West Virginia may not have the longest track record when it comes to producing NBA talent, but the Mountaineers still have a handful of alumni making noise in this year’s NBA playoffs.
With much of the first round of the playoffs coming to an end soon, now is a good time to take a look at the representatives WVU currently boasts at the biggest stage. Read more: Joe Mazzula headlines Mountaineers in the NBA Playoffs.
Joe Mazzulla
Former West Virginia point guard Joe Mazzulla is currently leading the Boston Celtics over the Philadelphia 76ers, three games to two.
The 37-year-old is in his fourth season at the helm for one of the league’s most historic franchises. Mazzulla is also the youngest head coach in the NBA.
Since taking over for the Celtics in 2022, Mazzulla has been one of the premier head coaches across the NBA. He became an NBA champion in just his second season as a head coach in the 2023-2024 season, making him the sixth youngest to accomplish that feat in NBA history.
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He has already amassed over 200 wins in his career, with each season totaling no less than 56 wins in the regular season.
Currently, he has the Celtics in a good position to return to the NBA Finals, but the 76ers have had a shockingly good first-round performance against them. Game 6 is slated for April 30 at 8 p.m. in Philadelphia.
Mazzulla played four years at West Virginia from 2006-2010. Across 145 total games played, he averaged 4.8 points and 2.6 assists.
While Mazzulla still has a long career ahead, his early success suggests he could eventually join the NBA’s all-time coaching greats. A second title this season would be a significant step in that direction.
Miles “Deuce” McBride
Miles McBride, another former WVU point guard, has become a key role player on the New York Knicks since getting drafted in 2021.
Currently, the third-seeded New York Knicks lead the sixth-seeded Atlanta Hawks three games to two. The Knicks have had to fight tooth and nail with the Hawks, who have also had a surprisingly strong showing in the first round.
However, that’s exactly the type of play McBride thrives on. It’s also what got him drafted and how he eventually carved himself a consistent role on the team.
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In Game 5, McBride played 20 minutes and missed his only two shot attempts. In the two games prior, he scored 15 and 11 points. He has also taken care of the ball, committing just six turnovers through the first five games of the series.
In the regular season, the Cincinnati native averaged 12 points on 42.3% from the field. He also averaged a career high of 26 minutes per game.
During his West Virginia career, which spanned from 2019-2022, McBride averaged 12.6 points, 3.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game.
McBride and the Knicks will play Game 6 against the Hawks on April 6 at 7 p.m.
Jevon Carter
Jevon Carter remains one of the best to ever come through West Virginia, and now he’s part of a playoff run with the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic, who lead the top-seeded Detroit Pistons three games to one.
The Pistons finished the regular season third across the entire NBA, and the Magic had to win a play-in game over the Charlotte Hornets just to etch their name in the playoff hunt.
However, none of that matters now as they look primed to take down the Pistons in near dominating fashion.
As for Carter, he’s seen just three minutes of action across the first four games. He missed his only shot attempt in Game 2.
The 13-year NBA journeyman averaged 6.4 points on 40% shooting this season. He started the year with the Chicago Bulls but was later traded to the Magic later in the season.
Across his four years at West Virginia from 2014-2018, Carter averaged 17.3 points, 6.6 assists, and 3.0 steals per game. His 330 career steals are still a program record.
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As the NBA playoffs continue, if any of these teams make deeper runs, WVSportsNation will make sure to keep you updated.
That goes for all other news and updates on all things WVU athletics.
Jevon Carter
Thank you for pointing this out, I missed it during edit! It’s fixed.