West Virginia Basketball: Mountaineers ready to press the Big 12 again

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Mar 18, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers forward Nathan Adrian (11) controls the ball against Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks forward C.J. Williams (2) in the first half in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports /

Small forward: Nathan Adrian

If it looks like West Virginia has too many guards, it is because they have very few true swing men. Johnathan Holton’s graduation leaves an awkward hole where opponents will be too large for traditional guards, but too quick for most bigs. Nathan Adrian looks more like a stretch power forward, but might be asked to fill that wing gap on most evenings.

The 6’9″, 235 pound senior from Morgantown put up just 4.5 points and 3.1 rebounds in 18 minutes a game last year. He compensated his total offensive profile with 41 percent shooting from three, tied with Tarik Phillip.

I’m not sure Adrian can replicate Holton’s defense and rebounding tenacity, but he will play smart basketball and add a dangerous shooting dimension to this year’s squad. 20-25 minutes along with 7-10 points and 3-6 boards a game are about what I expect for a guy that could play out of position most of the year.

Next: Power forward - Esa Ahmed

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