BOB HUGGINS ADDING PEPPER TO THE MIX

by Matt Whitfield


'You’ve got to be crazy this kids not in high school!'

That’s what you think when you first take a look at Dalton Pepper. For only a high school senior Pepper is a physical specimen. Pepper is only 18 years old but already is 6-5 and a chiseled 215 pounds.

Pepper is a Rivals three star Small Forward out of Pennsbury, Pa. He gave a solid verbal to West Virginia this past July and just recently signed his letter of intent this week. When asked why he choose the Mountaineers over four other programs Pepper said “I enjoyed the visit when I went down there; I liked the players [and] the coaching staff and it wasn’t too far from home.”

Next fall Pepper will get to know and work with one of the greats of college basketball as he will be coached by Bob Huggins who is known for being tough and physical-just like Pepper.

Bob Huggins isn’t your traditional coach, from throwing chairs to wearing gold suits, Huggins is one of the characters of college basketball. With Huggins you mess up in practice and you pay. In the gymnasium where the Mountaineers practice is a treadmill stationed so that if you mess up you have to sprint for at least 45 seconds at 15 mph! Huggins isn’t a coach for the faint of heart but he is the ideal coach for Pepper. “I liked how he makes all of his players better, makes them work hard, and has good teams all around,” said Pepper.

Pepper has the chance to play for a very good West Virginia team in a year that has college basketball odds in their favor to make some noise in the Big East and nationally. Da’Sean Butler, Joe Mazzulla, and Wellington Smith players that played an integral role in taking West Virginia to the Sweet 16 last year will be in their final year in 2010. In addition Devin Ebanks, should he not declare for the NBA Draft, will be in his sophomore season. This is something Pepper has thought about however he knows there is a good chance Ebanks could declare after this season.


Coming from the suburbs of Philadelphia there will be an adjustment, but Pepper feels that Morgantown, although small, is full of nice people. If Pepper is as talented and tough as he is now in a year, folks in Morgantown will love him like he is one of their own, just like Huggins.