WVU basketball is heading into conference play and on Christmas break. Now is a great time to check in on the former Mountaineers who are in the NBA. They have a few guys making waves at the next level, including as a head coach. The NBA season is only a couple of months underway, but they have played enough to determine how teams and rotations are going to shake out. Read more: Mountaineers in the NBA check in.
Mountaineers in the NBA check in
There are six former Mountaineers in the NBA, with five players and one head coach. Three of those players have seen minutes this season, while two others are improving in the G-League. Two former guards are having their best seasons as professionals, as the defensive tenacity they showed in Morgantown translates to the NBA.
Joe Mazzulla
The biggest former Mountaineer in the NBA is now a head coach. Joe Mazzulla played for the Mountaineers from 2006-07 to 2010-11, and helped them reach the Final Four in 2010. He is now the head coach of the Boston Celtics and is in his fourth season with the team. He won an NBA Championship in his second season and has finished each season with a winning percentage of at least .695.
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Mazzulla started as a head coach just down the road from WVU at Fairmont State. He spent two seasons there before getting hired as an assistant in Boston in 2019. Mazzulla was an assistant until 2022, when he was named interim head coach following a season-long suspension of Ime Udoka. He started the season 18-4 and was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month in October and November. He is leaving a lasting legacy in the NBA, just as he did in Morgantown.
Jevon Carter
Jevon Carter was a fan favorite in Morgantown, and his jersey is still sold in the team shop inside the Hope Coliseum. He is currently in his eighth season in the NBA, and third with the Chicago Bulls. He is averaging 14.3 minutes and 6.9 points per game this season. His minutes are slightly down from his career average, but his points are up due to his three-point shooting. Carter is still doing what he did in college: playing tenacious defense and turning it into easy points. He is also making 42% of his threes this season.
Carter is a veteran in the NBA at 30 and has found a home in Chicago, which is just 12 miles from his hometown of Maywood, Illinois. He has spent time with five teams after getting drafted by the Grizzlies in 2018. He was traded to the Suns in 2019 and then to the Nets in 2021. The Nets waived him in 2022, but the Bucks quickly picked him up. He ended up in Chicago before the 2023-24 season and exercised his player option before this season in the final year of his contract.
Miles “Deuce” McBride
“Deuce” McBride played only two seasons at WVU before heading to the NBA, but made his presence felt in Morgantown. He is now in his fifth season with the New York Knicks and is having his best season as a professional. In 20 games this season, he is averaging 11.6 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.6 rebounds. McBride is also shooting 43.6% from the field and 44.4% from three. He is playing 27 minutes per game in a key role for the Knicks. Unfortunately, he has not played since Dec. 7 due to an ankle injury.
Javon Small
Javon Small spent one season in Morgantown, which was last season. He was drafted 48th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies and signed a two-way contract. He has appeared in only nine games in the NBA this season, averaging 12.3 minutes, 3.8 points, and 3.2 assists per game. Small has missed time with a turf toe injury on his left foot. He should spend most of his time this season with the Memphis Hustle after he recovers, but he has a chance in the NBA if he returns quickly. The Grizzlies are dealing with several injuries to their guards, which could give Small opportunities in the NBA.
Oscar Tshiebwe and Jalen Bridges
Both of these players transferred and did not graduate from WVU, but started their collegiate careers in Morgantown. Tshiebwe is on a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz, while Bridges is on a two-way contract with the Boston Celtics. Bridges is from Fairmont, WV, where Joe Mazzulla coached before the Celtics. They have familiarity with one another from their time there. Neither player has played in an NBA game this season; both have played only in the G League.
