West Virginia loses key players after Bob Huggins’ exit

The West Virginia Mountaineers parted ways with long-time men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins earlier this month after 16 seasons with the program. Unfortunately, this has indirectly led to a number of players entering the transfer portal on Friday.

Huggins ultimately left the program after being arrested earlier this month, later being charged for a DUI. It is a part of a tumultous offseason for the legendary head coach that also included him shouting homophobic slurs at fans of the Xavier Muskateers.

It is obviously a big blow to West Virginia’s hopes this season to not have a coach like Huggins anymore with their program. Things won’t be any easier after two players officially entered the transfer portal on Friday.

247 Sports college basketball analyst Travis Branham reported on Friday that both Kerr Kriisa and Joe Toussaint plan to enter the transfer portal. This will mark the third West Virginia player to enter the portal after Tre Mitchell did so earlier on Friday.

West Virginia guards Kerr Kriisa and Joe Toussaint plan to enter the transfer portal, a source confirms to @247SportsPortal.

Makes for three transfers since Huggins’ departure alongside Tre Mitchell.

— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) June 23, 2023

Kriisa initally came to West Virginia after entering the transfr portal from Arizona, where he led the Pac-12 in assists last year. Meanwhile, both Tre Mitchell and Joe Toussaint played key roles for West Virginia last season, averaging 30.0 and 21.8 minutes per game respectively.

These are certainly some pretty huge losses, and there may be even more to come in the coming weeks. The NCAA granted West Virginia players an extra 30-days to enter the transfer portal due to the coaching change.

Per NCAA rules, “student-athletes receive an extra 30-day time period to enter the transfer portal if there is a head coaching change.”

— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) June 18, 2023

[Travis Branham on Twitter]