West Virginia Basketball: Mountaineers try to replace Devin Williams

Even after losing their best player to the professional ranks, West Virginia basketball is bringing in more bodies that should keep them in the hunt for a Big 12 title.

Devin Williams, a double-double machine, is gone, having chosen to jump head first into the NBA world.

He also took senior Jonathan Holton and Jaysean Paige with him via graduation. Those three were a huge part of the Mountaineers’ production last year and their absence will be noticeable in the early going of the 2016-17 season.

Losing his best three players isn’t likely to faze Bob Huggins though, as he keeps pushing his squad to play faster and harder than others. To make his system work the way it does, Huggins needs bodies more than he needs overwhelming talent.

With that in mind, the three new guys coming to Morgantown are solid additions that will help the team stay competitive.

All of these players could/or will be contributors to a style of play that thrives on waves of bodies causing turnovers, and defensive pressure without an emphasis on avoiding fouls.

The best of the bunch is likely Polish forward Maciej Bender, who played high school in Virginia. The 6’10”, 235 pound forward had offers from a good number of high-major programs, including Arizona State and Georgia Tech, alongside WVU.

He reportedly has all the size and skills of a European big man. Bender could be the conference’s next true matchup nightmare with a mixture of post moves and perimeter ability. He needs to get bigger and stronger to body up opposing forwards, but he might be the most important piece for future campaigns.

The other big-bodied addition moving to Morgantown is center prospect Sagaba Konate. If Bender looks like a stretch big, then Konate is more like Williams with a more aggressive style on both ends.

More from Busting Brackets

He looks capable of stepping into the frontcourt and adding the sort of bullying style of rebounding and defense upon which WVU thrives. He stands 6’8″, 235 pounds, so he starts with a solid frame that will need to increase a bit before too long in order to stand against experienced college players.

His offensive limitations might keep him out of the game for long stretches, but eventually he might be a double-double threat like Williams was.

Rounding out the 2016 class of Mountaineers is backyard snag: Chase Harler from Wheeling, WV. The 6’3″, 180 pound guard was far from hyped nationally, but within West Virginia he was among the 10 best high schoolers around.

He has good size for a point guard and reportedly has the kind of shooting touch that could make him a headache to guard down the road. The speed of the game will be a problem for him in his first year and the competition is going to be much better than what Harler is used to, but keeping a talented in-state prospect home is the goal of many college coaches.

The Mountaineers have also grabbed a commitment from another hometown guy. 6’1″, 170 pound Charleston, WV point guard Brandon Knapper signed all the way back in 2014.

He will need to get much stronger than his current listed size. Even with potential limitations, every guy, including Knapper, on a West Virginia roster typically has a shot to get minutes.

If this class doesn’t seem overwhelming, that is because it isn’t. It isn’t in the top 40 on ESPN and none of the players are in the top 15 at their position. As I said above though, “Press Virginia” isn’t built on All-American accolades or NBA draft potential. It is built on the strength of 8-to-10 bodies that surround the opponent at all times, forcing double digit turnovers every game.

There is a reason WVU has put up roughly double the number of shots per game as their opponents over the past couple seasons. It is numbers and energy that drives the team, not sheer talent.

West Virginia might not have the same annoyance factor they did with Williams and the seniors gone, but Bender, Konate, and Harler are certainly capable of providing a new dimension with a good amount of projected versatility.

Next: Projecting Virginia Tech's starting lineup

There is also enough experienced talent ahead of the freshman to keep Bob Huggins’ boys right near the top of the Big 12 standings and get them back to the NCAA tournament.

Home/Big 12