If Huggins Could Bring Back One Mountaineer Legend, Who Should it Be?
Currently, West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins has one scholarship open for the 2020-21 season. Huggins doesn't need to fill that final spot and feels his team in a good situation.
The Mountaineer basketball team is returning a bulk of its production and is bringing in some of the top high school prospects for next season.
However, we thought we would have some fun and look into some of the top basketball players to ever come through Morgantown in an attempt to select only one player to be a part of the upcoming 2020-21 team.
Which of these West Virginia legends would be a good fit for this upcoming season?
Jerry West
Known simply as "the Logo" West averaged NBA 24.8 points per game and grabbed 1,240 rebounds during his career (1958-60) in Morgantown. West was named an Associated Press All-American in his sophomore and junior seasons as well as being named an Associated Press Third Team All-American.
Perhaps the most impressive accomplishment of his career came when West netted a career-high 44 points against Tennessee on December 29, 1958 or when the forward snatched an insane 31 rebounds in a win over George Washington on February 6, 1960. Not to mention, the three years West played for the Mountaineers, the legend helped lead his team to either a first or second-place finish in the Southern Conference every season and led the Mountaineers to the 1959 national title.
Jevon Carter
All four years of his collegiate career, Carter led West Virginia to a second-place regular season finish in the Big 12. The current Phoenix Sun was under-recruited coming to West Virginia which is when Huggins took the point guard under his wing and worked him hard to be one of the best Mountaineers of all time. Carter’s career statistics in Morgantown include 12.2 points per game and 3.7 rebounds per game.
Carter’s defensive play was his specialty as the point guard led the infamous “Press Virginia” defense which usually used full-court presses and different defensive schemes to turn the ball over and limit opponent shots.
Da’Sean Butler
Butler was a part of one of the best Mountaineer teams of all-time in 2010 guiding the Mountaineers to the program's second appearance in the Final Four. The Final Four run saw Butler lead West Virginia with 18 points in their Elite Eight victory over Kentucky.
Through his entire Mountaineer career, Butler netted 14.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while also collecting a Big East All-Tournament Team honor in 2010 and being named to the Big East All-Rookie team in 2007.
Rod “Hot Rod” Hundley
The only other Mountaineer number to be retired besides West until this past season was Hundley who played an integral part in West Virginia’s teams in the 1950's. Although Hundley and West never played side by side, their impact on the program is still felt today. The Charleston, West Virginia native averaged 24.5 points and snatched 10.6 rebounds per game in the gold and blue.
Hundley was an Associated Press All-American his junior season and was also a Second Team All-American his sophomore season. The multi-tooled player helped lead West Virginia to first place in the Southern Conference all three years of his college career.
Kevin Jones
Jones, like Butler, was a key part of the Mountaineers 2010 Final Four team as a sophomore but helped West Virginia in all four years of his college career averaging 13.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. During his senior campaign (2011-12) Jones hit a career-high 30 points against Kansas State and averaged 19.9 points per game.
The Mt. Vernon, New York native was named a Big East All-Tournament team honoree in 2010 as well as being named a Big 12 All-Conference First Team member in 2012.
Rod Thorn
The Princeton, West Virginia native followed in West and Hundley’s footsteps in the early 1960’s. Thorn averaged 21.8 points and 11.1 rebounds per game and a pair of NCAA tournament appearances in his three seasons with the old gold and blue.
Thorn was named the Southern Conference Player of the Year and Athlete of the Year in 1962 and 1963 as well as an Associated Press Second Team All-American in 1962. He was also named the Southern Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player in 1963 before reaching the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament that season.
We’re left to wonder which one of these Mountaineers could have made the biggest impact on the upcoming season and how far they could have gone with one of these legends. Although Huggins has one scholarship remaining for the class, it would be interesting if he could actually bring back one of these players.
Do you agree or is there another Mountaineer legend that would fit with the current mold?
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