Can Press Virginia Thrive After Carter, Miles?
The question has been floated as to whether Press Virginia can continue in a semblance of the fashion it has from this past year.
The trigger for those inquiries is, of course, the loss of Jevon Carter and Dax Miles from the backcourt. Take away a two-time national Defensive Player of the Year and a dogged, athletic, physical two-guard that can cut off penetration and limit driving lanes, and there's a suddenly serious dearth of the stopping prowess displayed this season.
We're talking a school-record 330 steals for Carter, or 79 more than any other WVU player. That's good for the 17th-best mark all-time in Division I, and it's nearly double Miles' total of 177 - a number that of itself still ranks ninth all-time at West Virginia.
But it isn't just the pure numerics that need replaced. It's the more macroscopic view of the approach, especially from Carter. His hustle and understanding of angles allowed him to run down foes from behind or slap dribbles away along the side and baselines. It ended possessions for opponents, and often led to easier scores on the other end for the Mountaineers.
Miles' forte was as much his ruggedness as anything else. Dax was incredibly intricate to what WVU did at both ends, and his career blossomed even earlier than Carter's, when the Baltimore native started all 35 games of his freshman season in 2015. Collectively, besides the 3,069 points, 800 assists and 7,555 minutes played, it was the ability of both to find ways to win at least 25 games every season - WVU was 105-39 (72.9%) over their four years - and advance to three Big 12 title games and three Sweet 16s, most of it on the backs of its defense.
The query stems just as much from what West Virginia returns as the skill set it is bringing in. There's a clear ball handling and distribution aspect to Jordan McCabe's game, but his defense will need upgraded at the collegiate level. Beetle Bolden, too, is an offense-first guard who is still a touch light for handling some of the rigors in the Big 12, and Chase Harler can't be the answer for extended stretches of play.
At 6-foot, 180 pounds, Brandon Knapper has the bulk and strength to become a solid defensive player. He will enter his third season out of the pure prep level, having spent one year at Hargrave Military Academy before attending WVU, and he has added 15 to 20 pounds to an already solid frame.
That's still not close to enough to replace the defensive aspects of Carter and Miles. But Trey Doomes is the kicker, the one player when added that could allow the Press Virginia moniker to stick. Doomes (6-3, 175 lbs.) has the size and quickness to become a top-shelf defender, and his length and reach are additional assets at the two-guard slot. The Hollywood, Fla. native is chiseled, but still thin, which means he can pack on added muscle.
This is a huge backcourt add for Bob Huggins that, when paired with the obvious offense of Bolden and McCabe and the gritty play of Knapper, could allow the style to rival what it did this past season. Keep in mind, too, that although the Mountaineers remain one over the limit of 13 scholarships, there are still feelers out here for a number of players.
Join today and be part of WVU's largest forum of Mountaineer Fans - The Blue Lot
Among them is grad transfer Joe Cremo, a 6-foot-4 sweet shooter out of Albany who has interest from some heavy hitters, including Arizona, Ohio State, Louisville, UConn and more. The Mountaineers are involved, but Cremo is still a primarily offensive player, and it remains early in his recruiting process.
The other question is how the scholarship numbers change. Again, being one over and still being involved with multiple players means there will be additional attrition besides D'Angelo Hunter. Does Esa Ahmad go pro? Is Logan Routt's scholarship - granted for this season simply because WVU had an extra - taken back and the state native again slid into a walk-on role? Might Harler exit? What of Magic Bender and his nine minutes and 1.2 points per game?
There are simply too many variables to nail down how it might play out. But let's assume - and here we go with that term - that the major pieces of Knapper, Bolden, Ahmad, Sags Konate, Wes Harris and Teddy Allen are back and joined by McCabe, Doomes and a pair of exceptional athletes in forwards Derek Culver (6-10, 230) and Andrew Gordon (6-10, 235).
That gives the Mountaineers excellent length on the back end, and a burst of raw ability in Culver and Gordon. Added in with Konate's rim protection, and the foundation on the back side is solid, with the ability to create additional steals in the three-quarter court and beyond.
Harris could stay on the ball, and allow Knapper and Doomes - if arguably the best pressing line-up were on the floor - to trap while Culver/Gordon and Konate are on the backside. It gives WVU a one through five, with the idea that better offensive options are clearly available.
The unknown is how Huggins will juggle this shuffle. Unlike this past season, when Carter was both your best defender and leading scorer, the talents in the backcourt are wide ranging. Bolden can be an excellent shooter and draws charges effectively.
But he isn't built for playing 32-plus minutes per game, and he gets knocked off the ball at times. Knapper has yet to be able to prove himself outside of practices, McCabe's best game is certainly not on defense, and Doomes can give you slashing and solid defense, but won't totally lock down an opposing player.
It leaves a ton of questions, and not many of those can even begin to be answered until West Virginia finalizes its roster. That could take into the summer months, and only when that's revealed could one have an idea of the exact incarnation of Press Virginia.
Does it survive in the version it was this year, sometimes in full court, sometimes in three quarter, with a ton of halfcourt D? Very likely. Does it approach the 2015, full 94-feet havoc that was? Quite improbable.
