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WVU Targeting Several Players in the Transfer Portal

The Mountaineers look to add to their 2021-22 roster.
Schuyler Callihan|
WVU Targeting Several Players in the Transfer Portal
WVU Targeting Several Players in the Transfer Portal

West Virginia's roster will look a little different next season after the transfers of Emmitt Matthews Jr. and Jordan McCabe. However, things could look extremely different if Gabe Osabuohien, Taz Sherman, and Sean McNeil decide to not return to Morgantown for one more season.

Regardless of what happens with each of those guys' decisions, WVU head coach Bob Huggins and his staff will be scanning the transfer portal for some help. The most obvious need is that West Virginia has to improve their interior defense. They don't have a true shot blocker currently on the roster or coming in from high school, so that's why you'll see multiple shot-blockers on this list. Aside from that, the Mountaineers do need to add some depth to their backcourt, mainly for insurance purposes.

Below are six players that West Virginia has reportedly shown interest in. Keep in mind that each player has an opportunity to return for one extra season after their eligibility was due to be exhausted. The number of years listed for each player's eligibility includes the extra year.

G Marreon Jackson (Toledo)

Interest reported by Jeff Goodman of Stadium.

With the uncertainty of Taz Sherman and Sean McNeil returning to the program, Huggins needs to find another guy that can fill it up. To do so, he won't have to look much further than Marreon Jackson (6'1", 200 lbs) of Toledo. Over the last three years, Jackson has been a staple in the Rockets' offense. In the last two years alone, he is averaging 18.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 36% from three and 40% from the field. Jackson is also a career 82% free-throw shooter which is an area the Mountaineers struggled at down the stretch of games. Even if both Sherman and McNeil return, Jackson could still provide a spark off the bench.

Years of eligibility remaining: 1

G Kadary Richmond (Syracuse)

Interest reported by Kyle Tucker of The Athletic.

This guy should be a familiar face to Mountaineer fans considering he chipped in four points, two assists, and one steal for the Orange en route to knocking West Virginia out in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament. Richmond (6'5", 180 lbs) has tremendous length and uses that to his advantage on the defensive end of the floor. He comes up with a ton of deflections, tipped balls, and steals. The freshman had 46 steals on the season and averaged 1.6 steals per game. As for what he does on the other end of the floor, Richmond likes to put the ball on the deck and attack the paint. He can finish around the rim and hit mid-range jumpers but isn't much of a three-point threat....at least he didn't show that in his one year at Syracuse.

Years of eligibility remaining: 4

F Qudus Wahab (Georgetown)

Interest reported by Adam Ayalew of Prep Hoops.

West Virginia is in desperate need of a rim protector after getting pummeled in the paint all season long. Wahab (6'11", 237 lbs) would certainly help solve some of those issues as he finished the year 2nd on the team with 30 blocks. To put that into perspective, WVU as an entire team combined for 82 blocked shots. Insert Wahab into the rotation and now the Mountaineers really have something to work with defensively. Not to mention, Wahab blocked three shots earlier in the season when West Virginia visited Georgetown in the Big East/Big 12 Battle. He also finished that game with nine points and nine rebounds (3 offensive boards) and that was with Oscar Tshiebwe still on the Mountaineers' roster. 

Years of eligibility remaining: 3

F Dimon Carrigan (Florida International)

Interest reported by Sean Paul of USA Today.

Carrigan (6'9", 215 lbs) would be the perfect replacement for Gabe Osabuohien should he choose to not return. He's more of a shot-blocker than Gabe, which again will come in handy considering how bad the Mountaineers protected the paint this year. Carrigan blocked 60 shots on the season, averaging 2.5 per game. Carrigan and Osabuohein are very similar in that they take pride in their defense and are limited to what they can do offensively. However, Carrigan is more polished on the offensive end than Osabuohien. This past season he averaged 6.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting 58% from the floor. Like Osabuohien, he struggled at the free-throw line shooting a mere 49%.

Years of eligibility remaining: 1

F AJ Wilson (George Mason)

Interest reported by All Facts Media, confirmed by Wilson.

Wilson (6'7", 230 lbs) was named to the A-10 All-Defensive Team after ranking in the top 25 nationally in blocks per game (2.3). He is also the school's all-time leader in blocks with 211. Not only is Wilson a great defender but does an amazing job on the glass averaging 6.2 rebounds per game over the last two years including 126 offensive rebounds. Wilson is an average post player, so don't expect him to be a guy the offense can run through. He will be on the floor for one main reason and that's to protect the rim.

Years of eligibility remaining: 1

C Seth Pinkney (Quinnipiac)

Interest reported by All Facts Media.

Do you sense a theme here with the big guys? Pinkney (7'1", 200 lbs) improved in every area of his game from his freshman to sophomore season. This year, Pinkney dominated the paint shooting at a 77% clip while averaging 8.2 points per game. In 51 career games, Pinkney has totaled 93 blocked shots and 193 rebounds. If Huggins wants a long-term answer inside, Pinkney may be the best all-around big of the group. He's just scratching the surface and has a very high ceiling, both literally and figuratively. 

Years of eligibility remaining: 3

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Schuyler Callihan
SCHUYLER CALLIHAN

Schuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast. The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.

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