Jermaine Haley Talks Early Success
Jermaine Haley logged 36 minutes of playing time in a 69-61 win against Northern Colorado (2-3). The senior essentially took the game over down the stretch with the help of Derek Culver.
Haley notched his first double-double of the season on Monday with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Five of his rebounds came on the offensive end of the floor in a game where West Virginia won the battle on the boards 42 to 24. He led the Mountaineers in scoring while shooting 7-of-10 from the field.
The senior also had two assists and two steals. He was able to get his hands on a few other passes that created a loose-ball scrum where the Bears ultimately came away with possession.
He made his first attempted three-pointer this season in the first half as Haley explained that "coach was mad" after passing up a couple of threes in the second half. He doesn't often shoot from deep, but if opposing defenders give him space then Haley says that you can expect to see more threes from him in the future.
The Vancouver native also creates a constant mismatch for opposing teams. Haley managed to draw five fouls on the Bears, and will continue to be a problem for teams defensively throughout the season. His size poses a challenge for smaller guards, and his speed and ball handling are a problem for bigger forwards on the perimeter.
Haley has been efficient offensively during his senior campaign. He is shooting close to 74% from the field, while totaling seven assists compared to just five turnovers through three games. He does it all while usually having to defend the opposing team's best offensive threat, so the fact that he still gets it done on both ends is impressive.
He credits his own personal accolades and the team's early success to the chemistry they have developed rather quickly and much stronger compared to last year's team.
"Everyone is more willing to play with each other more than last year. It helps when you have a lot of new guys because they come in with an open mind, listen, and do what coach says. Haley continued to say, "More togetherness as a team is benefitting us on and off the court."
