Monday in Charleston, West Virginia. “This was a miscarriage of justice and robbery at the highest levels.”
West Virginia (19-13) had six Quad 1 wins this season, but it lost its opening game in the Big 12 tournament to last-place Colorado. The Mountaineers played much of the season without the coach’s son, 6-foot-7 Tucker DeVries, who averaged 14.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in his eight starts before an upper-body injury that required surgery.
First-year Mountaineers coach Darian DeVries said the team was “extremely shocked, saddened and disappointed” with not making the tournament.
Bubba Cunningham, the North Carolina athletic director who is chairman of the NCAA tournament selection committee, referenced DeVries’ injury when talking about the first four teams left out.
“The last four teams that were out … it was a tough call,” Cunningham said during the selection show Sunday. “The next team out was West Virginia, and they had an outstanding year and, unfortunately, knowing Tucker DeVries was hurt, player availability is something that we talk about quite a bit. More here