West Virginia Basketball Starting to Find Roles for Their New Additions

For West Virginia basketball fans, watching the team through ten games has been a little bit like reading a "Where's Waldo?" book.

With six true freshman and eight new players in total, it's been a challenge at times just figuring out who is on the court, let alone keeping track of the game. Head coach Bob Huggins hasn't helped the fact by managing his team like a hockey coach, constantly making substitutions, sometimes as many as four at once. 

There seems to be a method to his madness however, as the team has sprinted to an 8-2 start and seems to be slowly rounding into shape. More importantly, an identity seems to be forming.

Obviously, any success this Mountaineer team might achieve hinges on the success of their three returning players, Kevin Jones, Truck Bryant and Deniz Kililcli. For West Virginia to be dancing come Tourney time, the trio will all need to play 30+ minutes a night, score about 70% of the teams points, and grow huge bushy beards. (Actually, that last one only applies to Kililcli, but his beard is so amazingly horrendous that it had to be mentioned somewhere.)

With that in mind, here is a look at the new guys, and where they fit on the roster.

Group One, Bench Players: Tommy McCune, Paul Williamson, Dominique Rutledge

Just because a team dresses 12 players doesn't mean they all need to get significant minutes. In fact, history has shown us that the best teams usually operate with an eight to ten man rotation, and these three seem the most likely candidates to lose minutes when the Big East slate begins.  

Rutledge, a JUCO transfer, just doesn't seem to have a fit the way the roster is currently constructed, and McCune, despite having all the looks of a solid wing player, has looked timid on the floor, and has made a whopping one field-goal this season.

Williamson, on the other hand, has some upside. A walk-on from Harts, West Virginia, Williamson has established himself as not only a fan favorite, but perhaps the best outside shooter on the team. While he probably lacks the other skills necessary to be a starting 2-guard, he could see some decent minutes as a change of pace scorer.

Group Two, Glue Guys: Kevin Noreen, Pat Forsythe, Keaton Miles

None of these players will ever be a star, but each one of them puts something on the table that is essential to a top-25 team.

Noreen and Forsythe both provide some much needed size inside, and seem to have the rebounding gene that is essential for any big man on a Bob Huggins coached team.

Forsythe has actually surprised me more than any of the new players, looking much more capable than I originally expected. And since Huggins has a tendency to come down hardest on players he feels have the most potential, the fact that he has turned Forsythe into one of his most common targets leads me to believe that he has a higher ceiling than Noreen. Kevin seems reluctant to shoot, despite an incredible scoring pedigree (averaged 38.6ppg in High School.)

Miles has started every game this season, and has been a very solid defender, but a black hole on offense, shooting just 27 percent and averaging less than two points per game. Considering he is spending most of his time on the floor with four players who are not afraid to shoot the rock, Miles defense is the reason he is starting. Judging by his play against Texas A&M CC, where he dunked from about one step inside the foul-line, I think he has some potential to grow on offense.

Group Three, Impact Players: Gary Browne, Aaron Brown

Now we're getting to the guys who have a real impact on the way the season plays out.

Point guards probably have the toughest transition to make between high-school and college, but through 10 games Browne has shown himself to have a very good handle on the position. Maybe even better than the teams starter (we will get to him in a bit). Playing about 22 minutes a night, Browne is scoring just under six points a night while giving out close to four assists. More importantly, he looks comfortable on the floor and rarely gets rattled, a trait that can't be under-estimated for a freshman.

The same can be said for Aaron Brown, who is lurking as a potential tremendous sixth-man, someone capable of coming of the bench and providing instant offense. With Jones and Bryant taking so many of the shots Brown hasn't had a chance to run loose yet, but when he does he has the potential to be a double-digit scorer.

Group Four, The Potential Star: Jabarie Hinds

Remember what I said about Gary Browne and Aaron Brown, that even as freshmen they act like they belong on the court? I'm a believer that having the level of confidence needed to play that way is a huge indicator of what a young player could become, and Hinds has that in spades.

Considering he has started all 10 games, Hinds numbers, eight PPG, four assists, and two rebounds are fairly pedestrian. Those stats can't explain the way he plays though, always running, trying for steals, trying to make something happen. More importantly, he carries that swagger that says he honestly believes he is the best player on the court at any given time, a trait that can be invaluable in the right player or a train-wreck in the wrong guy.

So far, Hinds seems to be the right player, and if that continues he could become a star, not only in the Big East or Big 12 depending on how everything shakes out, but on the National level.

There are still many questions that West Virginia needs to answer.

Do they have enough size to compete in the Big East?

Is it really possible a team can be this bad from the foul line (62 percent on the year)?

Can they make it through a season without Huggins strangling Kilicli on the sidelines?

Those questions will be answered over the course of the season, but for now, the new look Mountaineers seem to be taking shape.