If you’ve spent any time at the WVU Coliseum lately, you know the vibe has shifted. It’s not just the new faces on the floor or a different coach pacing the sidelines. It’s the way the game is being played. Honestly, if you only look at the final scores, you’re missing the real story of how this program is rebuilding itself from the ground up.
West Virginia basketball statistics in the 2025-2026 season are a weird, beautiful mix of "Press Virginia" grit and modern spacing. We aren’t just talking about points per game here. We are talking about defensive rotations that make opponents want to quit and a pace of play that is, frankly, a bit of a grind—but a winning one.
The Numbers Behind the New Era
Let's get real for a second. Last season was a massive jump. The Mountaineers finished 19-13, a ten-win improvement over the year before. You don't just stumble into a double-digit win increase in the Big 12. That happened because of a defensive identity that actually ranked 20th in the nation, allowing just 64.8 points per game.
Right now, in the 2025-2026 campaign, that trend is sticking. Through the first 17 games, West Virginia is sitting at a KenPom defensive efficiency rank of 38th. They are holding teams to about 63.2 points a night. If you love old-school, suffocating defense, these stats are your best friend.
A Closer Look at the 2025-26 Season
Basically, the team is playing at one of the slowest tempos in the country. They rank 357th out of 365 teams in adjusted tempo. That means every possession matters. A lot.
- Effective FG% Defense: 47.1% (38th nationally)
- 2-Point Defense: Opponents are shooting a miserable 44.2% inside the arc. That's 8th in the entire country.
- 3-Point Shooting: The Mountaineers are hitting 36.6% from deep, which is a huge relief compared to some of the shooting droughts we’ve seen in years past.
The offense is a work in progress, ranking 97th in efficiency. They aren't going to blow people out with 90-point games often. They’d rather beat you 64-57 and make you miserable for 40 minutes.
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The Players Moving the Needle
You've got to look at Javon Small. The senior guard is basically the engine. He’s putting up 18.6 points per game and dishing out 5.6 assists. When he’s on the floor, the offensive rating jumps significantly. Without him? Things get a little dicey.
Then there’s the tragedy of the "what if." Tucker DeVries, the two-time Missouri Valley Player of the Year who followed his dad to Morgantown, was supposed to be the superstar. Before a shoulder injury ended his 2024-25 season, he was averaging nearly 15 points and 5 rebounds while shooting 47% from three. His absence changed the math for the whole roster, forcing guys like Amani Hansberry (9.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG) to grow up fast.
West Virginia Basketball Statistics: The All-Time Legends
You can't talk about WVU stats without mentioning the logo himself. Jerry West still looms large over every record book in the building. It’s kind of wild to realize he still holds the career scoring record with 2,309 points—and he did that in only three seasons. No three-point line. No shot clock. Just pure buckets.
Here is how the all-time scoring list looks when you strip away the fluff:
- Jerry West: 2,309 points (1957–60)
- Rod "Hot Rod" Hundley: 2,180 points (1954–57)
- Da'Sean Butler: 2,095 points (2006–10)
- Wil Robinson: 1,850 points (1969–72)
- Kevin Jones: 1,822 points (2008–12)
Jevon Carter is another name that stat nerds love. He’s the only player in school history to finish with over 1,500 points, 500 assists, and 300 steals. He owns the single-season steal record (112) and the career mark (330). That "Press Virginia" era was a goldmine for defensive metrics that still haven't been topped.
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Why Rebounding is the Secret Sauce
If there is one stat that defines West Virginia basketball, it’s the offensive rebound rate. Even in "off" years, the Mountaineers usually rank in the top 100 for crashing the boards.
This year, the team is grabbing offensive rebounds at a 31.3% clip. It’s not elite like the Bob Huggins' 2010 Final Four team, but it’s enough to create second-chance opportunities when the primary set breaks down. Hansberry and Toby Okani are the main culprits there. Okani might only score 8 points a game, but his 4.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks don't fully capture how much space he occupies.
Misconceptions About the Big 12 Grind
People often think "good stats" means high scoring. In the Big 12, that’s a lie. The league is a defensive bloodbath. When you look at West Virginia’s stats and see them shooting 42.5% as a team, you might think they’re struggling.
But look at the context. They just beat Kansas 86-75 in January 2026. They held Iowa State to 57 points in a win. In this conference, efficiency is king, not volume. The Mountaineers are currently 39th in defensive rebounding rate (73.1%), which means they aren't giving up many second chances to the giants in this league. That is how you win games when your own shots aren't falling.
Navigating the Advanced Metrics
If you’re checking sites like KenPom or BartTorvik, pay attention to the "Adjusted Defensive Efficiency." WVU is consistently hovering in the top 40. This means that even when they play a high-scoring team like Arizona, they are effectively slowing them down relative to how that team usually performs.
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It’s about the "Four Factors" of basketball:
- Shooting (eFG%): 53.1% (Doing okay)
- Turnovers: 16.8% (Need to tighten this up)
- Rebounding: 31.3% (Solid)
- Free Throws: 40.1 rate (They get to the line a lot)
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
If you are tracking this team, stop looking at the scoreboard and start looking at the "points per possession" (PPP). When West Virginia keeps opponents under 0.95 PPP, they are almost unbeatable.
Keep an eye on the turnover margin. The current team is forcing turnovers at a 18.5% rate. That’s good, but not "Press Virginia" good. For this team to make a deep run in March, that number probably needs to tick up toward 20%.
Also, watch the health of Javon Small. The statistics show a massive drop-off in offensive flow when he rests. The team’s assist rate is 54.5%, but a huge chunk of that is generated solely through his penetration and kick-outs.
The most important stat to watch for the rest of the 2026 season? 2-point field goal percentage defense. As long as they stay in the top 10 nationally (currently 8th at 44.2%), they will be a nightmare for anyone in the NCAA tournament.
To stay ahead of the curve, track the team's performance in "Quad 1" games. Last year they grabbed six of those wins. This year, with the Big 12 being as deep as it is, they’ll have plenty of chances to pad that resume. Focus on the defensive efficiency trends in away games—that’s usually the first sign of a team that is ready for a tournament run.