BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: WEST VIRGINIA (UPDATED)

August 6, 2007


Commitment Alert: Darryl Bryant, 6'1 G, St. Raymonds High School (NYC)


Projected 2008-2009 Roster


Seniors: Joe Alexander (SF), Alex Ruoff (WF)
Juniors: Joe Mazzula (PG), Wellington Smith (F), Desean Butler (WF)
Sophomores: John Flowers (F), Will Thomas (G), Cam Thoroughman (F), Jacob Green (BF), Jonnie West (G)
Freshmen: Darryl Bryant (PG)

After missing the summer curcuit last season, NY Gaucho guard Darryl Bryant had to make up for lost time in front of college coaches. Playing for the 'team of the summer' next to Big East commits Jordan Theodore (SHU) and Kemba Walker (UConn) along with must-see 2009 prospect Durand Scott, Bryant made it three Big East commitments in the Gaucho backcourt as the St. Raymond's Ravens' Truck Drives to WVU as he gave coach Bob Huggins the first WVU commitment for 2008.

As mentioned in the original post earlier this afternoon, there is a transfer watch on at WVU as Bob Huggins will look for a more physical and defensive-minded team. It looks like the first casualty of the new regine is Devan Bawinkle as Maountaineer's Bawinkel Decides to Transfer (Charleston Daily Mail) as he does not see himself as a fit in the new system.

This gives the Mountaineers a 3rd scholarship to use for the class of 2008 (two open with the commitment of Bryant) or an opportunity to add a late 2007 addition...


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St. Raymond's guard Darryl (Truck) Bryant has been inundated with calls, text messages and letters from college coaches trying to recruit his services all summer long, but the 6-1, 180-pound guard visited the Morgantown campus on Wednesday and told first-year Mountaineers coach Bob Huggins that he would be back to play ball next fall. Bryant averaged 15 points per game for St. Raymond's last season and chose West Virginia over St. John's, Illinois, South Carolina, South Florida, Memphis and Rhode Island. with Joe Mazzulla is the only true point guard listed on the WVU roster for 2008-2009, so the addition of Bryant fills a need for the Mountaineers. Bryant has the NYC toughness that a Bob Huggins-coached team will put to good use. Bryant thrives on overpowering opponents in getting to the basket or the free throw line. He will need to fine-tune his shooting and the intricate skills of a point guard, but he has a high basketball IQ and has played for two top-notch programs at St. Raymond's High School and the NY Gaucho AAU program, so he will be ready for Big East basketball.

Bryant is now part of a projected roster of 12 players for the Mountaineers in 2008-2009, leaving one scholarship currently open. it would not come as a surprise to see WVU 'over-recruit' their roster because, with any coaching change, the change in philosophy and style might have a player or two feel out of place under the new regime. Bob Huggins prefers an uptempo style of play that includes physical defense and rebounding, nearly a polar opposite of the system former WVU coach Joh Beilein instilled in the program. One thing that might come as a little surprise to outsiders is that there are a few more players on the WVU roster that might fit Huggins' style than fans were initially led to believe. So, watching how their playing time distribution shakes out will be interesting. It is also improtant to remember that class of 2006 players, Cam Thoroughman (F), Jacob Green (BF), Jonnie West (G), all redshirted last season and will be part of the freshmen class of 2007 with John Flowers and Huggins' spring addition, Will Thomas.

With the last, on paper, available scholarship, we expect West Virginia to work on adding a frontcourt player. One of the most highly recruitable players from the summer evaluation period is New London (CT) power forward Allan Chaney. The 6'8 Chaney has seen his stock explode this summer with a strong July where he came from under-the-radar to a must-see recruit on the summer circuit. The WVU staff was seen evaluating him on several occassions during the last month.

Although he does not fit the profile of a front court banger, a player that would be too good to pass up that is high on the WVU wish-list is 6'6 Peekskill (NY) wing forward Mookie Jones. Jones has been a must-have recruit of several Big East programs for some time, including Rutgers, DePaul, Seton Hall and others. Syracuse is perceived to be a leader for his services and West Virginia also appears on his short-list often.

Other names WVU have been involved with at one time or another this summer include 6'8 Josh Crittle from Chicago (Hales Franciscan) IL, 6'7 Kevin Jones from Mt. Vernon (H.S.) NY, 6'10 Eloy Vargas from Plantation (American Heritage) FL, 6'8 Quintrell Thomas from Elizabeth (NJ) St. Patrick and 6'9 Xavier Gibson from Dothan (AL) Northview to varying degrees, but at this point none look close to choosing WVU as their destination.

Not too get too far ahead of ourselves, but recruiting happens at an earlier and earlier stage each year, but the 2009 class already has several West Virginia targets surfacing loud and clear. Highly-rated Lance Stephenson has WVU in his sights. The NYC (Lincoln) prodigy has been called the 'Next One' for a few years now. Also, Delaware native Brian Oliver has emerged as a prime Big East target and the Mountaineers have been on him from the get-to. With Huggins' addition of Billy Hahn to his staff, expect the Mountaineers to be highly involved with the top prospects of the Washington DC area, including Wally Judge.

The early recruiting is also evident in the fact that 6'1 Sophomore Noah Cottrell from Poca High School (WV) has made an early pledge to WVU. Cottrell is one of the top rated prospects in the class of 2010.

we will continue to pay close attention to the West Virginia recruiting prospects as Bob Huggins looks to make his stamp on his alma mater.

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