All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

Basketball ‘Cats selected 11th in MEC preseason poll

BRIDGEPORT – After advancing to the NCAA Division II National Title game a season ago, West Liberty has been voted preseason favorite to win the 2023-24 Mountain East Conference Men’s Basketball Championship, following a vote of the league’s 11 head coaches.

The preseason poll was announced on Wednesday afternoon prior to the league’s annual media day at Bridgeport Conference Center.

West Liberty received eight first-place votes and 98 points during preseason balloting. Under head coach Ben Howlett, the Hilltoppers went 33-4 a season ago, winning the MEC Regular Season and Tournament Championships. West Liberty also won the NCAA Atlantic Regional at IUP and advanced to the national title game in Evansville, Indiana, eventually falling to Nova Southeastern in the championship game.

In 2023-24, the Hilltoppers return senior guard Christian Montague, junior forward Ben Sarson and junior guard Zach Rasile. West Liberty also added impact transfers John Korte (Wheeling) and Darren Fergus (Malloy). Fergus was the East Coast Conference Player of the Year last winter.

Charleston received the final three first-place votes and were picked preseason runner-up with 90 points during balloting. The Golden Eagles also return an experienced roster this winter with Eddie Colbert, Tyler Eberhart and CJ Meredith back in the lineup. UC also welcomes a trio of transfer guards this season in Freddie Word, DeAirius Barker and Dwaine Jones.

Fairmont State was voted third in the preseason poll with 85 points. The Falcons will be led by senior guard Zyon Dobbs and senior forward Seth Younkin this season. West Virginia State was fourth in the preseason voting with 66 points, and will be led by redshirt-senior forward Anthony Pittman in 2023-24.

Following a historic campaign in 2022-23, Davis & Elkins was picked fifth (65 points) this season. The Senators will be led by first team All-MEC guard Sam Rolle IV.

Concord was voted sixth (52), followed by Notre Dame (50), Glenville State (41), Wheeling (27), Frostburg State (21) and West Virginia Wesleyan (10).

Mountain East Conference
Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll

Rk

Team

Points
1.West Liberty (8)98
2.Charleston (3)90
3.Fairmont State85
4.West Virginia State66
5.Davis & Elkins65
6.Concord52
7.Notre Dame50
8.Glenville State41
9.Wheeling27
10.Frostburg State21
11.West Virginia Wesleyan10
( ) denotes first-place votes

Share this story:

Local Businesses

RECENT Stories

Buckhannon Banter: Get the local lowdown for July 2, 2025

This week in Buckhannon, local organizations plan events and clinics — including a big July 4th celebration — and several community initiatives aim to engage residents of all ages.

Emergency agencies stress need for coordinated incident plans during large events with road closures

Emergency officials emphasized the need for incident action plans and coordination with public safety agencies for large events that close major streets, citing upcoming car shows and other street-closure events to ensure fast, safe emergency responses.
BUHS Sports

B-U now in Class AAAA in all sports; moved to new South Region after WVSSAC restructuring

Buckhannon-Upshur High School will compete in Class AAAA — the highest division — for all sports and has been moved to the new South Region under a two-year realignment by the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission.

Stockert Youth and Community Center Board Meeting Agenda: July 3, 2025

The Stockert Youth and Community Center Board will meet July 3, 2025, with an agenda set to discuss organizational matters and upcoming events.

Buckhannon Waste Board Agenda: July 3, 2025

The City of Buckhannon Waste Collection Board has released the agenda for its upcoming meeting on July 3, 2025.

Woman arrested on six felony charges after allegedly shooting at a man in Upshur County

Jocelyn M. Krum, 28, of Charleston, was arrested on six felony charges after allegedly entering a Mt. Lebanon Road residence in Upshur County with a rifle and shooting at a man before fleeing the scene.

Buckhannon man sentenced to 11 to 21 years for Bailey Ridge Road shootout

Austin W. Arbogast, 26, was sentenced to 11 to 21 years in prison after pleading guilty to four felony charges stemming from a March 2024 shootout on Bailey Ridge Road while attempting to retrieve his child.

Mountain East Conference extends invitation to Shawnee State University

The Mountain East Conference has approved Shawnee State University as its 12th full-time member, with the school set to join in 2026 pending NCAA Division II acceptance and expanding league competition in 19 sports.
Davis and Elkins College

Davis & Elkins College students recognized for high academic honors for Spring 2025 semester

Davis & Elkins College has announced the Spring 2025 president’s list, for students earning 4.0 GPAs, and dean’s list, for those earning 3.6 to 3.99, honoring academic excellence campus-wide.