West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

[Layton]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Have you heard if Brady Arnold has made a full recovery and will be able to play this year?

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

So heading into the new school year, who do you have penciled in as your starting 5? Here's mine:

PG Brady Arnold
G Dalton Bolon
G Marlon Moore
F Evan French
F Eric Mehininger

Second 5:

PG Luke Dyer
G Kegan Saben
G Nate Allen
F Nick Greely
F Tyler Primmer

Tough question. Due to the parity among the Wlu players, who starts the game does not have the meaning as with other teams. Wl has the luxury of rotating whole lineup like hockey lines.
I think who starts might depend on the matchup with the other team. As the game progresses the players with the hot hand and most impact/ effort will get more minutes. Imho:
Level 1
Dalton Bolton
Brady Arnold if completely recovered
Meininger
Level 1a
depends a lot on off season improvement
Saben - creates chaos but needs to work on shot. Displaced taller talented starter late in year based on effort. Can play point.
French- Bonifant like shooter who just needs to keep improving on defense to get major minutes and move up to group 1
Moore- hi iq player. If he improves 3 and attacks offensively he could move up.
Allen- has nba first step. If he improves defensive technique he could move up.
Dyer- great assist to turnover ratio. Needs more confidence in shooting 3.
Primmer- if he improves as much as last year he could start.

Group 2 could be major positive surprises here but little is known
Alessandro - expect to play this year
Yoakum- heard good things about him
Hill - great talent
Greely- ex d1 player that needs time to adjust
Watson - scoring machine who needs time to adjust

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Starting at WLU doesn't mean you will get the most minutes like on most teams. Quite the contrary...It's not uncommon for the non-starter to get more minutes that the starter over extended periods of time. So from that standpoint, doesn't really matter who starts. BUUUUTTTT...It does seem that outside of early season adjustments and injuries, WLU sticks with a set starting 5 game after game even when the #2 is playing better. I've always found that interesting about WLU.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

NBA what? Come on. None are even sniffing the NBA.

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

NBA what? Come on. None are even sniffing the NBA.

You are correct. Bad choice of hyperbole. I should have said that Nate Allen has an incredibly quick first step on the drive (for D2) that can blow by people as if their feet were in concrete and leave you shaking your head in amazement. I had not seen players on WL or their opponent with anything even close to that kind of first step. But he does not use it very much. The term NBA came to mind as a succinct way todescribe it in that it is one of the common characteristics of G/F NBA players that makes them so difficult to guard. Play too close to them and they zoom by you with the first step. Play off and they drill the jumper. But I did not mean to infer that he is an NBA player either in quickness or in skill. But he is an articulate, intelligent guy who will be a success in life, imho.

[Sportsnut]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

Columbus, you list 14 players. We will have a defector or one must be red shirted. Who do you think that would be?. You mention that Alessandro will probably play this year so that would probably leave Hill to be red shirted? Thoughts?

[Dirtybird]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

How many active players can be on the roster? Right now WL has 15, one being Boswell who is red shirting. Is it a case where someone else has to red shirt or can a team have 14 active eligible players?

[Sportsnut]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

I think you can only dress 13 for games. Forgot about Boswell.

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

D2 allows 10 full ride scholarships that can be split among > 10 players. D1 allows 13.
In terms of players on bench max is 15 for both d1 and d2 according to link:
https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

How many active players can be on the roster? Right now WL has 15, one being Boswell who is red shirting. Is it a case where someone else has to red shirt or can a team have 14 active eligible players?

I don't know but I note that WJU shows 15 players on their stat page from last season.

It does feel a little odd for WLU to have so many players. Typically during the Crutch era we were typically at 12 and SOMETIMES at 13 if memory serves me correctly. 15 players is going to make practice crowded!!!

[Sportsnut]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

They had 15 players in their team picture last year. However Ochoa left the team at the end of the first semester. That leaves 14 and Brady wasn't there and that gets you to 13 and Yoakum (sp) redshirted. That would be 12 dressed for games. Does that sound right?

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

My understanding is the max roster is 15 players. I 'believe' the scholarship equivalency, however, is only 11 or 12 in D2 (D1 is 13) ... meaning you'd be 'fully funded' at that point and two players would be walk-ons.

I've read before while you can roster 15, you can only dress 12 players for a game.

[boatcapt]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

My understanding is the max roster is 15 players. I 'believe' the scholarship equivalency, however, is only 11 or 12 in D2 (D1 is 13) ... meaning you'd be 'fully funded' at that point and two players would be walk-ons.

I've read before while you can roster 15, you can only dress 12 players for a game.

Don't know if it is, but that sounds right.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

D2 allows 10 full ride scholarships that can be split among > 10 players. D1 allows 13.
In terms of players on bench max is 15 for both d1 and d2 according to link:
https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketballinsincere carry but his game was not quite as developed imho. His team should have beaten Solon in the tourney as they led until deep into 4th quarter. Solon lost in d1 championship to team with 3 d1 players.

That is great. LOL.

[Columbuseer]

Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

I don't know but I note that WJU shows 15 players on their stat page from last season.

It does feel a little odd for WLU to have so many players. Typically during the Crutch era we were typically at 12 and SOMETIMES at 13 if memory serves me correctly. 15 players is going to make practice crowded!!!

Realistically, I don't think this will happen, but wouldn't it be amazing if WLU sent 3 waves of lineups at opponents, each playing intense pressure defense for 2-4 minutes? It would require tremendous parity among the players and of course would depend on the match ups. It would make it difficult for opponents to get comfortable with the skills and tendencies of the player guarding them. The physical and mental stress on opponents would be something to see, especially if they are not disciplined and their coach is not top-notch.

I am looking forward to next year when Boswell can play with Bolon. His game seems to be perfectly suited for the WLU style.