Morgantown, West Virginia – West Virginia is making a huge push in the transfer portal and are clearly going all-out to give Bob Huggins the kind of talent he needs to compete for a national championship as his long and illustrious career winds down.
The Mountaineers have been in contact with virtually every major player who has entered the transfer portal, but the following players are a priority for West Virginia to land during the offseason:
1. Jesse Edwards, 6’11, Syracuse, 14.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, 1 year of eligibility remaining. It’s very rare for a talent like Edwards to become available and be a realistic possibility for West Virginia, but he entered the transfer portal two days ago and set up a visit to Morgantown the very next day. Pairing Edwards with Tre Mitchell, who is almost certainly returning next season, would give West Virginia one of the top front courts in the Big 12.
2. Caleb Grill, 6’3, Iowa State, 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1 year of eligibility remaining. Grill is a veteran presence who can defend on the perimeter and is a talented three-point shooter. Grill, who will visit Missouri and West Virginia in the coming week, is a perfect fit next to Jose Perez at the 2 or 3.
3. John Hugley, 6’9, Pitt, 14.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game during the 2021-2022 season (injured most of last season), 2 years of eligibility remaining. When healthy and in the right mindset, Hugley has potential to be one of the most talented big men in the nation. He has a visit set to Morgantown, but one has to wonder if he’ll still be a priority if West Virginia successfully lands Jesse Edwards this weekend.
4. Avery Anderson, 6’3, 11.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, 1 year of eligibility remaining. Another talented, veteran Big 12 player who can shoot and defend, Anderson is a more athletic version of Caleb Grill. It’s unclear whether West Virginia can get Anderson on campus for a visit, but if they do, he’s an absolute no-brainer for the Mountaineers.
5. Moussa Cisse, 7’1, 6.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game, 2 years of eligibility remaining. Prototypical Bob Huggins’ player with incredible length and rebounding ability. Former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year who is physically opposing and experienced in the conference. Adding both Anderson and Cisse together would be ideal for the Mountaineers.
