By Bill Nestor
West Virginia University basketball fans have the opportunity to relive some of the glory day memories of days gone by as Best Virginia opened up its quest for a cool million dollars.
Best Virginia is a team that is comprised mainly of former Mountaineer basketball standouts that come together for the common goal of winning The Basketball Tournament. This is the 12th year for the TBT and they have added a new wrinkle to the equation. Every team values home court advantage and this year the host regions were in a race to sell 4,000 tickets, which then determined the seeding.
Louisville won the race and took the top seed, followed by Lexington, Syracuse, Wichita, and West Virginia. As long as the regional host wins, they will maintain home court advantage. If two regional hosts lock up, the higher ranked would host. Best Virginia is the number three seed and coached by former West Virginia standout Jarrod West. West played 110 games in the old gold and blue from 1994 to 1998. The most famous included a bank shot from the top of the key that sank Cincinnati (coached then by Bob Huggins) and propelled Gale Catlett and WVU to the Sweet Sixteen.
This will be the second stint for West as the Head Coach of Best Virginia; his first was back in 2019. West had been the long-time leader of the Notre Dame High School boys’ team and recently made the coaching move. After accomplishing everything possible at the high school level, which included winning a Class A title in 2017, the veteran decided to go to the next level. He became an assistant for Emily Stoller at Glenville State University.
Some coaches would find the adjustment shifting from men to women difficult; for West it shouldn’t be an issue. West is a relatable coach that players respond to, which will help the Lady Pioneers and, hopefully, this latest Best Virginia edition.
West also has another incentive. For the first time since high school he will be able to coach his own son. The younger West played at Marshall and Louisville before playing professionally. He currently stars or KK Bosnia Sarajevo and has taken time to join his father in the chase for the million.
Best Virginia opened up with a 72 to 69 win over the DuBois Dream. Best virginia opened up a 17-point lead and held on for the hard-fought win that was aided by the previously mentioned home-court advantage at the Charleston Coliseum.
The DuBois Dream closed with a 15 to two scoring advantage in the fourth quarter, but West and company held on to survive and advance.
Best Virginia placed three players in double-digits in scoring, led by James Reece V’s 21 points. Vincent Mitchell netted 13 points. Joby Okani came off the bench to score nine points and grab a game high 11 rebounds. Best Virginia held a 51 to 38 advantage on the glass.
One down and five to go for Best Virginia. Five more victories and they will split one million dollars – not bad for a few weeks of work!
That will do it for now. Until next week . . . take care and God Bless!
