It’s no secret that West Virginia bigs struggled last season.

The three primary options at the position in Isaiah Cottrell, Dimon Carrigan and Pauly Paulicap combined to averaged 9.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per contest and none of those options could be counted on to score the ball at the rim or with their back to the basket.

That’s a stark contrast from the year before when Derek Culver averaged 14.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per contest and could fill that role in the post. No, Culver wasn’t always the most efficient option but it was quite different than what unfolded at the position last season.

Through the early stages of practice, head coach Bob Huggins hasn’t seen the ability to put it in the basket in the post from the bigs yet, but is optimistic.

“I think it will get corrected. Our bigs are very coachable. They’re great guys,” he said. “It’s for whatever reason big guys never look at the rim. They catch it, they’re generally looking down or around to see that nobody is grabbing their arm or anything and the only time they see the rim is on the way up.”

The Mountaineers have completely retooled the frontcourt with each of the options from last season now off the team and replaced by a mixture of Texas transfer Tre Mitchell, junior college transfers Jimmy Bell and Mohamed Wague and freshman James Okonkwo.

“I think we’re better there I think we’re more skilled there, I think we’re more athletic there,” he said.

Huggins likes what Mitchell brings as a power five product that has already performed at the highest level. He also brings the added capability to score and shoot the basketball although he must make strides in one area.

"He's got a very high ceiling. But we've got to get him to rebound it more, more consistently," Huggins said.

Bell has transformed his body since arriving on campus and spent essentially all of his time since arriving on campus toward working out and on basketball.

“He works out four times a day and nobody made him. Jimmy really wants to be a good player. He has great feet for a guy that big, great feet,” Huggins said. “He’s been playing at 280-pounds.”

That transformation has made him a reliable option for the Mountaineers given how difficult to move he is at his size. He is able to get good position, but still has to continue to develop in order to be a consistent scorer on the block.

"He’s getting better and better and better," Huggins added.

Wague would serve as the rim protector for the Mountaineers and has upside along with a 6-foot-10 frame that can run and is agile for his size.

“He’s our best shot blocker,” Huggins added.

Okonkwo is still playing a little too fast for his own good but he can block shots, rebound and run the floor. His efforts on the glass have been noticed by the head man.

“He’s the only guy that can keep Jimmy off the glass,” he said.

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