The West Virginia coaching staff is rebuilding its roster after being decimated by the transfer portal since Bob Huggins’ resignation last month.
MORGANTOWN, West Virginia — Despite losing four key players – Tre Mitchell, Joe Toussaint, Mohamed Wague and James Okonkwo – over the last month, the West Virginia coaching staff has been busy, rebuilding what was torn down after the Bob Huggins’ fiasco last month.
Today, the Mountaineers added one of the top players available in the transfer portal, St. John’s transfer Quinn Slazinski, a talented presence who has performed well at a high level and who will fill the void left by Wague and Okonkwo. Last week West Virginia signed Jeremiah Bembry, a talented point guard from Florida State who will back up Kerr Kriisa this season and compete for the starting position in the future.
But West Virginia is far from done.
Jose Perez, the 6’5 transfer guard from Manhattan, has seen interest from Michigan, Gonzaga and several other programs in the transfer portal, but West Virginia is reportedly very close to luring him back to Morgantown with an increased NIL financial agreement. If the Mountaineers land Perez, the rumor going around is that West Virginia wouldn’t only get a starting guard back in Perez but that he would also bring another player with him.
That player, according to several sources, is a former 5 star player and a Top 30 player out of high school. That player is not currently in the transfer portal, but I’ve been told by multiple people that him entering the portal is inevitable and a move to West Virginia is almost certain if Jose Perez returns.
With the additions of Perez, Slazinski and this former five star player, the Mountaineers would be in great shape heading into the 2023-2024 season and would likely be as talented or more talented than the team was prior to the Huggins’ mess.
The West Virginia coaching staff – Josh Eilert, Jordan McCabe, Alex Ruoff, DerMarr Johnson – should be commended, and the program’s Director of Recruiting/Player Personnel, Jay Kuntz, continues to work miracles in the portal.
Although it didn’t seem like it was possible a month ago, the Mountaineers are going to be just fine – and perhaps even better – heading into next season.
Quinn Slazinski: 8.5/10 confidence in picking #WVU
Jose Perez: 7/10 confidence he returns to #WVU
Ofri Naveh: 9.5/10 confidence he chooses #WVU pic.twitter.com/0oceexqtVb
— The Voice of Morgantown (@voicemorgantown) July 20, 2023
MAKE WEST VIRGINIA HOOPS GREAT AGAIN! #WVU @JayTKuntz pic.twitter.com/MCFeZQBmcH
— The Voice of Morgantown (@voicemorgantown) July 20, 2023
