West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

[Columbuseer]

21st best player for 2023 in Ohio and wlu commit Terrance Pankey Jr. at #26.
Impressive as nearly all of higher ranked players are taller than they are.
With graduation, great playing time opportunities possible at wlu.


https://mobile.twitter.com/Kylerdaug...329600/photo/1



Disclaimer for all commits:
At the risk of being Admiral Obvious, following caveats apply:

- prep performance does not guarantee future college success
- d1 offers do not guarantee d2 success
- great prep players frequently need more strength and experience to excel at college level.
- Some players will discover they would rather be a big fish in a little pond and will transfer.
- transfer portal has reduced leverage of prep players in recruiting process.
- verbal commit is not a signed letter of intent.

[Columbuseer]

FYI Sample of Bryce Butler from yesterday.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1558944419742511105

[Columbuseer]

Nice article on Butler Brothers and 3x3 basketball.
usa team is playing much better on day 3. todays team is austin butler and wallace as well as two guys from villanova.
Bryce and guy from Portland state resting today.
they got revenge on 1st day loss to Puerta Rico today with 21-9 thumping.

https://www.usab.com/news-events/new...r-feature.aspx

[Columbuseer]

FYI
USA 3X3 team dominated day 2, defeating Venezuela, Argentina and dominican republic in finals.
there are 6 days (or stops) of competition. Top 2 teams play in romania in Sept for world championship against other regions.
Bryce is making a big difference in both offense and defense.

Link has all games in one stream. Finals is last game.

https://youtu.be/CwK7dbTE81I

[boatcapt]

It will be interesting to see where he plays. Leader of second platoon, like Montague last year? In watching him play in open gym this summer, he seemed very comfortable in the up tempo style, very high assist to turnover ratio, deadly from three, great vision, unselfish and creates steals.

The team has so much depth that it is hard to confidently predict more than 2 or 3 starters. It may be depend on the opponent. If facing a 3 guard team, mckinney, montague and cannady could wreak havoc. Folks will also be surprised by the defensive and offensive improvement of zach rasile. Much stronger and quicker. Not just a 3 pt sniper.

Seems like Ben "rides or dies" with the line-up he establishes early in the season. Unless there is an injury or a player quits mid season (Boswell), the starting 5 stays pretty static over the course of the season. Minutes per player may change game to game but the starting 5 doesn't seem to be something that changes situationally.

[Columbuseer]

Fyi update on 3x3 tourney Santo domingo
day 1 - sat, usa was 1-1. Too much iso ball. Bryce did not play. Team has just 1 sub for each game. Austin butler very good along with wallace, who is g league player for LA clippers.
day 2, game 1. Usa changed up lineup with Bryce and another player to join austin and wallace. They faced day 1 winner in Venezuela.
With the butler bros, the ball was not sticking and usa dominated, winning 16-9. Serious action above the rim for both teams. Euro pro or g league level play. Bryce played very well, both offense and defense. Here is link to video. Usa is second game in video.
3x3 is a physical game.

https://youtu.be/CwK7dbTE81I

[Columbuseer]

Cannady, even back at Wheeling (WLU will be his third DII team), always seemed very streaky to me. When he was on he was great, but when he was off...let's just say NOT so great! As with most streaky players, there didn't seem to be any way to predict which player you were going to get...one game he's scorching the nets, getting steals and dishing assists...next game he's clanking law-ups and struggling to get the ball into the front court.

I see him as a second platoon/sometime starter at WLU. Good player who when he is on, can change a game...Just not on often enough.

As a one and done, I don't think minutes will matter much. This is his last season so quitting and transferring for next year is not option. If his minutes do shrink as they did at Hurst, he'll have to deal with it and hope he get's hot in games and earns more run.

It will be interesting to see where he plays. Leader of second platoon, like Montague last year? In watching him play in open gym this summer, he seemed very comfortable in the up tempo style, very high assist to turnover ratio, deadly from three, great vision, unselfish and creates steals.

The team has so much depth that it is hard to confidently predict more than 2 or 3 starters. It may be depend on the opponent. If facing a 3 guard team, mckinney, montague and cannady could wreak havoc. Folks will also be surprised by the defensive and offensive improvement of zach rasile. Much stronger and quicker. Not just a 3 pt sniper.

[boatcapt]

Cannady vanished in the three IUP losses last year for the Lakers -- scoring 1, 5 and 0 points in the three games.

They also cut his minutes way down at the end (24 in PSAC Final Four, 19 in NCAA Round 1 and just 11 in NCAA Round 2 loss to IUP). I'm sure that contributed to his departure.

He's a solid player. He's a good defensive addition but I'll be curious how he handles playing 17-18 mpg. Lot of mouths to feed on the Hilltop this year.

Cannady, even back at Wheeling (WLU will be his third DII team), always seemed very streaky to me. When he was on he was great, but when he was off...let's just say NOT so great! As with most streaky players, there didn't seem to be any way to predict which player you were going to get...one game he's scorching the nets, getting steals and dishing assists...next game he's clanking law-ups and struggling to get the ball into the front court.

I see him as a second platoon/sometime starter at WLU. Good player who when he is on, can change a game...Just not on often enough.

As a one and done, I don't think minutes will matter much. This is his last season so quitting and transferring for next year is not option. If his minutes do shrink as they did at Hurst, he'll have to deal with it and hope he get's hot in games and earns more run.

[Columbuseer]

Fyi
Bryce Butler going to play in nations league under 23 3x3 tourney. Only d2 player on this us team.
great way to improve skills.

https://hilltoppersports.com/news/20...ague-team.aspx

[Columbuseer]

Rumor is there is a new 2023 commit who is highly regarded.

[Columbuseer]

Cannady vanished in the three IUP losses last year for the Lakers -- scoring 1, 5 and 0 points in the three games.

They also cut his minutes way down at the end (24 in PSAC Final Four, 19 in NCAA Round 1 and just 11 in NCAA Round 2 loss to IUP). I'm sure that contributed to his departure.

He's a solid player. He's a good defensive addition but I'll be curious how he handles playing 17-18 mpg. Lot of mouths to feed on the Hilltop this year.

So true about balance on this years team. Greater possessions per game makes 18 min more like 22-24 mins for more deliberate styles. Watching him play with wlu i sense he was built for a more free-form style. He is a handful in the open court in transition. Sometimes a certain style fits a player better. Have to wait and see. He has great vision and has had great coaching.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Denbow is very good high school player. However, saying that an all conference level player with 2500 minutes of college experience (cannady) is an upgrade is just fact. Does not mean denbow is bad. Just much less experienced. I have seen both of them play in person. Cannady may be fastest player on wlu team and best defender. And montague and mckinney are very fast and great defenders. Saw him block a shot of 6-4 guy from behind above the rim. Great smarts and great athletic ability. In 5 years, denbow may be comparable. Just not now.

High school players and their supporters have lost leverage with the experienced great players in the portal.

Cannady vanished in the three IUP losses last year for the Lakers -- scoring 1, 5 and 0 points in the three games.

They also cut his minutes way down at the end (24 in PSAC Final Four, 19 in NCAA Round 1 and just 11 in NCAA Round 2 loss to IUP). I'm sure that contributed to his departure.

He's a solid player. He's a good defensive addition but I'll be curious how he handles playing 17-18 mpg. Lot of mouths to feed on the Hilltop this year.

[Columbuseer]

Funny how fan perceptions of the player changes after the player decommits. I recall some pretty lofty things being said on this message board about both Carry and Denbow when they were in the WLU recruting class...Then when they left just as many posts about how we were better without them/the players we got in their place were actually BETTER!

"There are three sides to every story, my side, your side and the TRUTH!"

Saying someone is better does not imply the lesser player is bad.

Denbow is very good high school player. However, saying that an all conference level player with 2500 minutes of college experience (cannady) is an upgrade is just fact. Does not mean denbow is bad. Just much less experienced. I have seen both of them play in person. Cannady may be fastest player on wlu team and best defender. And montague and mckinney are very fast and great defenders. Saw him block a shot of 6-4 wlu guy from behind above the rim. Great smarts and great athletic ability. In 5 years, denbow may be comparable. Just not now.

High school players and their supporters have lost leverage with the experienced great players in the portal.

Carry was an all conference MAC performer. Never said he was not very good. He got looks from wvu in hs before his 2 knee injuries. But we got an all region player in robinson and great shooter and defender in mckinney after he reneged.

The point is there is no need for concern if players decommit. There are others waiting in the wings thanks to ben's contingency planning.

I just chafe at players reneging on signed contracts.

[boatcapt]

When a player signs with WL ... the only thing that gets in the way is whether they declare for the NBA Draft first.

The moment they transfer or de-commit ... they were worthless all along.

I suppose most fan bases are the same way.

Yea...most are. I try to temper positive and negative expectations. Both IUP and WLU are going to get high quality recruits pretty much across the board. Some will blossom, some won't...and some won't even set foot on campus! Hard to predict which players are which based on school-boy stats, on-line highlight tapes and "player evaluation" from hype sites that sometimes seem to be in the game of rating every player they look at highly!

But hey, talking about how GREAT our recruting class is and how players x, y and z are "can't miss" stars in the making helps the off season go buy a little quicker! Can't wait for the discussion to turn from individual players to how this years version of our team is going to be the best team in the history of history!!!!!! Just check the stats...They PROVE we are on the cusp of a once in a century confluence of individual greatness, offensive jerganaulthood, titanicly dominant defensiveatood married with genius level basketball IQ from player 1 all the way down to player 12 that will assure us of an undefeated season and a NC...Provided we don't have to play NW Missouri in the Elite 8!!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Funny how fan perceptions of the player changes after the player decommits. I recall some pretty lofty things being said on this message board about both Carry and Denbow when they were in the WLU recruting class...Then when they left just as many posts about how we were better without them/the players we got in their place were actually BETTER!

"There are three sides to every story, my side, your side and the TRUTH!"

When a player signs with WL ... the only thing that gets in the way is whether they declare for the NBA Draft first.

The moment they transfer or de-commit ... they were worthless all along.

I suppose most fan bases are the same way.