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

By Doug Winkey

Jan 12, 2016; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Jaysean Paige (5) jumps to dunk at the end of regulation to beat the Kansas Jayhawks at the WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 12, 2016; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers guard Jaysean Paige (5) jumps to dunk at the end of regulation to beat the Kansas Jayhawks at the WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 13, 2015; Morgantown, WV, USA; The West Virginia Mountaineers mascot and dancers celebrate after beating the Northern Kentucky Norse at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 13, 2015; Morgantown, WV, USA; The West Virginia Mountaineers mascot and dancers celebrate after beating the Northern Kentucky Norse at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports /

Backup power forward: Maciej Bender

The freshman from Poland has some intriguing tools that could get him into the rotation immediately. Maciej Bender is the highest rated recruit coming to Morgantown this year.

Bender is listed at 6’10”, 235 pounds. This means he is off to a good start in terms of physically matching up with opposing Big 12 forwards. He reportedly has the shooting touch to pull other bigs away the lane, but adding consistency and strength in his first year is a priority.

The freshman won’t be a big part of the offense in 2016-17, but he has the makings of a key player down the road. Bender averaging 3-5 points and 2-3 boards in 5-10 minutes makes plenty of sense.

Next: Center - Elijah Macon

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