The Basketball Tournament 2024: Best Virginia Team Profile

Best Virginia is back for more TBT action after hosting the tournament for the past two years. This time, they’ll be hitting the road in enemy territory.

Best Virginia has been a staple in The Basketball Tournament for the past several years. So much so, they’ve hosted regional games for the past two years. The WVU alumni will be headed to a familiar place this season in the Pittsburgh region where they could face the Zoo Crew, a Pitt alumni team. The two schools have a historic rivalry, and a game between these two teams could spark some old beef.

Last summer, Best Virginia was knocked out in the second round of the Wheeling regional by in-state rival Herd That, a team made up of mostly Marshall alumni. They look to redeem themselves this season by moving onto the quarterfinal like they did in 2022.

Roster:

• Devin Williams (West Virginia)
• Esa Ahmad (West Virginia)
• John Flowers (West Virginia)
• Jonathan Holton (West Virginia)
• Marcus Keene (Youngstown State & Central Michigan)
• Sagaba Konate (West Virginia)
• Sean McNeil (West Virginia & Ohio State)
• Tarik Phillip (West Virginia)
• Taz Sherman (West Virginia)
• Teyvon Myers (West Virginia)
• Wesley Harris (West Virginia)
• Xavier Bledson (Indiana State)

Coaching Staff:

• Alex Peavler (Assistant Coach)
• Chase Harler (GM/Head Coach)
• Kevin Jones (Assistant Coach)
• Steve Bieber (Assistant Coach)

Region: Pittsburgh

All-time Record: 7-4

First Matchup: vs. Brotherly Love Pro Am Foundation (July 20 at 3 p.m. on TBT Live)

Team MVP: Marcus Keene

Former Sideline Cancer star Marcus Keene will trade in his purple and white for some blue and gold this summer. While he might not be a West Virginia alum, head coach Chase Harler says he’s excited to have him.

“Keene is one of the best guards to ever play in the TBT. His ability to score is second to none. He has the toughness that we want to play with. It’s a perfect match for Keene to be a part of our Best Virginia family,” Harler said via Instagram.

Keene has most recently played the Beijing Ducks in China where he averaged about 16 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds per game.

Make-or-break Player: Teyvon Myers

Myers is the only returner from last year’s Best Virginia squad. This will give him a huge responsibility to step up and be a leader on and off the court. Myers was also a starter, proving he’s one of the best guards Best Virginia has to offer.

The guard play will be extremely important to this team that wants to be able to score in transition. Myers’ performance could reflect highly on the outcome of this team.

Team Outlook

Best Virginia has been playing in TBT for several years now, but they have yet to go any further than the quarterfinals. Their leading scorer from last year won’t be joining them on the court (he’ll be on the bench as a coach) meaning someone else has to step up. Coach Harler said that he feels that this team’s mentality can get them far.

“We have a very young team with the ability to score at all three levels. I put together this roster based on toughness – and we have plenty of that. We have to be able to guard in the halfcourt and get out in transition as much as possible,” Harler said.

This West Virginia-focused team has a lot of fire to do well in Pittsburgh, including the chance to play rivals Zoo Crew in the second round. As long as the team can stay consistent and healthy, they could go far in this year’s tournament.