The weekend in college hoops 🏀

West Virginia found its coach (and got Kerr Kriisa back) and a handful of names shook up the portal. Plus, why you need to know about Jan Vide.

Author

Riley Davis
June 26, 2023

The Five Stairsteps famously sang “Ooh-oo child, things are gonna get easier / Ooh-oo child, things’ll get brighter.” A comforting ditty, to be sure; I’d like to think West Virginia fans took solace in those lyrics over the past few days.

Well, things look a little easier and a little brighter after yesterday’s news.

1. West Virginia tabs Josh Eilert as interim coach

Talk about a whirlwind of a week for West Virginia.

It started last Saturday evening when Bob Huggins resigned in the wake of a DUI charge. Following that announcement, the Mountaineer faithful had to endure tweet after tweet speculating on their head coaching search and the fate of their roster.

On Thursday night, the first domino fell when Tre Mitchell disclosed his intention to enter the transfer portal. The next day, Kerr Kriisa and Joe Toussaint did the same.

But this past Saturday brought some much-needed clarity: After a thorough search process, West Virginia named former assistant Josh Eilert as its interim coach for 2023-24. (Quite the subtle “interim” tag on the graphic.)

In the official press release, Athletic Director Wren Baker gave his backing to Eilert, citing his “great integrity, work ethic and dedication,” along with his contributions to the program, as determining factors in his hiring.

However, he also added an exhaustive search will commence after the upcoming season:

"I spoke with knowledgeable basketball people around the country over the last week, including coaches, professional basketball executives and others of whom I trust to identify a strong group of candidates to speak with […] Ultimately what I came to recognize, was that conducting this search in late June was difficult for many of our candidates and also it put our talented student-athletes at a real disadvantage. With that said, we will conduct our national search at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season."

The good news for Eilert? Rodney Terry laid the blueprint this past season. If the newly appointed coach can retain his roster, the ‘Eers have the firepower to compete in the Big 12 and make a deep tournament run. Toussaint could withdraw from the portal, and Kriisa already did so.

In the meantime, WVU fans can at least take a breath.

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2. Boomer bummer for Gonzaga, plus other roster news

As the tides change in college hoops, decommitments may become more and more commonplace — and no one is immune. Just ask the blue bloods. Duke lost Mackenzie Mgbako. Kansas lost Chris Johnson. And North Carolina lost Simeon Wilcher.

Add Gonzaga to the list. Over the weekend, Alex Toohey, a 6-8 wing from Australia, reneged on his commitment to the Zags and opted for the professional route. He’ll suit up for the Sydney Kings of the NBL’s Next Stars program.

After years of dominance on the international recruiting trail, it’s a surprising setback for Gonzaga. It still has a pair of rock-solid wings in freshman Dusty Stromer and Eastern Washington transfer Steele Venters, but Mark Few would’ve found a way to utilize Toohey’s defensive peskiness and on-ball craft.

Other notable roster moves:

Chandler Lawson (Memphis) to Arkansas: Eric Musselman will never run out of scholarships. After using the portal to shore up his backcourt in the first half of the offseason, he made a valuable addition to the frontline. The 6-7 Lawson guards multiple positions, excels as a shot-blocking secondary defender and provides the Hogs with a lob threat.

Devan Cambridge (Arizona State) to Texas Tech: Just because Grant McCasland’s teams grind out games doesn’t mean they have to be boring. The coach landed one of the country’s most emphatic dunkers in Devan Cambridge (among high major players 6-6 and under, Cambrdige ranked second nationally in dunks in 2023). He fills a glaring hole on the wing for the Red Raiders.

Jeremiah Williams (Iowa State/Temple) decommits from Illinois: Back to the drawing board for Brad Underwood. The Illini are on the lookout for a point guard yet again after the 6-5 Jeremiah Williams re-opened his recruitment over the weekend. Williams still has questions about his eligibility and his health (he transferred once to Iowa State but never played after a preseason Achilles injury), but a number of teams will take a chance on him due to his defense and floor game.

Jahvon Quinerly (Alabama) enters the transfer portal: Nate Oats’ deep backcourt took a hit last night when Jahvon Quinerly announced that he would grad transfer. He’s been a streaky player throughout his career, but Quinerly is an exceptional passer who shot nearly 40 percent from 3 in conference play. Any high major that’s strapped at the point guard spot will likely reach out.

Quick hitters:

3. Every dog has its Vide

The FIBA U19 World Cup may feature some blowouts in favor of Team USA. But don’t write the tourney off as insignificant. The international tournament can serve as a launching pad for the rising sophomores and incoming freshmen who compete in it. Notable participants from 2021 include Jaden Ivey, Chet Holmgren, Mike Miles and Kenneth Lofton Jr.

However, the weekend’s main story involved an up-and-coming Slovenian (fitting that another Balkan player captures the headlines in the summer of Jokić).

Jan Vide, a 6-6 wing who will play for UCLA this upcoming season, engineered a near-upset, as Slovenia fell to the U.S., 77-72. Vide’s squad led for 30 minutes of the game.

The soon-to-be freshman showcased his full bag, using his handle to create offense and elevating over defenders to get his shot off. He also looked excellent attacking the basket.

After losing Jaylen Clark, Jaime Jaquez and Amari Bailey, UCLA has a huge need for perimeter scoring. Cronin has brought his freshmen along slowly the past couple of seasons, but the young Slovenian might force his hand.

As far as the U.S team goes, it will need more production from its backcourt going forward. Tennessee big man Tobe Awaka turned in an impressive performance (14 points, 11 rebounds) against Slovenia, but Arizona’s Kylan Boswell and Villanova’s Mark Armstrong had quiet outings.

Lessons learned

Damon Stoudamire’s lived it all. A legend at Arizona. NBA Rookie of the Year, and a 13-year career. Time spent as an assistant in college and the NBA, head coach at Pacific, and now he’s at Georgia Tech. He discusses his career with Jeff Goodman, what his focus will be going forward, along with some fun stories along the way.

Links to click as you marvel at Joe Milton’s arm strength:

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