MORGANTOWN -
This season will be
very interesting for Bob Huggins and the West Virginia men's basketball
team. Of the 13 members on the
2011-2012 squad, nine of them will be playing at WVU for the first time. Kevin Jones, Truck Bryant, Deniz
Kilicli and Kevin Noreen are the only returning players.
Luckily for many of
the new Mountaineer players, they were able to go to Italy this summer to learn
the system and get acclimated with college basketball under Huggins. With that said, there is still a lot to
learn and freshmen will be freshmen.
In the back court,
Joe Mazzulla, Jonnie West and Casey Mitchell are gone. The players that will be stepping in
are Gary Browne, Jabarie Hinds and Juwan Staten (ineligible this season because
of transfer rules). Truck Bryant
is the only guard returning for West Virginia and is expected to have a huge
role in the success of this year's team.
He is expected to play more shooting guard and less point guard than he
has in the past.
"We don't really have
positions but I'd really like for [Truck] to have the ball less," Huggins
said. "He's our best perimeter shooter
and I think he'll be our most consistent perimeter shooter. He was miserable from the field to
start Big East play [last season], he was shooting around 19%. When we got him off the ball and let
Joe [Mazzulla] have the ball more, Truck started making shots."
Although he doesn't
have to worry about calling the plays and being the playmaker as much this
season, he needs to help tell the new players where to go and what to do.
"He just has less
things to worry and think about although now he has to help KJ get people where
they're supposed to be, but I think he's going to be a lot more productive for
us offensively without having all of the responsibilities of a point guard,"
Huggins said.
The WVU front court
is in much better shape when it comes to depth than the back court. John Flowers and Cam Thoroughman are
also gone while Aaron Brown, Pat Forsythe, Tommie McCune, Keaton Miles,
Dominique Rutledge and Aaric Murray (ineligible because of transfer rules) are
in.
Kevin Jones returns
to finish what will be one of the most prolific careers by a power forward in
WVU history. He currently ranks
second all-time in offensive rebounds behind Chris Brooks and needs only 12 to
pass him. Coach Huggins expects KJ
to lead this young team and be the man to rally behind.
"He's going to be our
leader," Huggins said. "I trust
him, there's no doubt about that.
I think KJ just has to continue to do what KJ does. Make open shots and rebound the
ball. He's our best defender and
he's also our best 3-man [small forward] and he can also guard the 5-man
[center] better than anyone we have.
"He could end up one
of the top 15 scorers, top 15 rebounders and the top offensive rebounder ever
in school history. In a place like
this that has had great players, that's pretty good and a heck of a career."
One of the biggest
experiments Huggins has had since he has been at West Virginia is the
development of Deniz Kilicli.
Huggins hopes this is finally the season where he can put it all
together.
"He's a lot better,"
Huggins said. "He's in so much
better physical condition and I think his skill level is better. Deniz just needs to continue to buy in
and he will have a good year if he does."
There is no doubt
Kilicli can score around the basket, especially with his jump hook, but he
needs to improve in the rebounding and defensive aspects of the game.
"Jerry [West]'s
statue got as many rebounds as Deniz did in a few games," Huggins said. "He's rebounding it better. We need him to get to that next level
and get us seven a game."
Kevin Noreen also
returns, playing sparingly last season before rupturing his prepatellar bursa
in his right knee. He is expected
to get a lot of playing time in the front court, mainly at the power forward position.
The Mountaineer
basketball season is officially underway as the team begins to prepare for the
2011-2012 year.
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