Newcomers bring some different elements to WVU roster

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By the time Monday rolls around a total of five of the six West Virginia newcomers will be on campus.

According to head coach Bob Huggins forward Derek Culver, forward Andrew Gordon, guard Trey Doomes and guard Jermaine Haley will join point guard Jordan McCabe who enrolled in May to start their college careers.

That leaves only wing Emmitt Matthews as the last remaining prospect that won’t be with the program, although that is set to change during the next session after he graduates in the next couple weeks.

That’s a lot of talent, a lot of length and a lot of versatility to a roster that already is quite impressive.

Length was an important piece to his class as Huggins looked to lure not only skilled players but ones that fit into the transition style game that he wants to play on both ends. The pressure defense has been a staple in Morgantown and the versatility on this roster will allow the program to get back to that.

On the offensive end, while scoring was obviously a priority, finding players that can pass the ball was equally as important after struggling in that department the past couple seasons.

A stark contrast from what was the goal in recruiting.

“We just tried to get some guys to play hard before after that bunch that wouldn’t. We’re trying to get some guys that can pass the ball,” Huggins said.

But what did the Mountaineers get with the group?

Well, because of other commitments Huggins hasn’t been able to watch a single open gym this off-season so he hasn’t been able to get an idea of what McCabe brings to the table in person but he has proven to be a reliable shooter and ball handler at the high school level.

The Mountaineers are set to start workouts in the next week however and it will clear some things up on that front. Doomes is an athletic finisher that excels on the defensive end.

But what about the other three that will be on campus, two from the junior college level and another arriving after spending a year at prep school?

Haley is athletic and long enough that he could see time at several positions in the backcourt. He is skilled enough on the defensive end that he can guard multiple spots as well and with his 6-foot-8 size he provides the Mountaineers with the biggest size they have in the backcourt.

He could help spark a rebirth of what the program experienced during the trip to the Final Four where the program rolled out a lengthy lineup that caused issues defensively.

“Talk about being able to switch everything and the smallest guy on the floor was 6-foot-6,” he said. “I think we got to throw them out there and see what shakes out.”

Culver will be thrown in the mix immediately but who much he carves a role when it comes to playing time will depend on him. That’s because he will be going against grown men in the post on the West Virginia roster and Huggins has given up on the idea of guessing how players will handle situations.

“They all have more experience than him so we’ll have to see,” he said.

Gordon is one of those players that resembles a grown man and Huggins believes that he should excel in transition, an area the program struggled a season ago. But given the fact he missed all of last year with a knee injury and is still somewhat rehabbing it, the belief is what he will have a hill to climb at the start.

“Because he’s kind of rehabbing that knee he’ll start a little slower,” Huggins said.

Matthews will arrive later in June and the Mountaineers prioritized him after he became available on the market upon receiving his release from Connecticut. Why was he a top target?

“I like his size, I like his athleticism, he can shoot the ball. He’s a wonderful kid, he’s a class, class kid,” Huggins said. “We’ve had a bunch of those and I think he fits right in.”

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