WVU's K.J. and Truck, mags and Cummings
John Giammarco is impressed.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- John Giammarco is impressed.
He's impressed with incoming WVU freshman Kevin Jones.
He's impressed with incoming WVU freshman Darryl "Truck'' Bryant.
And he's been a fan of Mountaineer junior Joe Mazzulla since last year at this time.
Giammarco is the man who runs the Pittsburgh Basketball Club Pro-Am circuit, which is staging playoffs this week in the Steel City.
And while most WVU fans will wait until the season opener to check out the Mountaineer newbies, Giammarco has the scoop now. On the older and the new.
"Joe Mazzulla might be the best guard in the Big East,'' Giammarco said on Monday. "He's had a great summer.''
The organizer said Mazzulla has handled such talent as Pittsburgh's Levance Fields and may be in line for his second straight player of the year honor. (Pitt's Sam Young is another strong candidate.)
Giammarco also likes that Mazzulla running mate Alex Ruoff "has put on 15 pounds of muscle'' since last season.
But Giammarco really begins to crow when the subject is the Mountaineer freshmen.
"West Virginia fans really have a lot to be excited about there," said the organizer. "Kevin Jones is going to be a superstar. He has a soft jump shot. He runs the court.
"And Truck Bryant ... He'll eventually take over the reigns. He's a floor general.''
Giammarco said he hasn't had much of a chance to watch Devin Ebanks, the most heralded Mountaineer recruit of the class.
Jones, though, is a different story.
"In all likelihood, [Jones will] be named our rookie of the year,'' Giammarco said. "He's gone against [last season's Pitt freshman standout] DeJuan Blair and didn't back down.''
The league is a terrific way for college players to stay honed in the offseason. West Virginia players participated last summer along with those from Pitt and Robert Morris. This season, Duquesne joined the competition.
"It's an exciting time for the Tri-State in regard to basketball,'' Giammarco said. "We have two teams that will contend for the Big East title.''
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- John Giammarco is impressed.
He's impressed with incoming WVU freshman Kevin Jones.
He's impressed with incoming WVU freshman Darryl "Truck'' Bryant.
And he's been a fan of Mountaineer junior Joe Mazzulla since last year at this time.
Giammarco is the man who runs the Pittsburgh Basketball Club Pro-Am circuit, which is staging playoffs this week in the Steel City.
And while most WVU fans will wait until the season opener to check out the Mountaineer newbies, Giammarco has the scoop now. On the older and the new.
"Joe Mazzulla might be the best guard in the Big East,'' Giammarco said on Monday. "He's had a great summer.''
The organizer said Mazzulla has handled such talent as Pittsburgh's Levance Fields and may be in line for his second straight player of the year honor. (Pitt's Sam Young is another strong candidate.)
Giammarco also likes that Mazzulla running mate Alex Ruoff "has put on 15 pounds of muscle'' since last season.
But Giammarco really begins to crow when the subject is the Mountaineer freshmen.
"West Virginia fans really have a lot to be excited about there," said the organizer. "Kevin Jones is going to be a superstar. He has a soft jump shot. He runs the court.
"And Truck Bryant ... He'll eventually take over the reigns. He's a floor general.''
Giammarco said he hasn't had much of a chance to watch Devin Ebanks, the most heralded Mountaineer recruit of the class.
Jones, though, is a different story.
"In all likelihood, [Jones will] be named our rookie of the year,'' Giammarco said. "He's gone against [last season's Pitt freshman standout] DeJuan Blair and didn't back down.''
The league is a terrific way for college players to stay honed in the offseason. West Virginia players participated last summer along with those from Pitt and Robert Morris. This season, Duquesne joined the competition.
"It's an exciting time for the Tri-State in regard to basketball,'' Giammarco said. "We have two teams that will contend for the Big East title.''
He called Pitt's Young and Blair "powerful'' and Fields the "third-best guard in the Big East.''
And of those Duquesne Dukes, coached by Fairmont native Ron Everhart?
"The Dukes are going to be back,'' Giammarco said. "They've got a kid named Melquan Bolding who will be a freshman this year. Wow. He's 6-4, 6-5 and this kid gets air.''
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Closers:
Connecticut football coach Randy Edsall recently replaced a pair of assistant coaches. And one of those replacements, David Wilczewski, spent last spring working at Marshall as a recruiting assistant.
Wilczewski will help manage the recruiting database and organize campus visits for UConn.
A Web site called stassen.com crunched the numbers in regard to preseason magazines and said West Virginia's football team has an average ranking of No. 8 entering the 2008 season. The Mountaineers are picked to win the Big East by every single mag.
Marshall, meanwhile, is predicted to finish an average of fifth in Conference USA East play. The highest pick was third.
There are, however, other interesting notes on the site. The most underrated teams (of those who have been ranked five times) since 1989? Washington State, Oregon, Boise State, Boston College and BYU, in that order.
The most overrated? (Those not endeared with the "Product'' will smile here.) Michigan. The Wolverines are followed by Texas and, yes, Notre Dame.
Of the 50 teams listed, WVU is smack in the middle at 25, neither over- nor underrated.
And finally ...
A big shout of congrats to Jeremy Cummings, the South Charleston High grad, for making the Olympic baseball team.
It's been a heck of year for Cummings, from the Durham Bulls to the Class AAA all-star team to the Olympic roster.
Bring it from Beijing, Jeremy.
Reach sports editor Mitch Vingle at mitchvin...@wvgazette.com or 348-4827
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Congrats to Jeremy Cummings.
Good luck to all the new recruits and players of the WVU basketball team. Keep working hard and the stars are the limit.
I remember when Gale Catlett took over in the early 80's.
He said WVU was a sleeping giant--although he never really pulled them out of their sleep.
With Beilein and now Huggins, we've awoken.
Bring it on Mountaineers!