Andre helps to fill a need for West Virginia
West Virginia needed to add size to the roster and Fresno State big Eduardo Andre fits that need.
Andre, 6-foot-11, 248-pounds, entered the transfer portal at the beginning of April and there was a connection on the Mountaineers roster as Director of Player Personnel and Recruiting Nelson Hernandez was an assistant coach with the Bulldogs during the 2022-23 campaign.
That familiarity likely made him an intriguing fit given the need on the roster and what he brings to the table.
Andre averaged 8.3 points, 5.9 rebounds 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 58-percent from the field and starting the final 15 games of the season during that season. He followed that up by averaging 7.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 block per game before a knee injury cut his season short at 20 games in January.
The Angola-born big started his career at Nebraska where he spent two seasons and during his sophomore campaign was the first big off the bench before electing to move on to play for the Bulldogs.
Andre isn’t going to be a player that West Virginia will run the offense through, but he is a big-bodied post player who can rebound the basketball and score off putbacks as well as score at the rim.
During his last healthy season, Andre ranked 39th in the nation in defensive rebounding percentage at 25.4 and was 25th in block percentage at 8.9. He also was capable on the offensive end with a rebounding rate at 10.5 percent which placed him at 172nd nationally in that department.
Those numbers took a dip last season as he battled a knee injury and over his career has shot 59.7-percent over his career showing the ability to score with his strength at the basket. He played at least 21 minutes in each of the past two years and should be able to provide a similar output in Morgantown.
He is capable as a screener and can roll to the basket, but creating his own shot won’t be a strength. Still, his combination of size and strength is a match for the traditional post-up role that he should play in the offense.
That willingness to rebound the ball will be critical for his role in Morgantown where he will be tasked with banging bodies in the post against the level of bigs that he will encounter in the Big 12 Conference.
West Virginia has found a nice piece with Andre, but he likely won’t be the only center option that the Mountaineers add to the roster by the time the dust settles.
Still, Andre is a nice addition to the front court considering that he has four years of college experience under his belt and has already proven to be effective in several key areas.
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