West Virginia wears the Crown well
The Mountaineers, led by senior guard Honor Huff's 38 points, defeated Oklahoma in overtime, 89-82, to capture the College Basketball Crown event Sunday.
West Virginia Mountaineers G Honor Huff (3) jumps towards the crowd to collect the rebound during the 2026 College Basketball Crown Championship against the Oklahoma Sooners on Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada. LAS VEGAS — The smallest man on the court delivered the biggest performance Sunday at T-Mobile Arena. Honor Huff, who stands 5-foot-10 and grew up playing basketball at Tillary Park in Brooklyn, where reputations are earned amid hard-fought battles, showed how good and tough he was, scoring 38 points and leading West Virginia to the College Basketball Crown title with an 89-82 overtime win over Oklahoma.
“It was a game with lots of ebbs and flows,” West Virginia coach Ross Hodge said. “We knew they were going to answer but this group has shown the ability to make big plays and get stops. ” The Mountaineers, who finished 21-14, earned $300,000 for their NIL collective.
You can bet the money will be put to good use by Ross Hodge as the transfer portal opens Tuesday and it will be a frenetic 14 days as thousands of players seek new environs while chasing after a big payday. Let’s not forget that while the Crown is a basketball tournament, it’s also a business proposition. Despite losing Sunday, Oklahoma received $100,000.
The money matters. But winning also matters. Only three teams will be able to say they were champions — West Virginia with the Crown, the winner of the NIT final between Tulsa and Auburn and, of course, Monday’s NCAA championship game between Connecticut and Michigan.
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