The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

College Sports

April 25, 2010

WVU coach Huggins sees bright future for Cottrill

By Dave Morrison Register-Herald Sports Editor

Logan’s Noah Cottrill is good. Friends tell me he is “the truth.” And I’m assuming that is a good thing.

Just watching Cottrill play in the Scott Brown Memorial Classic Friday night, you can see why he has intrigued WVU coach Bob Huggins for years.

Cottrill, the state player of the year, played 30 minutes and was 14-of-23 from the floor, including 7-of-11 from three-point range.

He had 38 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals. It’s a given there isn’t a lot of defense — or any, for that matter — in an all-star setting.

But Cottrill showed unlimited range. One of his threes was from 35 feet.

During the three-point shootout, which he won, he was 17-of-25 in each round.

The knock, if there is one, is Cottrill’s cocky attitude.

Hey, the guy knows he’s good.

I like to think of the 6-foot-3 guard as a modern-day Hot Rod Hundley.

He likes to have a good time, he likes to talk, and yes, he can fill it up.

Huggins knows all this. And he is eager to have the shooter in his arsenal.

“I think he is going to play big minutes,” Huggins said from Morgantown Friday night. “Now, he has to come in and learn to play at this level. (Over the years) he has gotten better, he’s gotten stronger. I think he’s got a chance to be a heck of a player for us.”

Huggins didn’t pause when asked if Cottrill was a point or a shooting guard.

“He’s a point,” said the coach, who led WVU to the Final Four and a school-record 31 wins.

Which begs the question: Does he fit into the system as a scorer running the point?

“I’ve had Nick Van Exel and Stick (Steve) Logan, “ Huggins said of two future NBA points he coached at Cincinnati. “And those guys could score.”

Another Scott Brown participant who is WVU-bound, Mountain State Academy’s David Nyarsuk, is a different story.

He is seen more as a project.

He had 10 points and 10 rebounds playing for the Class AA-A stars.

At 7-foot-1, he is interesting. As legendary coach Dave Barksdale said at practice for the game Thursday, “You can’t teach 7-foot-1.”

Which is why Nyarsuk is interesting.

“He can change a game defensively,” Huggins said. “He’s a kid who works hard. We’ve got to get him stronger.”

Mentally or physically? It takes both to navigate a collegiate season.

“All of the above,” Huggins said.

“Dan Jennings and Deniz (Kilicli) both bench press over 350 pounds,” Huggins said. “He’s got a long way to go.”

What Huggins likes about Nyarsuk, other than the obvious height he offers, is his work ethic.

“Every time we saw him he worked hard,” Huggins said. “And he can run the floor.

And getting in Huggs’ program is going to do nothing but make Nyarsuk better.

— E-mail: demorrison@register-herald.com

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