Morgantown, West Virginia – Since leaving the West Virginia Mountaineers basketball program and entering the transfer portal, Jalen Bridges and Isaiah Cottrell have garnered a ton of interest from several schools around the country.
Bridges, who averaged 8.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore this past season, has unlimited potential and ability. Although he seems to play with a low motor at times, he has shown that he can shoot from three point range (32.5%), as well as put the ball on the floor and get to the basket. Bridges is also an above-average rebounder and defender at his position.
Since entering the transfer portal, Bridges has heard from Arkansas, Wake Forest, Ohio State, NC State, Texas A&M, Michigan State, Kansas State, DePaul, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Pitt, Minnesota, South Florida, San Diego State and Loyola, among others.
Jalen Bridges is the kind of player that would welcome the challenge of going to Pitt and returning home to play against his hometown Mountaineers. Kansas State and Oklahoma State would give him a similar experience, although with significantly less heat than if he were to transfer to Pitt.
But Bridges has greater aspirations. He wants to play at the next level and must prove that he’s capable of competing against the very best competition in the country. Although the ACC had a down year, playing high-profile games against Duke, North Carolina, etc., would give him the best opportunity to showcase his talent.
In addition, Raleigh, North Carolina is a quick 7 hour drive from his family’s home in Fairmont, West Virginia.
Pick: NC State
Other possibilities: Pitt, Georgetown, Oklahoma State
Isaiah Cottrell is a bit of a unicorn in the college game in that he’s an extremely gifted athlete who can also step out and shoot the 3. Although he lacked explosiveness at the beginning of the year following major surgery last season, he appeared to gain most of his speed and explosion back later in the year.
There just aren’t many 6’11 players with his level of athleticism and shooting ability out there and so Cottrell will be highly-sought in the transfer portal.
Since announcing that he’s leaving West Virginia, the following schools have reached out to Cottrell: Penn State, Arkansas, Butler, BYU, Loyola-Chicago, Southern Illinois, Ole Miss, Arizona State, Seton Hall, Utah, Montana, St. Johns, Texas Tech, just to name a few.
Penn State offered both Cottrell and Bridges, so it’s possible that they become a package deal and go there. However, Cottrell is from Las Vegas and the idea of going back home to team up with former teammate Jordan McCabe at UNLV seems extremely likely.
Pick: UNLV
Other possibilities: Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Penn State
