DAN JENNINGS: WEST VIRGINIA'S ANSWER?

By Matt Whitfield

A year ago, West Virginia landed a top recruiting class, headlined by three recruits from the New York City area, Devin Ebanks, Darryl ‘Truck’ Bryant and Kevin Jones. The latest to continue the pipeline is not only is the biggest, but may also be a big key in Morgantown elevating their college basketball odds next season.

Dan Jennings is a 6-foot-8, 250-pound Center, who is a muscled man-child that could be Bob Huggins’s answer down low and Big East opponent’s worst nightmare.

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“Honestly, I’m supposed to come in next year and be a beast down low and be that beast that they need that grabs all the boards, blocks shots, does all the dirty work around the basket and finishes around the basket,” said the 6’8 Staten Island native.

For all the tough talk though it would surprise some that Jennings had a childhood so harsh that it would leave many too traumatized to even pick up a basketball, let alone interact normally with their peers their own age.

According to a story in the Norwich Bulletin, Jennings was raised by a mother battling a crack addiction. After having already been in a homeless shelter in the Bronx as a young child, Jennings was taken by Child Care Services. He then would live in five different foster homes throughout New York City. While living in the foster homes, Jennings was at times neglected, abused, and ignored. When Jennings was eight his case of bad luck finally ended, as Cora Darby adopted him and he finally found a home and a family for good.

Despite being raised by a pastor, Jennings’s high school days mimicked his childhood. Jennings found himself bouncing from high school to high school as he attended four different schools in all, before finally ending up this past year at St. Thomas More for a 5th prep year. Despite all the off court issues, Jennings' size and ability on the basketball court led him to numerous college scholarship offers.

According to Jennings, schools such as Memphis, Louisville, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Minnesota, Oklahoma State, Marquette, DePaul, Xavier, Seton Hall, St. John’s, and Rutgers all offered scholarships. At first Jennings didn’t even consider West Virginia.

“After my junior year when I played with Kemba [Walker] and them, I didn’t really even look at West Virginia like that," said Jennings. "I didn’t expect to go there. Then at the end of my senior year I found out Ebanks was going there, I knew Truck was there, I knew them, and I knew that they didn’t have any big men at that position.”

Knowing all this, Jennings committed to play for the Mountaineers this past July, much to the delight of Coach Huggins and company.

Jennings knows West Virginia’s primary problem this past season was the lack of a dominant big man. With Jennings arrival, he could perhaps be the key missing piece to the puzzle, and perhaps the key component to bigger, better things. Jennings, who told NBE, he expects to play at around 260 pounds this upcoming season, implied he feels he can be the Mountaineer’s answer down low.

"I’m just trying to be that body down low that they were missing," he said. "I expect to get a good amount of playing time. The only reason I’m not going to play is because of me."

Confident words for a big man that has only stepped foot in Morgantown twice, but Jennings can certainly back it up with his toughness and physical play. Jennings, who once grabbed a chair when a fight broke during a game at the Rumble in the Bronx, told NBE that he can bench press 290 pounds and that, ‘I [just]
love the weight room,’ adding that ‘I’m only going to get bigger, as I just want to get better everyday, and just win.’

Next season Jennings knows the coach he’ll be playing is tough to please even with a win, but Jennings feels he is ready for coach Huggins.

"I’m excited", Jennings told NBE. “I know he’s tough but he can help me get to where I want to be as a player.”

Jennings, who has undoubtedly heard the stories of the chairs being thrown, and the treadmill punishment sprints, still feels he is tough enough to handle Huggins saying, “I’m ready for what he has for me.”

Next year Huggins will definitely push Jennings in practice and press him to work on things, but Jennings feels his game needs improvement now. Jennings, who already has a great inside game and all the physical tools and power to be a dominant Center told NBE he would like to work on, “my handle a little bit, my jumpshot, my 15 foot shot jumpshot, my footwork,” adding that “everything about my game I can work on.”

Despite this, Jennings feels come crunch time he’ll ready to take on the big boys of the Big East. Jennings said he was really looking forward to playing against former Pittsburgh Center Dejuan Blair, but having seen Blair opt for the NBA Draft Jennings told NBE that he now looks forward to playing against Samardo Samuels.

"I’m going be ready for him, I’m going to be in shape for him," said Jennings.

In the coming years Dan Jennings could be one of the best stories to hit college basketball. Jennings told NBE, that this is a new chapter in his life and it is time to mature with it.

"I’m not going to transfer," he said. "I’m going to listen to Coach Huggins and that’s where I want to be for the next four years."

With Jennings size, physicality and toughness also comes comparisons to former Big East greats. Where Jennings will fall amongst these players is anyone’s guess. All that is certain is that if Jennings pans out, not only will he be beloved in Morgantown, but he will be responsible for the New York-Morgantown pipeline continuing, and be indirectly responsible for perhaps decades of great basketball in Morgantown.