West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

[IUPbigINDIANS]

That's likely the cover-your-a$$ approach. That means no 'official' workouts.

Just about the whole IUP team has been on campus for weeks now.

[CALUPA69]

FYI
wlu basketball and all summer camps are cancelled. Players used to work camps and play in open gym. How will it affect acclimation of new players?

Don't know about TOPPERS players but a number of VULCANS have been working out at DMV BASKETBALL ACADEMY in DC. Pictured below are BRENT PEGRAM, DYLIN BORDEN and JERMAINE HALL but DS has a number of signees from the Tidewater region and most have spent some time here.

https://mobile.twitter.com/DMVBBAcad...418176/photo/1

[Columbuseer]

FYI
wlu basketball and all summer camps are cancelled. Players used to work camps and play in open gym. How will it affect acclimation of new players?

[Columbuseer]

[Columbuseer]

FYI
Zach Rasile workout with clockwork athletics.
Note the superb balance on the jump stop and the rapid release with flawless mechanics, which enables him to have incredible range... He had 140 threes this year and over 400 in his career, two records that may never be broken.
if he gets stronger and is adequate on defense, it may be hard to kept him off the floor.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pxmrCOmt9dU

[Columbuseer]

Way too early speculation on 2020-2021 Hilltoppers There is so much balance in the top 10 Hilltoppers. The coaches may utilize them like jigsaw pieces, with starters depending on the skills of the opponent. As a result, I ranked them based on minimum expected minutes.

I would not surprised to see three bigs play during the season - my guess is: Moore Jr., Hazelbaker and Watson.
Moore's and Hazelbaker's minutes will be influenced by their foul situation. Total Speculation. Anyhow, here goes. Note that player order within same number of minutes is not important.

Player Estimated Minimum Minutes
Bolon 24
Dyer 22
Yoakum 22
Butler 19
Robinson III 19
Moore, Jr. 19
McKinney 19
Conley 13
Hazelbaker 13
Rasile 13
Watson 13
Hiles 4
Powell 0 (redshirt?)
Sarson 0 (redshirt?)

[Columbuseer]

FYI
Perusing the NCAA all time records, I found WLU mentioned 82 times.
Some highlights:
#1 all time career 3 pt % - Segar Bonifant 2016 over 52%
#1 all time Most points scored in a season - WLU in 2011 (actually they occupy the top four positions)
#1 the for most 100 pt. games in a season - 25 by WLU in 2011. The year they averaged 111+ pts. over 34 games

[Layton]

Article on Ben Sarson https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/...s/202005200007

[boatcapt]

From my experience with big D1 schools, I got the impression that the number of full academic rides (Tuition and Room and Board and books and fees) are scarce as hen's teeth, where qualified and deserving recipients far exceed the number of available scholarships, and are much less in number than the total athletic full-rides. A great student who qualifies for this extremely competitive scholarship and also is a great athlete would be rare indeed (Dalton was #1 in his high school class, I think. Hazelbaker had a 4.25 GPA in high school due to college classes).

The style that WLU plays seems to be positively correlated with high performing students, which probably helps them in qualifying for some partial academic help. WLU also ensures that they don't recruit players that they have to baby-sit to go to class.
The last couple of years, the published team GPA was over 3.0. Don't know about this year.

I don't think big D1 programs want their players on academic schollys (maybe a couple of walk ons to keep the team GPA up or that they can do a story on that imply the importance the HC puts on academics, but not a "real" player). They want their player beholden to the athletic department and committed 100% to their sport. Cant have their QB1 or starting PG focusing on studying for a big exam when the team is installing a new play for the big game Saturday. Need them focused on what the REAL priority is!!

[wheelingtopper62]

[Scrub]

Bolon has already graduated and entered his Master's program. I remember reading an article which detailed the highlights of that December graduation ceremony. In the article they listed the recipients of the University's highest scholarship. Bolon was one of those recipients. So, if this article was correct, I can say for a fact that Bolon was on full-ride academic. As IUPbig said above, if you can find an Atlantic Region POY (wink wink) and not have to pay a dime of athletic money to get him, then you're essentially rolling with 11 full schollys when everyone else has 10, or more likely, fewer than that.

[Columbuseer]

From my experience with big D1 schools, I got the impression that the number of full academic rides (Tuition and Room and Board and books and fees) are scarce as hen's teeth, where qualified and deserving recipients far exceed the number of available scholarships, and are much less in number than the total athletic full-rides. A great student who qualifies for this extremely competitive scholarship and also is a great athlete would be rare indeed (Dalton was #1 in his high school class, I think. Hazelbaker had a 4.25 GPA in high school due to college classes).

The style that WLU plays seems to be positively correlated with high performing students, which probably helps them in qualifying for some partial academic help. WLU also ensures that they don't recruit players that they have to baby-sit to go to class.
The last couple of years, the published team GPA was over 3.0. Don't know about this year.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I wouldn't consider it a loophole at all. IIf you are smart enough to get an academic scholly, why should you have to take an athletic school just because you happen to also be a gifted ball player?

I was looking at it as more 'loophole' for the programs who happen to be fully-funded at 10 athletic rides.

If you are lucky enough to find legit studs who can then get an athletic ride ... you can have 11 or 12 full ride guys instead of the 10. That's a massive advantage.

I'm curious to see last year's scholarship numbers. I know in the PSAC very few teams are even close to the 10 rides -- the public schools, anyway. It's certainly not an even playing field.

[boatcapt]

The new fad (loophole) is to get players on academic scholarships. You can have a full ride player on academic ride and not count toward the (10) limit.

Word is Joe has Ethan Porterfield ... the region's next superstar ... on full adademdc ride. If you hit the jackpot and have two players qualify for academic money ... even better.

I wouldn't consider it a loophole at all. IIf you are smart enough to get an academic scholly, why should you have to take an athletic school just because you happen to also be a gifted ball player?

[IUP Extra Mile]

Looks like WLU picked up another verbal: Ben Sarson from Pittsburgh Central Catholic. At 6'6" 205 lbs., he'd be what passes for a "big" in the WLU system. Anyone have any intel (perhaps even our PSAC friends who might know the Pittsburgh high schools a bit)?

His other offers were from Ship & Cal, so perhaps PSAC folks know this kid?

Side note, one of the articles that was posted above made it clear that Luke Powell is coming in as a walk-on, so I'm guessing Howlett has one more scholly to play with. Might be that he's using it on Sarson?

I saw him play on two occasions...Fits the profile of WL player...Versatile...Long, Can drive, has guard skills..Nice touch, but didn't see much 3-ball touch...Not gonna be the next grossenbacher...Had 40 in a game this year. Plays with an edge (read: little arrogant) whooping at the crowd after makes...

I don't mind the get as a WL fan...