Like Christmas In November

By all accounts, this is one of the most — if not THE most — talented group of recruits signed by any Mountaineer basketball coach. In fact, Scout.com has this class ranked as the 17th best class in the country, only behind Georgetown and Louisville in the Big EAST and besting schools such as Duke, Maryland, Syracuse, and UConn. Pretty heady stuff for a coach not yet in his first full year of recruiting. Just imagine what CBH will be able to do in 2009 (or 2010, where he’s already secured Poca’s Noah Cottrill).

Here is a run-down of the three signing day commitments:

Kevin Jones, SF (6’7″, 210 — Mount Vernon, NY)

Jones is by far the coup of this class, not only for his talent but for how the commitment was secured. WVU overcame stiff competition from both Pitt and Indiana in a battle that went down to the last minute. Indiana’s cause was hurt by recruiting violations and staff turnover. Pitt, on the other hand, was flat-out beaten by CBH and his staff. Jones, a tweener forward known for his athleticism, averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds per game as a junior at Mount Vernon High School, earning his ranking as a top 50 recruit by both Scout and ESPN.

Roscoe Davis, PF (6’10”, 220 — Chatham, VA)

Davis, one of the most-sought after big men remaining on the board when he committed, made his initial pledge to the Mountaineers on October 22. Originally a Kansas State pledge, Davis was also offered by the Pitt Panthers (seems a recurring theme to best Pitt this year in recruiting). Roscoe is currently completing his senior year at Hargrave Military Academy in a move to ensure qualification with the NCAA.

Darryl “Truck” Bryant, PG (6’1″, 180 — Bronx, NY)

We previously (briefly) profiled Bryant on WBGV back when he made his initial verbal commitment. Since then, the stock on Bryant has risen, impressing at each tournament he has appeared. Bryant is a slashing point guard who will add depth to both a shrinking PG lineup (graduation of Darris Nichols after this year) and a new up-tempo style of play.

Not only has WVU added three very good prospects to the roster, but two of those prospects add much-needed support to the front-lines. Huggins has been notoriously good about getting the best of players in the 6’6″-6’10” range, and should do the same with Jones and Davis. The kicker is that all-three seem to be high character guys, with Jones leading the way. With Huggins record at Cincinnati, at least some in the WVU community must be holding their breath to see what type of player Huggins brings to Morgantown. If the 2008 class is any indication, those fears can be put to rest.

Kevin Jones Is A Mountaineer

As broken by Stiles in the previous post, Kevin Jones, a 6-7 forward from Mount Vernon, NY has signed his letter of intent to play for the Mountaineers. Jones, considered a 4-star and top 50 recruit by most publications, chose the Mountaineers over a bevy of big-time schools. According to Scout.com, Jones turned down offers from Indiana, Pitt, UConn, Ohio State, and Syracuse.

Don’t believe me that KJ is a big-time player? Just consult his own website.

NOTE: Look for a full account of the early signing period in tomorrow’s edition of WBGV.

Yes!

From ESPN Recruiting blog:

Anyone questioning whether Bob Huggins can take West Virginia to the highest level needs to look at his latest recruiting accomplishment. Just a month ago, the Mountaineers were hardly considered as a possible school for multi-talented 6-7 forward Kevin Jones (Mount Vernon, N.Y.). Today, Jones sent his signed letter of intent to West Virginia. Jones, rated No. 42 nationally by ESPN, chose the Mountaineers over Pittsburgh.

His signing gives West Virginia three ESPN 150 rated recruits and should elevate their class into the top 25. Earlier, Indiana was considered one of the favorites for Jones. However, with its recent recruiting violations and the resignation of assistant coach Rob Senderoff, a New Yorker who was the Hoosiers primary recruiter for Jones, its chances were definitely hurt.

The West Virginia class now includes No. 97 rated, 6-2 G Darryl “Truck” Bryant (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond) and rapid-rising big man, No. 103 rated, 6-10 C Roscoe Davis (Chatham, Va./Hargrave Military Academy). — Bob Gibbons