West Virginia isn’t done with the construction of the 2025 recruiting class but you can see the pieces coming together for first-year head coach Darian DeVries.
The Mountaineers have added three commitments from key targets in Santa Clarita (Ca.) Southern California Academy 2025 guard Kelvin Odih, Huntington Prep (W.Va.) wing Braydon Hawthorne, and the latest from SoCal Academy 2025 forward Trent MacLean.
One look at that list and it’s a melting pot of talent from different areas of the country. Odih is originally from Rhode Island and while Hawthorne is a state native it’s still a strong addition. MacLean is from California and that plays to the narrative that DeVries made clear when he took the job.
“We’re going anywhere we can to put our blueprint out there for recruits and trying to do anything we can to cast as wide a net as possible to cover everything," DeVries said.
The staff was built with that in mind as the assistants have experience recruiting at a national level as well as strong regional ties making it a group of coaches that were assembled to recruit at a high clip.
So far the results speak for themselves and in a short period of time.
West Virginia only got involved with Odih on July 24 but the Rivals.com four-star prospect quickly became a priority for the Mountaineers coaching staff led by Tom Ostrom. Odih, 6-foot-4, 190-pounds, picked the Big 12 Conference program over Rutgers, Colorado, Louisville, Oklahoma State, and Creighton.
The nation’s No. 77 ranked prospect, Odih is a strong addition for West Virginia considering they were able to land a tough-nosed, athletic guard that is going to be able to make an impact immediately given everything that he brings to the table on both ends of the floor.
Odih is a strong rebounder on both ends of the floor and is a dynamic scorer who completely moved up the recruiting rankings to become one of the fastest-rising players in the country.
Hawthorne, 6-foot-8, 175-pounds, has excellent length which he uses to not only affect shots but also get into passing lanes and play above the rim. He is a strong rebounder and has demonstrated the ability to hit shots on the perimeter as well as create off the bounce.
Hawthorne is comfortable and confident scoring off catch-and-shoot opportunities while his length and ball handling give him the ability to get to the rim and finish. It also was a strong addition because it kept the best player in the Mountain State home.
The final addition is another fast-riser in MacLean who has seen his recruitment explode after moving to SoCal Academy from Thousand Oaks where he averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds. Along with the Mountaineers he also received offers from St. Mary’s, Rutgers, Arizona State, and others.
MacLean is another versatile big who is a plus shooter who has made major strides in his game and is very effective in catch-and-shoot situations. At his size, MacLean demonstrates the ability to put the ball on the floor and hit pull-up jumpers and is an active rebounder.
Again, the Mountaineers only offered in October but moved quickly to reel in the fast-rising forward despite interest from a long list of other programs. It’s a shot in the arm for DeVries to prove capable in many of these recruiting races despite limited time being involved with each.
That’s a testament to this staff’s ability to connect with prospects and perhaps a sign of what’s to come in the future as the Mountaineers hit the ground on the recruiting trail.
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