Three Potential WVU Candidates Win Conference Tournament Championships

Another box checked for a few West Virginia candidates.

The search for the next head men's basketball coach at West Virginia is well underway and athletic director Wren Baker will be closely following the progress that prospective candidates make this postseason.

Sure, he'd like to see the guys on his list make a run to help further confirm his thoughts on them but selfishly, he'd probably like to see their season's come to an end sooner than later so he can get the ball rolling on the interview process.

Over the last week, three head coaches who have been strongly tied to the WVU job won their respective conference tournament championship.

Pat Kelsey (Charleston) - CAA.

Darian DeVries (Drake) - MVC.

Mark Byington (James Madison) - Sun Belt.

These three have secured automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament and will find out their date in the first round later tonight. 

Kelsey and the Charleston Cougars took down Stony Brook in thrilling fashion, winning in overtime 82-79.

DeVries met up with another potential candidate in Josh Schertz (Indiana State) in the MVC final, coming away with a 84-80 victory.

Byington's Dukes won the Sun Belt title in convincing fashion, 91-71 over Arkansas State, heading into the NCAA Tournament with a 31-3 record.

Candidates that fell short? Dusty May (Florida Atlantic) dropped the AAC semifinal to Temple, Niko Medved (Colorado State) lost in the MWC semifinals to New Mexico, and Dustin Kerns (Appalachian State) fell to Arkansas State in the semifinals of the Sun Belt.

Rumored WVU Candidate Named Coach of the Year Semifinalist