West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

[boatcapt]

Cue the French version of Country Roads!
Vadim Clanet has signed with WLU from d&e.
6-8 197 lbs.
35.4% from three. Great understanding of the game.
1 yr to play as grad student.
Roster numbers 14, with 9 new players.
Many high motor guys.
We now have 4 players 6-7 or above.

I like all the signings but particularly this one. As the saying goes, you can't coach height! I'd anticipate he'd play a Seager sort of roll. For all Seagers ability as a 3 point sniper, he played better than good interior D. If he can be 70% as good as Seager, I'll take it all day long!!!

[Columbuseer]

Fyi current wlu roster

Veterans - 5

Daugustino
Kisner
Shuler
Spadafora
Woodward



Transfers - 5

Autrey
Clanet
Harper
Shull
Stewart


Freshmen - 4

Chester
Dragas
Kent
Tinsley

[boatcapt]

Fyi current wlu roster

Veterans - 5

Daugustino
Kisner
Shuler
Spadafora
Woodward



Transfers - 5

Autrey
Clanet
Harper
Shull
Stewart


Freshmen - 4

Chester
Dragas
Kent
Tinsley

WOW... Definitely going to need a program early in the season! Two questions...Which of the new players will live up to their hype THIS year and which won't and how will they gell with each other? Plenty of chances for problems when 2/3 of your roster is new.

[Columbuseer]

Fyi - things do not look good for future of wheeling univ. Hope they make the turnaround.
if approx. 620 is last year's undergrad enrollment, there were 149 on the football roster or 24%.

https://wvmetronews.com/2024/06/10/w...ng-turnaround/

[Columbuseer]

Fyi
will yoakum got his bachelor's degree from west liberty and his masters from nova se.
After starting his pro career in Germany, he is now playing for the mexico city angels in the pacific coast basketball circuit (CIBACOPA) and doing quite well. 30 min a game (48 games), 14 ppg and 41.9% from three.
Congrats Will!

[Layton]

Not a lot of continuity is one issue under Ben. Crutch seemed to hold onto guys for 4-5 years more often

[bballfan03]

Fyi - things do not look good for future of wheeling univ. Hope they make the turnaround.
if approx. 620 is last year's undergrad enrollment, there were 149 on the football roster or 24%.

https://wvmetronews.com/2024/06/10/w...ng-turnaround/

Wheeling only has like 800 students?? Geesh that's terrible!!

[boatcapt]

Not a lot of continuity is one issue under Ben. Crutch seemed to hold onto guys for 4-5 years more often

Sadly, that's the changing landscape of basketball. Players don't stay in one program. WLU and Ben are also victims of their own success which has resulted in better players coming to the Hilltop. While WLU does go much deeper into their bench than many top tier programs, the result is that the number 8, 9 and 10 guys get serious game experience. This experience makes them wonder if they can become stars elsewhere. So they jump into the portal were they often find many suitors willing to make them the center piece of their teams.

[Columbuseer]

Not a lot of continuity is one issue under Ben. Crutch seemed to hold onto guys for 4-5 years more often

Extenuating circumstances.
Crutch was at wlu before the advent of unlimited transfers.
Yoakum was at wlu for 5 years. He fulfilled his obligation. Butler graduated.
Extra covid year also played a role for bolon and Robinson who went d1.
shifflet and Watson are on second school after wlu.
Some guys just could not develop their complete game, which is necessary for success at wlu.

Given there are 1000 in the d2 portal, it is not isolated to wlu.
after nova se won the championship, 5 guys transferred, many of them in top 7 players.

[Columbuseer]

Fyi
west chester plays at west liberty on nov 8 and wheeling on Nov 9.
have not identified the 4th team.

[Columbuseer]

It appears that wlu is emphasizing great 3-pt shooters on this year's team.
imho, here are the players I would consider having elite potential of 40%+ 3 pt accuracy, in no particular order:

o Spadafora

o Dragas

o Shull

o Kent

o Autrey

o Tinsley

Imho Here are 3 pt shooters with 35% - 40% potential

o Chester

o Harper

o Kisner

o Shuler

o Clanet

o Stewart

o D’Augustino

[boatcapt]

It appears that wlu is emphasizing great 3-pt shooters on this year's team.
imho, here are the players I would consider having elite potential of 40%+ 3 pt accuracy, in no particular order:

o Spadafora

o Dragas

o Shull

o Kent

o Autrey

o Tinsley

Imho Here are 3 pt shooters with 35% - 40% potential

o Chester

o Harper

o Kisner

o Shuler

o Clanet

o Stewart

o D’Augustino

WLU always emphasizes 3 point shooting. The big question is can they shoot at a high enough percentage to burry opponents and cover up areas were they are deficient. We'll see this year with our cast of largely new or unproven players.

Really, with WLU it's how they set themselves up for the NCAA tourney. They will probably skate through most of the regular season because with a couple of exceptions, they simply are better than most of the league.

[Columbuseer]

WLU always emphasizes 3 point shooting. The big question is can they shoot at a high enough percentage to burry opponents and cover up areas were they are deficient. We'll see this year with our cast of largely new or unproven players.

Really, with WLU it's how they set themselves up for the NCAA tourney. They will probably skate through most of the regular season because with a couple of exceptions, they simply are better than most of the league.

I agree that it has always been an emphasis. It seems like this year they want to take it back to the years when wlu averaged 40% as a team, albeit with a closer 3 pt line. But with taller, stronger athletes.

Have to wait and see. 9 new players is challenging.

[Columbuseer]

Fyi
west liberty plays Missouri S&T Dec 20 430 pm EST at Las Vegas Southpoint Arena.

[boatcapt]

I agree that it has always been an emphasis. It seems like this year they want to take it back to the years when wlu averaged 40% as a team, albeit with a closer 3 pt line. But with taller, stronger athletes.

Have to wait and see. 9 new players is challenging.

If we can shoot 40% from 3 as a team, we will be hard to beat. At that %, rebounds become less important because there are far fewer of them to get. It also let you get into your full court pressure easier which increases the effectiveness of it. When running at full effectiveness, the WLU press produces a bunch of turn overs which effectively gives them real chances at FIVE points plays.

WLU has the players, on paper, that can do it. Just a matter of if they can do it with this cast.