MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Despite published reports that circulated Tuesday, no official decisions have been made by West Virginia forwards Derek Culver and Oscar Tshiebwe concerning their 2020 NBA Draft status.
According to a tweet from Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, both WVU forwards are expected to return to WVU for the 2020-21 season.
But, according to WVU coaches who spoke to The Dominion Post on Tuesday, there has been no detailed conversations held with either player on their options.
“Too soon,” WVU head coach Bob Huggins said in a text message.
The timing of the coronavirus outbreak has wreaked havoc on both college basketball and the NBA and could delay timelines that were set up for underclassmen to declare for the draft, as well as work out at the NBA Combine and the timing of the draft itself.
With the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments being canceled, as well as all recruiting activities at Big 12 schools shut down earlier this month, Huggins and his assistant coaches have taken time off from the game.
Huggins was vacationing in Florida last week and WVU is currently on its spring break.
That hasn’t left much time for WVU coaches to sit down with either player and discuss the draft.
“No one knows for sure,” WVU assistant coach Ron Everhart said in a text message. “They don’t know.”
As of now, both players wouldn’t have to make a decision until April 26, but that date may get pushed back by the NCAA due to confusion created from the COVID-19 virus.
The NBA Combine was scheduled for May 21-24 in Chicago, but reports have stated it, too, may get postponed if not canceled.
By most expectations, both players will likely decide to return to school, which would mean the Mountaineers will enter next season with their top two leading scorers and rebounders.
Tshiebwe was an all-Big 12 second-team selection and Culver was named all-Big 12 honorable mention after they led WVU to a 21-10 season and a No. 24 ranking in the final Associated Press poll.
Just when WVU coaches can sit down with both players is still up in the air.
WVU will not conduct in-person classes for the remainder of the spring semester, because of the virus, and classes will be online beginning March 30.
WVU students do not have to be in Morgantown to take the online courses.
Tshiebwe averaged 11.2 points and 9.3 rebounds in his first season in Morgantown and he was a unanimous selection to the all-Big 12 freshman team.
In two seasons, Culver has scored 622 points and grabbed 525 rebounds over 57 games.
Both players were highly-recruited coming out of high school and Tshiebwe became just the second McDonald’s All-American to sign with the Mountaineers as a freshman.
The NBA Draft is scheduled for June 25 in Brooklyn, N.Y., but that date may change in the coming days, according to published reports.
As of now, the only official departure from West Virginia’s roster is sophomore guard Brandon Knapper, who announced he was entering the NCAA’s transfer portal.
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