Duke to help Truck Bryant get ready to play

Truck Bryant broke a bone in his foot before the Sweet 16, an injury many believed would cost him the remainder of the tournament.

Not so fast.

You see, after West Virginia clinched the regional title, Truck told AOL Fanhouse that he would be ready to play in the Final Four. The plan is to use an orthotic to help take some of the pressure off the bone in his foot. According to Truck, he cannot make the injury any worse than it is, so the question is his ability to play through the pain.

Did Truck get the ice from Duke too?
(photo credit: Globe & Mail)

And if he can, his addition can only help the Mountaineers. Bryant would be just the second point guard on the roster, and against a team like Duke -- a team that defends well in the half court and makes it difficult to get high percentage shots -- he becomes just that much more valuable.

In fact, its not a stretch to say that Bryant could very well end up being the difference in this game.

Which makes it all the more ironic that the place he went to get this orthotic was Duke, and the man making it was a Duke doctor and, as you can imagine, a Duke fan.

How do you define irony?

To his credit, Coach K wasn't the least bit upset.

"We should take care of those kids," he said. "If they come up with an orthotic or whatever, and Duke is the one [that makes it], you should do that."

This may all end up being a moot point anyway. Bob Huggins said Bryant is "very doubtful" to play.

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Truck Bryant cleared for the Final Four

Word out of Syracuse last night was that West Virginia's Truck Bryant, who broke a bone in his foot on Tuesday in practice, will be available to go for the Final Four.

Brett McMurphy of Fanhouse broke the story:

Bryant, who broke the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot during practice Tuesday in Morgantown, said he was cleared by team doctors Friday to play in the Final Four if West Virginia advanced.

"I'm in pain, but I'll be fine, Bryant told FanHouse in the locker room after the Mountaineers' 73-66 win over Kentucky. "That's what the shoe is for to keep the pain away. I can't hurt it anymore.

"This is a special time of the year when you have to step up, when you make your name as a team and an individual."

Joe Mazzulla started at point guard last night for West Virginia and played the game on his life. But without Bryant in uniform, West Virginia only had one ball handler available, which created a tricky situation for West Virginia as Mazzulla got into foul trouble and eventually fouled out late in the game.

There's no telling how healthy Bryant will actually be. When 100%, he is a creator and a scorer off the dribble. As good as Mazzulla played last night, having Bryant available as well will only help the Mountaineers.

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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.
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Marquette loses freshman Junior Cadougan; West Virginia's Truck Bryant reinstated

Buzz Williams' Marquette squad suffered another setback on Friday as freshman point guard Junior Cadougan ruptured his achilles' tendon in a conditioning drill and will be out for the season.

With the Golden Eagles' losing their entire back court to graduation, Cadougan, a top 100 recruit, was expected to at least contribute significant minutes, if not start. With JuCo transfer Darius Johnson-Odom currently sidelined with a sprained ligament in his foot, Marquette's back court depth is severely depleted.

Junior Cadougan could miss the season with an Achilles injury.
(photo credit: ESPN)

How important is Mo Acker's decision to return to school now? Seniors Acker, who had originally decided to focus on his studies during his last year at Marquette, and David Cubillan will now be expected to handle the majority of the back court minutes, with junior Dwight Buycks coming off the bench.

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Down in Morgantown, Mountaineer fans got some great news today as sophomore Truck Bryant has been reinstated by head coach Bob Huggins. Back in July, Bryant was arrested for leaving the scene of an accident after crashing into a car driven by a fellow WVU student.

In early September, he pleaded no contest to the charges, racking up some court fees and fines, but avoiding jail time.

Truck Bryant has been reinstated at West Virginia.
(photo credit: Scout)

This news comes three weeks after fellow point Joe Mazzulla, who missed most of last season with a shoulder injury, was also reinstated.

West Virginia sorely needed these two point guards. Last year, the Mountaineers were as good as anyone in the conference in terms of toughness, defense, and hitting the glass (especially on the offensive end). But they struggled offensively at times. Outside of Da'Sean Butler and Alex Ruoff, they did not really have a player that could create offensively.

With Ruoff gone, the 'Neers needed options on the offensive end. Both Mazzulla and Bryant are both solid playmakers - Bryant is probably a better scorer, but Mazzulla is more of a true point guard - and should be effective playing alongside each other.

With these two on the roster, expect the Mountaineers to compete for the Big East title with Villanova.

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Truck Bryant pleads no contest

On Tuesday, we talked about how important the reinstatement of Joe Mazzulla was for the West Virginia basketball team's outlook for the upcoming season.

Today, the Mountaineers got some more good news. Truck Bryant, the freshman who filled in for Mazzulla last season to the tune of 9.8 ppg, plead no contest to two charges stemming from a July 4th hit and run. He has to pay some fines and court fees, but he won't be doing any jail time.

Bryant has not been reinstated just yet, but one must assume that getting his legal troubles solved is a big step in the right direction.

As I mentioned in the Mazzulla post, West Virginia was getting ready to start the season without a point guard on their roster. The Mountaineers are going to be an excellent rebounding and defense team once again this season, but after losing Alex Ruoff to graduation, points will be at a premium.

Getting Bryant back to help Mazzulla run the offense would take a lot of pressure off of potential all-league forwards Devin Ebanks and Da'Sean Butler.


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