Examining Every Possible Scenario for WVU's Starting 5

The Mountaineers' starting five is a big question mark right now.

Recently, West Virginia forward Derek Culver announced that he has signed with an agent and will forfeit his remaining college eligibility so that he can "explore professional options." 

This is obviously a significant loss for the Mountaineers as they lose arguably the best big man in the Big 12 Conference. Culver averaged 14.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game during the 2020-21 season. His production won't be easy to replace, especially on the offensive end, where he was most effective. Head coach Bob Huggins has added two bigs through the transfer portal in Dimon Carrigan (Florida International) and Pauly Paulicap (DePaul) but are both defensive-minded players.

Although Culver's loss is huge, things could worsen for the Mountaineers this offseason depending on what Miles McBride, Sean McNeil, and Taz Sherman decide to do. All three have entered their names into the 2021 NBA Draft but are leaving open the option to return to WVU. 

What could the Mountaineers' starting five and bench look like in each situation? Here's what I'm thinking:

All three return

Starters: Malik Curry, Miles McBride, Sean McNeil, Jalen Bridges, Isaiah Cottrell

Bench: Taz Sherman, Gabe Osabuohien, Pauly Paulicap, Dimon Carrigan, Kedrian Johnson, Taj Thweatt, Seny N'diaye, Seth Wilson, Kobe Johnson

Analysis: Curry was the leading scorer at Old Dominion back-to-back seasons, and even with Sherman's experience, Huggins would probably like to get McBride off the ball. Sherman is a sparkplug off the bench and has thrived in that role. There's no need to insert him into the starting five. 

McBride/McNeil return

Starters: Malik Curry, Miles McBride, Sean McNeil, Jalen Bridges, Isaiah Cottrell

Bench: Gabe Osabuohien, Pauly Paulicap, Dimon Carrigan, Kedrian Johnson, Taj Thweatt, Seny N'diaye, Seth Wilson, Kobe Johnson

Analysis: Not many changes here. The starting five stays the same, but someone will have to step up and fill Taz's role of being an offensive threat off the bench. Maybe Kedrian Johnson takes the next step in his development or possibly one of the two freshmen (Wilson, Ked. Johnson) step up.

McBride/Sherman return

Starters: Malik Curry, Miles McBride, Jalen Bridges, Gabe Osabuohien, Isaiah Cottrell

Bench: Taz Sherman, Dimon Carrigan, Pauly Paulicap, Kedrian Johnson, Taj Thweatt, Seny N'diaye, Seth Wilson, Kobe Johnson

Analysis: Although WVU could go with a three-guard lineup here, I really like Sherman coming off the bench. Insert Osabuohien to help with the defensive end of the floor, and now you have a situation where you can bring in a scoring threat if need be (Sherman) or Paulicap/Carrigan to clean things up defensively.  Also, I don't think it matters who starts at the four. Osabuohien/Carrigan/Paulicap are all good enough to be in that role. 

Sherman/McNeil return

Starters: Malik Curry, Sean McNeil, Jalen Bridges, Gabe Osabuohien, Isaiah Cottrell

Bench: Taz Sherman, Dimon Carrigan, Pauly Paulicap, Kedrian Johnson, Taj Thweatt, Seny N'diaye, Seth Wilson, Kobe Johnson

Analysis: In my opinion, this is the most interesting situation in which two of the three return. Do you go small ball and play three guards, or do you go two guards, a wing, and two bigs? I went with the latter, but it'll mainly depend on the style Huggins wants to play - as in every situation. 

McBride returns

Starters: Malik Curry, Miles McBride, Jalen Bridges, Gabe Osabuohien, Isaiah Cottrell

Bench: Dimon Carrigan, Pauly Paulicap, Kedrian Johnson, Taj Thweatt, Seny N'diaye, Seth Wilson, Kobe Johnson

Analysis: Sherman and McNeil are talented, but let's be honest, if only one of the three decides to return, this would be the best-case scenario. McBride is the backbone of this team, and I don't know how many games West Virginia could win without him. The amount of success WVU sees in 2021-22 will have a lot to do with his decision.

Sherman returns

Starters: Malik Curry, Taz Sherman, Jalen Bridges, Gabe Osabuohien, Isaiah Cottrell

Bench: Dimon Carrigan, Pauly Paulicap, Kedrian Johnson, Taj Thweatt, Seny N'diaye, Seth Wilson, Kobe Johnson

Analysis: This would be the only instance where I would insert Sherman into the starting lineup. You have to have guys on the floor that can make shots, and having him on the bench here doesn't do the Mountaineers any good. 

McNeil returns

Starters: Malik Curry, Sean McNeil, Jalen Bridges, Gabe Osabuohien, Isaiah Cottrell

Bench: Dimon Carrigan, Pauly Paulicap, Kedrian Johnson, Taj Thweatt, Seny N'diaye, Seth Wilson, Kobe Johnson

Analysis: This is basically the same as the scenario above. Either way, it would be a very similar lineup/rotation.

None return

Starters: Malik Curry, Kobe Johnson, Jalen Bridges, Gabe Osabuohien, Isaiah Cottrell

Bench: Pauly Paulicap, Kedrian Johnson, Taj Thweatt, Seny N'diaye, Seth Wilson, Kobe Johnson

Analysis: Obviously, this would be a disaster if all three decide to leave their name in the draft and opt not to return to WVU. In this scenario, guys who aren't expected to have big minutes will have to step up and play a bigger role than they're ready for. Huggins would likely have to dip back into the portal for at least one more player, maybe two. The starting five isn't that bad, to be honest, but it's the depth that would really hurt here.

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