2015–16 West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team

2015–16 West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball
Las Vegas Invitational Champions
NCAA tournament, First Round
ConferenceBig 12 Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 14
APNo. 8
Record26–9 (13–5 Big 12)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaWVU Coliseum
Seasons
2015–16 Big 12 men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 1 Kansas 15 3   .833 33 5   .868
No. 8 West Virginia 13 5   .722 26 9   .743
No. 7 Oklahoma 12 6   .667 29 8   .784
Texas 11 7   .611 20 13   .606
No. 21 Baylor 10 8   .556 22 12   .647
No. 22 Iowa State 10 8   .556 23 12   .657
Texas Tech 9 9   .500 19 13   .594
Kansas State 5 13   .278 17 16   .515
Oklahoma State 3 15   .167 12 20   .375
TCU 2 16   .111 12 21   .364
2016 Big 12 Tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll [1]


The 2015–16 West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team represented West Virginia University during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Mountaineers were coached by ninth year head coach Bob Huggins and played their home games at WVU Coliseum. They were members of the Big 12 Conference. They finished the season 26–9, 13–5 in Big 12 play to finish in second place. They defeated TCU and Oklahoma to advance to the championship game of the Big 12 tournament where they lost to Kansas. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where, as a #3 seed, they were upset in the first round by #14 seed Stephen F. Austin.

Previous season

[edit]

The Mountaineers finished the season 25–10, 11–7 in Big 12 play to finish in a tie for fourth place. They lost in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament to Baylor. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they defeated Buffalo in the second round and Maryland in the third round before losing in the Sweet Sixteen to Kentucky.

Departures

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Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Notes
Juwan Staten 3 G 6'1" 190 RS Senior Dayton, OH Graduated
Chase Connor 10 G 6'1" 190 Sophomore Shady Spring, WV Transferred to Fairmont State
Gary Browne 14 G 6'1" 195 Senior Cupey, PR Graduated
BillyDee Williams 21 F 6'6" 215 Junior Orlando, FL Transferred to UT Permian Basin
Tyron Hughes 23 G 6'0" 185 Junior Chicago, IL Walk-on; left the team
Kevin Noreen 34 F 6'10" 245 Senior Minneapolis, MN Graduated

Incoming transfers

[edit]
Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Previous School
Teyvon Meyers 1 G 6'3" 180 Junior Brooklyn, NY Junior college transfer from Williston State College
TyQuane Goard F 6'7" 215 RS Senior Charleston, WV Transferred from Marshall. Under NCAA transfer rules, Goard will have to sit out for the 2015–16 season. Will have one year of remaining eligibility.

Recruits

[edit]
College recruiting information
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Esa Ahmad
SF
Shaker Heights, OH Shaker Heights High School 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 218 lb (99 kg) Sep 10, 2014 
Star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
James Bolden
PG
Covington, KY Holmes High School 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 160 lb (73 kg) May 14, 2014 
Star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Lamont West
PG
Lithonia, GA Miller Grove High School 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 200 lb (91 kg) May 14, 2015 
Star ratings: ScoutN/A   Rivals:3/5 stars   247SportsN/A    ESPNN/A
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: Not Ranked   Rivals: 23  ESPN: 20
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "West Virginia 2015 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  • "2015 West Virginia Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  • "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  • "2015 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 11, 2015.

Recruit Class of 2016

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College recruiting information (2016)
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Chase Harler
SG
Wheeling, WV Central Catholic High School 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Aug 3, 2014 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   RivalsN/A   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Brandon Knapper
SG
Charleston, WV South Charleston High School 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Sep 21, 2014 
Star ratings: ScoutN/A   RivalsN/A   247SportsN/A    ESPNN/A
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: Not Ranked   Rivals: 23  ESPN: 20
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

Roster

[edit]
2015–16 West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown
G 0 Teyvon Myers 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Jr Williston State College Brooklyn, NY
F 1 Jonathan Holton 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) RS Sr Palm Beach State CC Miami, FL
G 2 Jevon Carter 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg) So Proviso East HS Maywood, IL
G 3 James Bolden 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Fr Holmes HS Covington, KY
G 4 Daxter Miles Jr. 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) So Notre Dame Prep Baltimore, MD
G 5 Jaysean Paige 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Sr Moberly Area CC Jamestown, NY
F 11 Nathan Adrian 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 240 lb (109 kg) Jr Morgantown Morgantown, WV
G 12 Tarik Phillip 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Jr Independence CC Brooklyn, NY
G 13 James Long 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Jr Wofford Charleston, WV
F 15 Lamont West 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Fr Miller Grove Cincinnati, OH
F 20 Brandon Watkins 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Jr Grady Decatur, GA
F 21 Logan Routt 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 250 lb (113 kg) Fr Cameron Cameron, WV
F 23 Esa Ahmad 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Fr Shaker Heights Shaker Heights, OH
G 30 Richard Romeo III 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Sr Greenbrier East White Sulphur Springs, WV
F 41 Devin Williams 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 255 lb (116 kg) Jr Montverde Academy Cincinnati, OH
F 45 Elijah Macon 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) RS So Brewster Academy Columbus, OH
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster

Schedule and results

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Sources: [1] and [2]

Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
11/06/2015*
7:00 pm
Glenville State W 114–76 
WVU Coliseum (6,115)
Morgantown, WV
Regular season
11/13/2015*
7:00 pm
Northern Kentucky W 107–61  1–0
WVU Coliseum (10,120)
Morgantown, WV
11/16/2015*
7:00 pm, RTPT
vs. James Madison
Charleston Showcase
W 86–73  2–0
Charleston Civic Center (8,101)
Charleston, WV
11/20/2015*
7:00 pm, RTPT
Stetson
Las Vegas Invitational
W 103–62  3–0
WVU Coliseum (8,268)
Morgantown, WV
11/23/2015*
7:00 pm, RTPT
Bethune-Cookman
Las Vegas Invitational
W 97–44  4–0
WVU Coliseum (6,196)
Morgantown, WV
11/26/2015*
5:00 pm, FS1
vs. Richmond
Las Vegas Invitational semifinals
W 67–59  5–0
Orleans Arena 
Paradise, NV
11/27/2015*
10:30 pm, FS1
vs. San Diego State
Las Vegas Invitational championship
W 72–50  6–0
Orleans Arena (3,245)
Paradise, NV
12/05/2015*
12:30 pm, RTPT
No. 20 Kennesaw State W 87–54  7–0
WVU Coliseum (8,731)
Morgantown, WV
12/08/2015*
7:00 pm, ESPN
No. 14 vs. No. 10 Virginia
Jimmy V Classic
L 54–70  7–1
Madison Square Garden 
New York City, NY
12/13/2015*
5:00 pm
No. 14 Louisiana–Monroe W 100–58  8–1
WVU Coliseum (8,323)
Morgantown, WV
12/17/2015*
7:00 pm, ESPNU
No. 20 vs. Marshall
Chesapeake Energy Capital Classic
W 86–68  9–1
Charleston Civic Center (11,748)
Charleston, WV
12/21/2015*
7:00 pm, ESPNU
No. 19 Eastern Kentucky W 84–59  10–1
WVU Coliseum (8,121)
Morgantown, WV
12/30/2015*
12:00 pm, ESPNU
No. 19 at Virginia Tech W 88–63  11–1
Cassell Coliseum (9,567)
Blacksburg, VA
01/02/2016
12:00 pm, ESPNU
No. 19 at Kansas State W 87–83 2OT 12–1
(1–0)
Bramlage Coliseum (12,270)
Manhattan, KS
01/04/2016
7:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 17 at TCU W 95–87  13–1
(2–0)
Schollmaier Arena (4,239)
Fort Worth, TX
01/09/2016
1:00 pm, ESPNU
No. 17 Oklahoma State W 77–60  14–1
(3–0)
WVU Coliseum (11,219)
Morgantown, WV
01/12/2016
7:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 11 No. 1 Kansas W 74–63  15–1
(4–0)
WVU Coliseum (12,097)
Morgantown, WV
01/16/2016
4:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 11 at No. 2 Oklahoma L 68–70  15–2
(4–1)
Lloyd Noble Center (11,933)
Norman, OK
01/20/2016
7:00 pm, ESPNU
No. 6 Texas L 49–56  15–3
(4–2)
WVU Coliseum (9,881)
Morgantown, WV
01/23/2016
1:00 pm, ESPNews
No. 6 at Texas Tech W 80–76  16–3
(5–2)
United Supermarkets Arena (10,732)
Lubbock, TX
01/26/2016
7:00 pm, ESPNews
No. 9 Kansas State W 70–55  17–3
(6–2)
WVU Coliseum (9,936)
Morgantown, WV
01/30/2016*
12:00 pm, ESPN
No. 9 at Florida
Big 12/SEC Challenge
L 71–88  17–4
O'Connell Center (11,611)
Gainesville, FL
02/02/2016
9:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 14 at No. 13 Iowa State W 81–76  18–4
(7–2)
Hilton Coliseum (14,384)
Ames, IA
02/06/2016
8:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 14 No. 15 Baylor W 80–69  19–4
(8–2)
WVU Coliseum (14,069)
Morgantown, WV
02/09/2016
7:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 10 at No. 6 Kansas L 65–75  19–5
(8–3)
Allen Fieldhouse (16,300)
Lawrence, KS
02/13/2016
12:00 pm, ESPNU
No. 10 TCU W 73–42  20–5
(9–3)
WVU Coliseum (13,137)
Morgantown, WV
02/16/2016
7:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 10 at No. 24 Texas L 78–85  20–6
(9–4)
Frank Erwin Center (12,284)
Austin, TX
02/20/2016
4:00 pm, ESPN
No. 10 No. 3 Oklahoma L 62–76  20–7
(9–5)
WVU Coliseum (15,289)
Morgantown, WV
02/22/2016
9:00 pm, ESPN
No. 14 No. 17 Iowa State W 97–87  21–7
(10–5)
WVU Coliseum (10,683)
Morgantown, WV
02/27/2016
6:00 pm, ESPNU
No. 14 at Oklahoma State W 70–56  22–7
(11–5)
Gallagher-Iba Arena (5,539)
Stillwater, OK
03/02/2016
7:00 pm, ESPNU
No. 10 Texas Tech W 90–68  23–7
(12–5)
WVU Coliseum (12,680)
Morgantown, WV
03/05/2016
2:00 pm, ESPN
No. 10 at No. 19 Baylor W 69–58  24–7
(13–5)
Ferrell Center (7,629)
Waco, TX
Big 12 tournament
03/10/2016
7:00 pm, ESPNU
(2) No. 9 vs. (10) TCU
Quarterfinals
W 86–66  25–7
Sprint Center (18,972)
Kansas City, MO
03/11/2016
9:00 pm, ESPN2
(2) No. 9 vs. (3) No. 6 Oklahoma
Semifinals
W 69–67  26–7
Sprint Center (18,972)
Kansas City, MO
03/12/2016
6:00 pm, ESPN
(2) No. 9 vs. (1) No. 1 Kansas
Championship
L 71–81  26–8
Sprint Center (19,046)
Kansas City, MO
NCAA tournament
03/18/2016*
7:10 PM, CBS
(3 E) No. 8 vs. (14 E) Stephen F. Austin
First Round
L 56–70  26–9
Barclays Center (17,502)
Brooklyn, NY
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
E=East Region.
All times are in Eastern Time.

Rankings

[edit]
Ranking movement
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. ██ Not ranked the previous week.
Poll Pre Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Wk 6 Wk 7 Wk 8 Wk 9 Wk 10 Wk 11 Wk 12 Wk 13 Wk 14 Wk 15 Wk 16 Wk 17 Wk 18 Post Final
AP RV RV RV 20 14 20 19 19 17 11 6 9 14 10 10 14 10 9 8 *N/A
Coaches 23 22 22 15 14 16 18 17 15 10 7 9 12 10 11 12 9 8 8 14

*AP does not release post-NCAA tournament rankings

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2019-20 Big 12 Men's Basketball Record Book" (PDF). Big 12 Conference. pp. 26–30. Retrieved June 18, 2020.