Jeff Borzello, West Virginia News

WEST VIRGINIA HOOPS LOOKING TO ROLL IN 09-10

Forward duo of Devin Ebanks and Da’Sean Butler leads Bob Huggins’ squad

BY JEFF BORZELLO

Of the 16 Big East schools, only four of them have finished with above-.500 conference records in each of the last four seasons. The first three are current powers Connecticut and Pittsburgh, and Marquette.

But the fourth?

No, it’s not Syracuse. Or Georgetown. Or Louisville.

Try again: West Virginia.

After having just three 20-win seasons between 1989 and 2004, the Mountaineers have averaged more than 24 wins per seasons since then – and yes, have finished above .500 in the Big East in each of those campaigns.

It’s a streak that is likely to continue this season, especially after the coaches picked West Virginia to finish second in the league this year.

“It’s a honor, but it’s something we have to go out and prove,” sophomore Devin Ebanks said. “We worked hard over the summer, and we don’t really want to compare ourselves to anyone.”

“We’re looking forward to the year,” senior Da’Sean Butler added. “Were not afraid of other teams, we’re into what we can do. We’re not really worried about what teams can beat us.”

Fortunately for the Mountaineers, there are not many teams that can beat them, mainly because of the forward tandem of Ebanks and Butler in the frontcourt.

Ebanks is poised for a breakout season after averaging 14.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game over the last 11 games of last year. Many experts project him as a lottery pick in next year’s NBA Draft.

“Devin is very talented, very skilled,” Butler said. “If there’s something I can’t do, I know he can do it.”

There is not much that Butler, one of the best forwards in the nation, cannot do. He is capable of putting the Mountaineers on his back, as evidenced by his 43-point outburst against Villanova in mid-February last season.

West Virginia does lose Alex Ruoff from last season, but possibly the only question mark facing them going into the year is at the point guard position. Both Darryl “Truck” Bryant and Joe Mazzulla had off-court issues that are now resolved, and they will be fighting for the lineup spot.

Butler said that there will not be any carryover from the offseason with those two.

““Not at all,” he said. “They’re fine. They’re in tip-top shape. If I had my choice, I’d start both of them. Truck is ready to pick up from last season, and Joe is back to where he left off.”

“They were both here working on their games individually, so they didn’t miss a step,” Ebanks added.

The starter has not been decided yet, and will not likely be chosen until the opening game.

“It depends on the day, with who’s starting,” head coach Bob Huggins said. “Some days, it’s Darryl, some days it’s Joe.”

Another key for this season will be the impact of the newcomers, namely JUCO transfer Casey Mitchell, who will step right into Ruoff’s vacated starting spot in the backcourt.

“He has to understand what we can do as a team,” Butler said. “He’s buying in now, and of course he’s a tremendous scorer.”

One of the more impressive freshmen in practice was Deniz Kilicli, but he will be sitting out a 20-game suspension for playing on a club team in Turkey alongside pros, and accepting expenses from the club.

It will be a big loss for the Mountaineers, who were expecting big things from the 6-9 forward.

“Deniz is just so skilled for a big guy,” Butler said. “He’s explosive and he understands our system, he picked it up really quickly.”

Even without Kilicli, West Virginia will still be tremendously deep, with the return of seven rotation players from last season and the arrival of four guys who did not play last season (not including Kilicli).

“Last year, we had seven or eight guys, even less towards the end of the year,” Butler said. “This year, we have a lot of depth, a lot of guys who can play.”

Combine that bench production with ample experience and the presence of Ebanks and Butler, and you have a combination that should keep the Mountaineers near the top of the rankings all season long.

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