MAILBAG: Hoops Starting 5, Another Texas Transfer, NIL, Baseball Projections + MORE
From @JevonCarterszn
For basketball, do most of the guys, especially starting five get six-figure money from the NIL? Also, is Coach Huggins finished recruiting for this season? If not, do we have shot at landing Ramey?
Answer: Six-figure money is hard to come by at WVU. That's not to say it's impossible or that no one is making that kind of money, but to my knowledge no one on the basketball team has hit the mark. For the second part of your question - no. Huggins is still very much looking to improve the roster through the transfer portal, so yes, there is a chance of landing Ramey.
From @Aaron_Staats
What does WVU rifle have to do to get back to the best team in the nation? Was last year's 6th place finish an anomaly or is it the future of @WVURifle?
Answer: Shooters gotta shoot, right? You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. Alright, enough of the silliness. I'd say it's probably an anomaly more than anything. Jon Hammond has done an excellent job with the program and they're still considered one of the "national powers" in the sport.
From @kspring22
Who do you think will leave to make room for Ramey if we get him?
Answer: I'm not permitted to throw out any names, but I do believe prep school could be an option for someone in the signing class.
From @ktriplett1212
How often does WVU football recruit a 3 star and as soon as Ohio State signs them they turn into a 4 star?
Answer: This happens all the time. The bigger, more prominent the school, the more recruiting services start to pay attention. The majority of the time, those who "rank" these kids never see them live. Sure, they may see them in 7on7 camps, but everyone looks good in those things. They generally base their rankings off of game film and offers which is why I don't get caught up in star rankings.
From @lafferty_nick
If NIL deals are not associated with schools, what regulations can the NCAA place on them? How can they impose a "salary cap" on someone's income, especially when it isn't associated with a school?
Answer: Asking the NCAA to regulate anything is a chore. They should have had some sort of policy in place for those who are openly tampering, but it's the NCAA. What else should we expect from them? As far as a "salary cap", I would say it's damn near impossible to do. If they allowed student-athletes to get paid, they can't tell someone else what they can do with their money even if it's an astronomical amount. Over time, I believe we'll start to see this get under control because companies are going to realize that they're not seeing a return on their investment. Sure, it's nice to have your company linked to a potential future first round quarterback, but what happens when he turns out to be a bust? Right now, it's the wild wild west but it will calm down soon.
From @wvubj
I expected a couple of big name offensive players from the portal to join the football program after the Daniels announcement. Do you see this happening? Since then, our additions have been mostly defensive.
Answer: The sense is that the staff feels pretty good about where they are in terms of numbers on the offensive side of the ball. They already replaced the receivers they lost in the portal with the JUCO guys - Cortez Braham Jr. and Jeremiah Aaron. The late departures of Fortune, Porter, Mesidor, Chandler-Semedo, and others are why they have placed their focus on the defensive side. They may add one offensive player, but I wouldn't put my money on it.
From @Dylan_L_Walker
Since the men’s basketball scholarship spots are full could a NIL deal be used for a “walk-on” or to keep a player whose scholarship is being pulled for another signee?
Answer: Great question. I'll try to get some more clarity on that in next week's mailbag. I believe the total number of players still comes into play, so I don't think it could happen if you're at the max.
From @fauxcaridi
Is it too soon to (very politely of course) request the Huggins doubters be silent?
Answer: Does it have to be politely?
From @srshooters
It appears from the new look of the roster that Press Virginia could be making a comeback. Thoughts?
Answer: Yes. From everything I've been told, Huggins wants to get back to that style of basketball. In fact, he has been for quite some time but he just hasn't had the personnel to do it. They are really big on Mohamed Wague underneath, so if he can provide some protection at the rim, they'll be able to turn Kedrian Johnson and Joe Toussaint loose in terms of pressing. Toussaint is one of the better on-ball defenders in the country.
From @WVUdarkdusty
What are the odds the baseball team is in the tourney right now?
Answer: Very good. For them to miss the tournament completely, they would likely have to be swept by a bad Kansas State team and lose in the first round of the Big 12 Conference tournament. They're a solid No. 3 seed right now, but could drop to a No. 4. I don't see them moving up a seed line unless they were to win the Big 12.
From @ProfMcBurney
With the basketball roster as it is *right now* (obviously subject to change), who is the starting five? Which players don't see meaningful minutes?
Answer: I could throw out about 55 different combinations right now and I'd still probably be wrong. It's way too early to tell, but if I had to guess? Kedrian Johnson, Erik Stevenson, Emmitt Matthews Jr., Tre Mitchell, Mohamed Wague. I could see Okonkwo or Jimmy Bell being at the five too.
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