The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Sports

Related Photos

  • C.L. Garvin

    Huggins.jpg
May 28, 2009

Huggins: Ebanks will be a first-round pick

By Dave Morrison

It was, on the surface, a rather ridiculous brief that crossed my desk in early April. “WVU freshman Devan Ebanks will not enter the NBA Draft.”

Well, duh!

I thought I laughed at it. Turns out nobody laughed harder than West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins.

“It wasn’t even an issue,” Huggins said Thursday at the Mountaineer Athletic Club golf outing at The Resort at Glade Springs. “I don’t know how people get that information. Devan never thought about leaving. I talked to Devan and his mother, and this was after the fact, and he never thought about leaving.”

Huggins said Ebanks told him he “wanted to be a kid.”

“He’s having fun, man. He likes hanging out with Truck (Bryant) and Kevin (Jones) and the other guys on the team. He’ll be a first-round (NBA) pick when he decides to come out.”

Indeed, SI.com had Ebanks listed as No. 13 for next year’s NBA Draft, still 13 months away.

Of course, it took Ebanks some time to get it in gear the past season, which is typical for most freshmen.

“Devan has a high (basketball) aptitude,” Huggins said. “It was more of a confidence thing. He came out and tried to score a bunch of points. When that didn’t happen, his confidence wavered.”

But once he got back on track, Ebanks exploded on the scene. He set career highs in points and rebounds in back-to-back games at the Big East Tournament.

He is one of the reasons — along with Da’Sean Butler, Bryant and a top-notch recruiting class — why WVU is ranked as high as No. 9 in some way-too-premature preseason polls.

As for former MSA standout Deniz Kilicli, a 6-foot-9, 270-pound beast, Huggins still thinks he’ll contribute next season.

Kilicli leaves Sunday for his native land where he’ll play for the Turkish National team.

That can’t be pleasing news for Huggs. The rest of the team will be in Morgantown all summer lifting, with the exception of Bryant and Butler, who are trying out for various all-star national teams.

Huggins wouldn’t comment on a report on ESPN that was less than glowing about the AAU program. He didn’t see it.

It dealt with the unsavory characters who have infiltrated the program for their own benefit.

“It’s the only place where you can go and see that many kids,” Huggins said. “They had 700 teams in Pittsburgh (recently). In my day, if somebody said, ‘Let’s go to Pittsburgh and play some of the best talent,’ I’d be the first one in the car.

“There are 700 teams, and do you think 700 bad guys are coaching? My experience with a whole bunch of guys is that most of them are doing it for kids.”

n n n

Though he can’t comment on the player directly, WVU football coach Bill Stewart said the Mountaineers landed a quality quarterback for the Class of 2010.

Didn’t take much research to find out that player is Jeremy Johnson, a 6-foot-2, 173-pound “dual threat” quarterback from Silsbee, Texas.

Several schools, including Texas and Oklahoma, were looking at possibly making Johnson a receiver.

WVU, Missouri, TCU and Houston all wanted Johnson, who runs a 4.5 40, at quarterback.

Johnson is a three-star recruit who committed to WVU Tuesday. He visited several schools, including Michigan.

— E-mail: demorrison@

register-herald.com

Text Only
Sports
  • Sports Briefs — Thursday, February 14

    Coaches at the college, high school, junior varsity, junior high and recreational league (adult or youth) levels are urged to submit game results and/or updated statistics to The Fayette Tribune.

    February 13, 2013

  • Sale of Oakhurst Golf Links falls through

    August 7, 2012

  • Big12logo.jpg Getting to know the Big 12 Conference

    As West Virginia University moves into the Big 12 Conference, here's one place to come to find out about all of the Mountaineers new league opponents.

    April 18, 2012 1 Photo

  • WVU releases 2012 football schedule

    West Virginia University has released its football schedule for 2012.

    WVU announced Tuesday it has settled a lawsuit with the Big East for an unspecified amount, clearing the way for the conference power Mountaineers to join the Big 12 in July in time for the fall football season.
     

    February 14, 2012

  • WVU settles Big East lawsuit

    West Virginia University announced Tuesday it has settled a lawsuit with the Big East for an unspecified amount, clearing the way for the Mountaineers to join the Big 12 in July.
    Athletic Director Oliver Luck said the terms of the deal were confidential and WVU wouldn’t release details. But Luck said no state, taxpayer, tuition or other academic dollars will be used in the settlement.

    February 14, 2012

  • Shannon leads Woodrow win; Weiford 3 keys Spartans

    February 14, 2012

  • Woodrow holds off Huntington

     It took Woodrow Wilson’s boys basketball team nearly three quarters to figure out that the backside lob was open in Huntington High’s zone.

    January 10, 2012

  • MSU hosts Rio Grande

    For the first time since 1995, Mountain State stands a little past the half-way point at the season with five losses.

    January 10, 2012

  • OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - WVU to join Big 12 Conference

    The Big 12 Conference Board of Directors have voted unanimously to accept West Virginia University as a full conference member effective July 1, 2012.  The Mountaineers will begin competing in the Big 12 beginning with the 2012-13 athletic season.

    October 28, 2011

  • Friday update: Big East notified WVU leaving for Big 12

    The Big East says it has been notified that West Virginia is leaving the conference and joining the Big 12.

    October 28, 2011