No. 9: 2009-2010 Team Preview: West Virginia Mountaineers

2008-2009 Record: 23-12, 10-8 Big East (t-7th)

Key Losses: Alex Ruoff (15.7 ppg, 3.3 apg)

Key Returners: Da'Sean Butler (17.1 ppg, 5.9 rpg), Devin Ebanks (10.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg), Truck Bryant (9.8 ppg, 2.9 apg), Joe Mazzulla (5.6 ppg, 3.7 apg)

Newcomers: Dalton Pepper, Danny Jennings, Deniz Kilicli

Da'Sean Butler might be the best player in the country you never hear about.
(photo credit: ESPN)

It didn't take long for Bobby Huggins to mold West Virginia into his kind of team. In his third season at the helm, Huggy Bear is at the helm of the best Mountaineer team in recent memory.

Last season, West Virginia was a team known for their toughness on the defensive end and their ability to hit the glass, especially on the offensive end. Not much will change this season, as the Mountaineers return their entire front line. The best of the bunch is 6'9" Devin Ebanks. Ebanks developed into one of the most productive freshman in the country by the end of last season, especially in the Big East Tournament (he twice set career highs of 20 and 22 points, and set his career high in rebounding with 18). Still quite raw, where Ebanks excels is using his exceptional tools. He is long, active, athletic, and very tough. Most of his offense last season came in transition, on the offensive glass, or off of assists. Where he really struggled was with his perimeter jumper, to the point that he stopped shooting threes all together. He also needs to improve his handle to effectively transition to the three full time, but if he put in the work this summer, Ebanks has all the potential in the world to be a big time player for WVU.

Joining Ebanks up front is a slew of guys standing about 6'8". Senior Wellington Smith started at center last season, and there is no reason to expect that to change. A tough rebounder (especially at the offensive end as he grabbed more offensive rebounds than defensive) and with a fantastic leaping ability, Smith is probably the Mountaineers best interior defender. He can also step out and knock down a perimeter jumper if he is left open. A lot is going to be expected out of sophomore Kevin Jones after he had a productive freshman season off the bench. Jones is not the best athlete in the group, but he might be the strongest and plays as hard as anyone in the country. Junior Cam Thoroughman played sporadically throughout the season, but he is a tenacious offensive rebounder that will play defense hard. Junior John Flowers is not as strong as the other three, but is more of an athlete and can defend on the perimeter as well. Freshman Danny Jennings, a top 100 recruit out of St. Thomas More, will also provide some quality minutes up front. Another freshman, Deniz Kilicli, may see some time at the end of the season, but was recently suspended for the first 20 games but the NCAA for playing on a team in Europe with a professional.

In fewer words, the West Virginia front line is going to be deep, they are going to be tough, and they are going to be athletic. These six guys are essentially interchangeable, which means that minutes are going to be difficult to come by. Playing for Huggins, these kids are going to be asked for defense, physicality, and rebounding out of this group. Whoever provides that, on what may become a game-to-game basis, is going to be who plays. These guys are going to work hard every minute they are on the floor, so if you don't box out against WVU, they are going to kill you on the glass.

Where WVU struggled last season was in the half court. Losing second leading scorer Alex Ruoff is going to hurt them offensively, but the Mountaineers did catch a couple breaks this off-season as both Truck Bryant and Joe Mazzulla will be returning to the team (both players were suspended indefinitely over the summer for off-the-court issues). Mazzulla was a key player for West Virginia in 2007-2008 when the Mountaineers upset Duke en route to a Sweet 16 appearance. Mazzulla is a perfect glue guy at the lead guard spot. He defends, he rebounds, but most importantly he was able to get into the paint a create opportunities for others. He missed most of last season with a shoulder injury, but he should be healthy to start out this year.

Bryant, a sophomore, proved to be a worthy replacement last season. Also a tough defender, Bryant is a better scorer than Mazzulla, but not quite as good of a creator. Bryant struggled with his decision-making at times, but it was nothing you wouldn't expect from a freshman forced to start in last season's rugged Big East. I'd expect these two to share the back court quite a bit this season, as it would provide Huggins with two guards capable of getting points on the board in a half court set.

The guy that is going to carry the load for the Mountaineers will be Da'Sean Butler. Butler is one of the best kept secrets in the country, leading the Mountaineers with 17.1 ppg last season. He is an above average jump shooter, especially when he gets time to get his feet set. This will be all the more important for WVU with Ruoff's graduation, as Butler is really the only shooter they are going to have on the floor much of the time. While he is 6'7", long, and mobile, he is not the most explosive player and struggles at times when putting the ball on the floor. When he does get into the paint, he is able to finish, either by going up strong or by using a floater. Butler does excel around the rim, however, as he is a good offensive rebounder from the wing and has shown a decent post game. If Butler can improve his ability to create shots for himself form the perimeter using the dribble, he might be the most dangerous wing scorer in the Big East.

Freshman Dalton Pepper is another guy that will see some time on the perimeter. Pepper is a similar player to Butler. More of a small forward than a two guard, Pepper has three point range, but is not a shooter. At 6'5", he has shown the ability to score on the offensive end, but is known more for his ability to defend, his smarts, and his potential to be a system guy.

Outlook: West Virginia is going to play a lot of low scoring games this season. This team is built around toughness on the defensive end and on the glass. With the athletes on their team, they can use so many potential line-ups. They can go small by sliding Butler to the three, or even the four with Ebanks inside, and playing two point guards. Or they can also go big by putting him at the two and allowing Ebanks to play the wing. Whatever Huggins decides to do, when you play West Virginia you better be read for a physical battle.