WVU lands Rivals150 big Culver

Warren (Oh.) Harding power forward Derek Culver has been one of the top targets for West Virginia in the class of 2017 and the Rivals100 prospect committed to the Mountaineers at his high school Tuesday.

Culver, 6-foot-10, 230-pounds, is rated as the No. 51 prospect nationally and has been a top target for West Virginia since the Mountaineers first entered into the picture of his recruitment as one of the first schools to extend a scholarship offer as a sophomore.

He selected West Virginia over offers from Arizona, Kansas, Indiana, Florida, Connecticut, Illinois, North Carolina State, Purdue, Iowa and Illinois, among many others.

Overall, Culver gives the Mountaineers a major addition to its current class and is the highest rated prospect by Rivals.com since Devin Ebanks was rated as the No. 11 prospect nationally in 2008.

Assistant coach Erik Martin served as the lead recruiter for Culver, while head coach Bob Huggins also played a pivotal role personally recruiting the standout big-man throughout the course of the process.

Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Culver gives West Virginia another major addition from the state of Ohio under head coach Bob Huggins following in the footsteps of several others such as Devin Williams, Elijah Macon and Esa Ahmad in recent years.

The Rivals.com four-star prospect is a tenacious rebounder that also is effective as a rim protector. On the offensive end of the floor, he has the ability to use both hands and is a versatile prospect.

Culver made multiple visits to West Virginia and becomes the second commitment in the 2017 class joining Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy point guard Brandon Knapper. The class could have several more additions.

WVSports.com will have more with Culver in the near future.