West Virginia has not been an “NBA school,” but in recent years, more Mountaineers have begun to play in the league, and some have begun to shine.
The most accomplished active Mountaineer is easily Miles McBride. He is averaging 24.5 minutes per game and 9.3 points per game while shooting 42.7% from the field. McBride began his career as a two-way player for the Knicks. As the years progressed, head coach Tom Thibodeau began to trust McBride on both the defensive and offensive ends of the floor.
After seeing his minutes slowly increase last season, he played a huge role in the Knicks playoff run to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. McBride is now a great role player for the Knicks. He is one of their best defenders while being an offensive threat when called upon.
Jevon Carter is another big name in an NBA jersey. After being drafted in 2018, Carter has bounced around in his NBA career, playing for five teams in seven years. He found success with the Bucks in the 2022-2023 season, and the Bulls signed him at the start of the 2023 season.
Carter has since struggled to find his shot. He is only averaging 5.5 minutes per game and 3.7 points per game. He has proven that he is capable of being a good role player on an NBA team but has not been able to find the right fit so far in his career.
One of the biggest Mountaineer names in the NBA right now, Joe Mazzulla, is having another great year as the head coach of the Boston Celtics. In his first year last season, the Celtics finished 64-18 and won the NBA Finals. This season, the Celtics are 43-18 while battling injuries most of the year and are still the favorites to win the 2025 NBA Finals. He has cemented himself as one of the better coaches in the league already in his second season.
This year, there have been some new Mountaineer faces in the NBA, all with two-way contracts from their respective teams. Erik Stevenson is one of those names that every Mountaineer fan remembers. He recently just signed a two-way deal with the Washington Wizards and has suited up for the last five games.
Although Stevenson has not been able to see the floor this season, he has been lighting it up in the G-League. He is averaging 19.1 points per game while shooting 44.7% from the three-point line. If Stevenson can keep up this production, he will soon get his chance on an NBA floor.
Jesse Edwards is another Mountaineer on a two-way contract. After a disappointing season for WVU last year, Edwards went undrafted and was signed by the Minnesota Timberwolves in free agency. He has been playing well in the G-League this season, averaging 25 minutes and 12.1 points per game. He was recently called up to his first NBA game in the Timberwolves matchup against the Suns. He played 1:35 and did not record a stat.
With the new NIL initiative in college basketball, any Division 1 basketball program could have NBA talent on its roster. West Virginia has always steadily had players in the league, but in recent weeks they have begun to show out for their respective teams. It will be interesting to see if these two-way and role players can earn a spot in the rotation this season.
