The team returns 20 letterwinners, including nine starters, from the 2014 squad that went 11-7-1. The Mountaineers were unbeaten in seven of their last nine games.
“It might be the best team I’ve had since I’ve been here,” coach Marlon LeBlanc said. “It’s a pretty bold statement to make, but I feel pretty good about this group.
“We’ve got a lot of guys that are hungry on a team that was the first team out last year for the NCAA Tournament. We were No. 31 on Selection Sunday and just missed out.”
West Virginia swept the postseason Mid-American Conference (MAC) awards as Andy Bevin was named the Player of the Year, Joey Piatczyc was named the Freshman of the Year and coach Marlon LeBlanc earned Coach of the Year honors.