MORGANTOWN — Ever since Darian DeVries was named West Virginia’s men’s basketball coach, media and fans alike have delved into every aspect of the man who brings a new game to town:
—What kind of offense does he run?
—How important is defense to him?
—What’s it like coaching his son?
—How different does he think it will be coaching in the Big 12 from Drake of the Missouri Valley Conference?
—What does he eat for breakfast?
—What’s his middle name?
—Etc., etc., etc.
But, just when you thought you knew all there was to know about Darian DeVries, who inherits the job Bob Huggins occupied for 548 games over 16 years before being ushered out the back door to be replaced by interim Josh Eilert, DeVries hits a step-back 3 right in your face.
With the first exhibition game just two weeks ago, the “tell me more” inquisition turned to his sideline demeanor. After 16 years of the Huggins show, from a gold suit to a pullover top, from pacing the sidelines to sitting on a stool, to in-your-face confrontations with officials, what could be expected out of DeVries?
“I’m mostly calm … mostly. Haven’t had a technical foul yet, so that gives you an idea,” DeVries said, an amazing revelation, especially when you consider that the Missouri Valley Conference from whence he came used the Big 12 officiating crews.
Some of Huggins’ later teams struggled so much that fans — and TV directors — couldn’t wait to see him snarling eyeball to eyeball with Kipp Kissinger or some of the other Big 12 whistleblowers.
But that isn’t DeVries’ style.
“I’m not someone who puts a lot of focus on officials,” he said. “Sometimes you want to talk to them a little bit, but they are doing their job and I’m doing my job. For the most part, I just want to coach my team and make sure my thoughts are focused on that.
“I try to keep a pretty good rapport with the officials. If I’m upset, maybe they miss one or even maybe I’m wrong. But I don’t want that to be the focus on a game-to-game basis. I want it to be on us.”
Why do I sense that a full house crowd at the Coliseum incensed over a couple of “only-in-the-Big 12” calls might find a way to draw that first technical foul out of DeVries?
But maybe, it won’t. You ask his son and high scorer, Tucker, about it and as he enters his fifth year of playing for him he admits, “I haven’t got one, either.”
But, he adds:
“I’m sure it’s coming. It’s going to happen eventually.”
So what is DeVries like on the sideline? One of the new players, transfer senior Tony Akani, who battled against Drake over the years in the Missouri Valley Conference, tried to describe the DeVries’ demeanor.
“I’ve seen him multiple times as a coach and, yeah, he gets motivated but he is very much cool and relaxed after he has his moment,” he said. “As a player, as an opponent seeing that, it’s like they won because he understands his players are going to respond and are built for the moment.
“I’m not surprised he hasn’t had a technical. If he gets one, he gets one, but it will be because they caught him at a bad moment.”
And, it isn’t that he doesn’t fully immerse himself into the game.
“He is very much animated in practice but he stays composed because he understands we are at our best when we are way more relaxed,” Akani said.
So he’ll have his say, there just won’t be any challenges to Bobby Knight’s chair throwing record.
That’s just not in DeVries’ DNA.
“He stays pretty focused on the group as a whole,” son Tucker said. “He’s a big believer in control. Like every coach he’s going to say some things, but maybe he has a little more respect from the officials because he’s said some things that I’d probably have T-ed him up a time or two.
“But he’s pretty good at keeping his cool. When things aren’t going our way, it’s more like it’s time to dig a little deeper.”
By way of comparison, last season, Alabama’s Nate Oates picked up his 22nd technical foul in five seasons at the school in January and when it comes to players and technical fouls, you need look no further than the NBA’s two career leaders, Karl Malone with 332 and Charles Barkley with 329.
Of course, sooner or later, there’s going to be an official who points right at DeVries and makes the “T” sign with his hands.
And when that happens, Tucker DeVries will be prepared.
“First one?” Tucker said. “I’ll let him hear about it … but I hope we win.”
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