MORGANTOWN — Bob Huggins is just one incoming recruit shy of a six-pack.
In what will be his largest WVU recruiting class since seven new players arrived in 2011, all but freshman forward Emmitt Matthews enrolled in school and were included on the school’s official roster.
Jordan McCabe enrolled in the first summer session. Derek Culver, Trey Doomes, Jermaine Haley and Andrew Gordon were admitted last week and are in summer school.
Matthews, McCabe, Doomes and Culver are freshmen. Haley is a junior-college transfer with two seasons of eligibility remaining, while Gordon is a junior-college transfer with three seasons left.
According to a source, Matthews, a 6-foot-7 wing from Tacoma, Wash., will enroll at WVU during the next summer session, later this month. Matthews’ high school in Washington didn’t hold graduation ceremonies until June 9.
“There are a lot of things to like about [Matthews],” Huggins said. “I like his size. I like his athleticism. He can shoot the ball. He’s a wonderful kid. He’s a class, class kid. We’ve had a bunch of those and he fits right into that mold.”
As for the rest of the class, Culver’s arrival will be much anticipated. The 6-10 center first signed in 2016, but opted to play a postgraduate season at Brewster (Wolfeboro, N.H.) Academy, where he averaged 16.5 points per game for a team that finished 26-7 and advanced to the national prep championship tournament.
Culver’s size and athleticism give Huggins some options down low next season, including moving forward Sagaba Konate around.
“We could play Sags at the [power forward],” Huggins said. “We could move Derek to center and play really big. We could play Logan (Routt) at center.”
At 6-7, Haley gives the Mountaineers some size at guard, which WVU needs.
Returning guards James “Beetle” Bolden, Brandon Knapper and Chase Harler are all listed at 6-3 or shorter.
McCabe is listed at 6-feet and Doomes is listed at 6-3.
Huggins said he would look at the group of Bolden, McCabe, Doomes, Haley and Knapper — or some kind of combination — to replace departing senior Jevon Carter at point guard.
Gordon, a 6-10 center, sat out with a knee injury last season at Northwest Florida State (Niceville) College and is still waiting to be medically cleared for action.
BASEBALL
Among the four WVU baseball players selected in this month’s Major League Baseball draft, shortstop Jimmy Galusky is the only one who signed so far.
Galusky was a 20th-round pick by the Chicago White Sox. He told The Dominion Post on June 6 that he was going to sign and planned to fly to Scottsdale, Ariz., before being assigned to a minor-league team.
Second baseman Kyle Gray, a 14th-round selection by the New York Yankees, has yet to sign and still has a college season of eligibility remaining.
Wheeling native Michael Grove, a second-round pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers, also remains unsigned.
Grove, a right-handed pitcher, missed last season after Tommy John surgery on his elbow and was redshirted. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Pitcher B.J. Myers was a 35th-round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays. Myers is expected to sign since he was a senior and exhausted his college eligibility.
Also, WVU infield recruit Lawrence Butler — a sixth-round pick by Oakland — signed with the A’s and will bypass college.
Theo McDowell, a right-handed pitcher who was a 14th-round pick by the Texas Rangers, has yet to sign and could still attend college.
The deadline to sign a drafted player is July 15.
