The West Virginia basketball roster looks considerably different than it did at the end of last year.
A total of 6 of the 13 scholarship players are new to the program for this season as head coach Bob Huggins looked to rebuild things following a 15-21 finish last year.
The roster consists of three seniors, four sophomores and six first year players leaving a lot of mystery when it comes to what the team could look like. But Huggins is happy with the construction of it.
“I think so,” he said. “It’s hard to tell right now … I think we’ve made some strides particularly with the new guys as far as them understanding what we want done.”
The status of two of those scholarship players is still up in the air as the plan is to redshirt freshman Jalen Bridges, while Arkansas transfer Gabe Osabuohien is still waiting for word on a waiver which would grant him immediate eligibility for this coming season.
As for the other newcomers, Huggins has seen some positives with practice set to begin Friday.
Five-star freshman big man Oscar Tshiebwe was able to practice with the team prior to the trip to Spain but due to a VISA issue was not able to make the trip. That issue still has not been resolved although Huggins has been optimistic in the past that it would be cleared up in time for the trip to Mexico.
The Congo native is a grounded first year player and while he is still learning what he needs to do to be successful at this level, the talent is there.
“He’s talented. You just watch him run up and down and watch him rebound the ball. He’s shooting it pretty good. It’s hard when you don’t know what you’re doing,” he said.
One area that has stood out in his motor, as Tshiebwe plays at a high level at all times. That speed apparently comes from his time growing up when he was tasked with chasing down arrows that his father, a hunter, would fire off in pursuit of game.
“I do believe he’s chased them. He’s convinced me of that,” Huggins said.
Junior college guard transfer guard Tajzmel Sherman has continued to improve adding 15-pounds to his frame since he first arrived on campus. A high-scoring prospect who averaged over 25 points per game, Sherman has proven at least in practice that those skills can translate to this level of basketball.
“He’s our most consistent shot maker and he can make hard shots,” Huggins said. “He’s a versatile scorer. He can score it on the perimeter and in junior college they sent him down on the block.”
The other junior college addition was guard Sean McNeil and while he has proven to be what Huggins referred to as an “elite shooter,” he’s still looking to get back into things after losing weight due to a sickness and being away from the team for some time.
“It’s hard to get a good look at him,” Huggins said.
The third guard in the equation is true freshman Deuce McBride who opened eyes with his play while the Mountaineers were overseas. He has only continued to play well and has gotten stronger in the weight room while making his hay on the defensive end.
“If we were going to play today he’d see a lot of playing time,” he said.
With what returns as well as the new additions, Huggins believes that this team will be able to shoot the ball more effectively and not be forced to rely on two or three shots a possession as well as turnovers to put the ball in the basket. Do not expect the Mountaineers to rely primarily on one defense, as Huggins said he plans to use a mix of looks once the season opens.
“I think we have more guys that are capable shot makers,” he said.
West Virginia also is expected to use more three-guard lineups this fall in order to maximize the talent on the roster as well as being able to play with Tshiebwe and sophomore Derek Culver on the floor.
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