MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The Morgantown basketball team may look a lot different this year without standout players Nick Malone, Cam Selders or Garrett Haines, but head coach Dave Tallman isn’t one bit worried about a lack of production.
“We’ve got a lot of new faces — Xavier Pryor who’s a new student at the school,” Tallman said. “There’s not a lot of varsity experience except for Mac (McMillen) and Alex (Rudy), but these guys have had a heck of an offseason, so they’re ready.”
McMillen, Rudy and Pryor are the three main guards for Tallman’s 2019-20 squad and bring with them different play styles that won’t interfere with one another: Rudy’s a lockdown shooter, Pryor is a new face who can knock down shots while being assist-minded and McMillen is a defensive threat who can pickpocket opponents.
“We’ve gotten more physical and a lot bigger in the weight room,” Rudy said. “We’ve been working on our shooting so that will be a good point this year.”
“Alex is a really good shooter and has had a great offseason,” Tallman said. “He and Mac have been with the program all four years, so we’re going to rely on them.”
Pryor, a transfer from Northern Garrett in Accident, Md., noted that the team-play is more aggressive, even without a shot clock. Maryland high school boys’ basketball has a 35-second shot clock.
“It’s more intense here — stronger and faster kids,” Pryor said. “It was more of a second sport for them at Northern Garrett, but here, it’s much bigger. (The lack of a shot clock) shouldn’t affect anything. We’re still pushing tempo.”
Aside from his offensive play style, Pryor noted he brings with him energy that drives his teammates in games and practice. And to work on his shooting, he focuses on off the dribble, off the gun drills while also working on passing drills.
Big-less, kind of
The biggest loss for the Mohigans isn’t in the guard play, however. It’s losing 6-foot-6, 280-pound Malone to graduation.
Malone, now an offensive lineman for the WVU football team, was huge for MHS in the paint. Now, filling his shoes is junior Carson Poffenberger, a 6-foot-7, 200-pound junior that came up as a forward. He’s not concerned about filling the void, but rather sees an opportunity to bring a new vibe under the net that Morgantown’s opponents aren’t used to.
“My forward experience has allowed me to work on my footwork for the [new role],” Poffenberger said. “A lot of bigs don’t get outside the lane to work on defense, so that gives me an edge. I knew to fill big shoes with Nick’s spot I had to bulk up, so I hit the weight room in the offseason.”
Moving forward into the season, Poffenberger hopes to establish himself in the new role while becoming a leader the team can look up to.
“Knowing I’m going into my senior year [in 2020-21], I have to get used to being a leader,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of good guys ahead of me who have mentored me, so I want that for this group.”
Region of powerhouses
Morgantown, which won the state title in 2016, and University, the reigning state champion, are going to be top title contenders once again and Tallman knows it. What most folks don’t know is that Region I is a hard set to play, but maybe not this year.
“I don’t think it’s overlooked at all this year,” Tallman said. “Everyone understands University’s the defending champ and has everyone back pretty much. We know they’re going to be one of our biggest challenges this year. [Us and Wheeling Park] are going to be pretty good, so it’s going to be tough.”
It may seem far away, but Tallman constantly plans for regionals. That speaks to his success with the program more than anything.
“Only two teams from each region go to Charleston, so we’re game-planning for that every day — win the region and get back to the state tournament,” he said.
Last year, Morgantown entered the state tournament as the No. 5-seed and lost to Capital in the quarterfinals.
Underclassmen to hang your hat on
Tallman doesn’t just have a solid starting five, he has a group of underclassmen on the bench that will bring explosive energy to the court.
Sophomore Brooks Gage is one who Tallman specifically pointed out during practice. The 6-foot-1 guard is accurate and will “see the court a lot,” according to Tallman. Another guy that Tallman pointed out is Troy Battle, a forward and junior who missed last season with an injury. The last rotation player Tallman noted is Max Washington, who will back up Poffenberger. Washington, also a junior, is an inch shorter than Poffenberger at 6-foot-6.
Kicking off the season
Morgantown’s season debut is set for Tuesday at Elkins with a 7:30 p.m. tip. Last year, the Mohigans defeated the Tigers 87-49 at home to kick off a four-game win streak before losing to Kennedy Catholic at the American Homes Holiday Classic.
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