University’s K.J. McClurg shooting on Wednesday. 
University’s Kaden Metheny on Wednesday. 
University’s Joe Schmidle looks on during practice on Wednesday. 
University’s Mike Maumbe shooting on Wednesday. 
University’s Mike Maumbe (right) and K.J. McClurg chatting on Wednesday. 
University’s Mike Maumbe (right) and K.J. McClurg chatting on Wednesday. 
University’s Mike Maumbe dunks the ball on Wednesday. 
Kaden Metheny and K.J. McClurg on Wednesday. 
University’s Mike Maumbe and Joe Schmidle talks during practice on Wednesday. 
University’s Mike Maumbe and Joe Schmidle talks during practice on Wednesday.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Everyone loves a good summer vacation — especially the University boys’ basketball team.
The Hawks return to the hardwood this year following a 24-win season that ended with the school’s first state championship. Now, the team is hitting the road this offseason to begin the path to defending that title.
“I think the type of competition we’re playing this summer is the biggest difference. The kids that I have playing for me right now want to be challenged. That’s one of the things I love about them,” Hawks coach Joe Schmidle said.
“To reach their full potential, they need to be challenged on a daily basis. Part of that is my job as a coach to challenge them each day in practice, but another part comes from who we’re competing against.”
The search for top-tier competition will take the Hawks all over the East Coast this summer. They are currently competing in the Pittsburgh Basketball Club Summer League, and will travel to a pair of NCAA-organized events to close the month of June — an invite-only tournament in the District of Columbia on June 22-23, and an open tournament in Philadelphia on June 28-29.
The trip to D.C. will pit the Hawks against last year’s DCSAA champion Sidwell Friends (D.C.), DCSAA semifinalist St John’s (D.C.) and VHSL Class 3 semifinalist John Marshall (Va.).
In Philadelphia, the Hawks will face PIAA Class 3A semifinalist Bishop McDevitt (Pa.), NJSIAA Non-Public Class B runner-up Roselle Catholic (N.J.) and NJSIAA Non-Public Class A and Tournament of Champions winner Bergen Catholic (N.J.).
University will also have a loaded schedule this upcoming season — slated to host a season tip-off tournament which will feature statewide and national competition — and have also penciled in trips to the American Homes Tip-Off Classic here in Morgantown, Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C. and the Big Atlantic Classic in Beckley.
Senior guard Kaden Metheny hopes that playing against some of the best teams in this portion of the country this early will help the team get in gear and playing its best basketball when it comes time for its daunting regular season slate.
“We’re going to be playing some top talent, and that’s going to benefit us in the long run,” he said. “We have a tough schedule this year, one of the toughest in the state. Playing at that level makes you play better and creates better habits. I feel like when we came back from Myrtle last year, we were a much better team.
“The thing about us is that we play our best when we play teams that give us a challenge. It makes us play harder and trust each other more. Those tight games in crunch time, that’s what we live for. We just play so well together.”
While the Hawks are currently the team to beat in Class AAA, they aren’t counting on cruising to back-to-back championships just yet.
With one of the most balanced and talented groups in recent years, Schmidle hopes that this summer’s action has the team one step ahead of its competition.
“It’s kind of the idea to get them prepared. They need to be prepared for postseason play. There are going to be some good teams in West Virginia next year, and last year the sports writers and everyone anticipated we were going to be a good team, but not a state title contender. People in the media are predicting big time things for us now, but they’re not always right. There are going to be teams that are going to give us a run for our money,” he said.
“Coming off a state championship year, everyone is going to be gunning for us. We need to be motivated and prepared, and playing these teams should get us ready for that,” Metheny added.
Schmidle also hopes his team can use the opportunity to become acquainted with what elite basketball on the national level looks like, as well as show that University can compete with many of these nationally competitive programs.
“I want them to learn just how good the players outside of West Virginia are and show them the players they’re competing against to earn college scholarships,” he said. “It’s one thing to be good at basketball in West Virginia, but it’s a whole different thing on the national level. This exposes them to that.”
