West Virginia Alumni Form “Best Virginia” Team for TBT

Mountaineer fans will get multiple chances to see the West Virginia alumni team, Best Virginia, as it prepares for its first attempt at The Basketball Tournament (TBT). TBT is a winner-take-all, single-elimination tournament for $2 million. This is the sixth year the tournament is taking place and games will be televised on ESPN this summer.

Former Mountaineer John Flowers said that the team is planning to visit parts of the state where fans may not be able to see West Virginia basketball as often. The first stop for the team will Beckley on July 11.

As of now, Best Virginia is not yet guaranteed to be a part of TBT, but the team currently leads the field in number of supports, which is a determining factor in the team selection process. The team has applied for the Richmond Regional location, and, if it is accepted, the WVU alumni will start playing in the tournament on July 19. The team currently consists of Da’Sean Butler, Joe Alexander, Kevin Jones, Juwan Staten, Nathan Adrian, John Flowers, Jaysean Paige, and Tarik Phillip. Mountaineer fans can also get in on the action, by joining as a supporter of the Best Virginia team.

More Links

West Virginia’s senior right fielder Darius Hill has been named the Big 12 Player of the Week. In the Mountaineers’ three games this past week Hill had eight RBIs, five doubles, and batted .692, which made him the conference leader in all three categories during the week. The five doubles helped Hill boost his season count to 22 and they pushed his school record to 76 career doubles.

Hill also finished the week on a high note, by showing out for Senior Day. In what might have been his last game at Monongalia County Ballpark, Hill had four hits, five RBIs, and a home run to help the Mountaineers take down the George Washington Colonials, 13-2. Check out what Darius had to say about the game and the support he and the team received from Mountaineer Nation.

For Mountaineer fans that can’t wait that long to see WVU alumni back on the court, the 5th Annual Men’s Basketball Alumni Game is taking place on July 6 at Fairmont State Arena. The game has provided fans with a fun opportunity to see many generations of Mountaineers come together on one court. The alumni are also planning to continue donating a portion of the proceeds from the game.

The Big 12 Baseball Championship is getting ready to start tomorrow morning, and the fourth-seeded West Virginia Mountaineers are taking on the fifth-seeded Kansas Jayhawks in the first game of the tournament. WVU won the regular season series against Kansas in Morgantown. Randy Mazey’s squad won the first two games in a doubleheader, but dropped the last game against the Jayhawks by just one run. For more information on the Mountaineer’s matchup with the Jayhawks, check out our Big 12 Tournament Primer.

That’s it for today. Have any tips, suggestions or requests for what you want to see in Mountaineer Links? Don’t hesitate to leave a comment below or contact us on social media.

Follow us!

Twitter: @smokingmusket

Facebook: The Smoking Musket