West Virginia basketball underway with off-season activities
The West Virginia Mountaineers basketball team is underway with off-season activities.
After a two-week delay from the original set start day of July 6 due to the spread of COVID-19 to five players and a staff member, the program is beginning the early portions of workouts that will eventually take them into the start of the 2020 season.
West Virginia is looking to build off a 21-10 season that was cut short with the program a lock for a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The majority of the team will return this season outside Jermaine Haley, Chase Harler and Logan Routt – all of which certainly played a role but can be replaced.
The Mountaineers will be permitted to have eight hours of individual and team instruction as the program is forced to play catch-up as a team to adjust to the new normal. Typically, at this time of the year, the off-season is well underway with players competing in open gym and getting a feel for what each other bring to the table in regards to their skill sets.
But with Kedrian Johnson now officially enrolled, and Seny Ndiaye signed but awaiting enrollment, the team would be together for the first time this entire off-season.
Ndiaye is the final addition that West Virginia can make to the 2020 roster and while he is likely a redshirt candidate when the dust settles, the Senegal native gives the program another versatile big that can develop this year in a college program.
Johnson is the bigger addition of the two when it comes to this season as the junior college standout is going to likely factor into the minutes distributed in the backcourt with his ability to score the ball.
Of course, there returning players are obvious with bigs Oscar Tshiebwe and Derek Culver headlining one of the most impressive one-two punches in the entire Big 12 Conference and a backcourt that features plenty of exciting options beginning with sophomore guard Deuce McBride.
Other pieces that saw time on the floor include Emmitt Matthews, Gabe Osabouhien, Taz Sherman, Sean McNeil and Jordan McCabe.
This team has a chance to be special and that isn’t lost on the coaches.
“It’s been 4 months since I was with my family/team, and this could be the most talented team we’ve had at WVU in my 13 years here. National Championship or Bust!” assistant Erik Martin tweeted.
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