MORGANTOWN — Derek Culver will make his much anticipated West Virginia debut Saturday, when the Mountaineers tip off at noon against Jacksonville State, at the WVU Coliseum.
And the 6-foot-10 freshman may not necessarily be the man in the middle of the paint.
“He actually passes the ball pretty well. We may start him at point guard,” West Virginia coach Bob Huggins joked.
What isn’t a joke is the process Culver went through to get reinstated to the team Tuesday, after being indefinitely suspended in November for a violation of team rules.
“We gave him a contract to sign and he signed it,” Huggins said. “He did everything we asked him to do. I did the same thing to Teyvon Myers.”
In the contract was Huggins’ expectations for Culver showing up for his classes and study halls on time and getting his school work completed.
“It wasn’t like he did anything bad,” Huggins said. “He was late for class or missed a class. Probably stuff I would have had to suspend [anyone] for when you went to school.”
While suspended, Culver did not practice or travel with the Mountaineers. He was permitted to work out in the practice facility and the team weight room.
“I think you find out how much you really miss [the game],” Huggins continued. “It’s more than just the basketball. It’s the camaraderie.”
The former four-star prospect from Youngstown, Ohio, will have today’s matchup against the Gamecocks (7-4), who have seven of their last eight games, and then next Sunday’s game against Lehigh to acclimate himself to college basketball before the Mountaineers (6-4) begin Big 12 play.
It will be his first live game action since scoring 10 points and adding six rebounds in the Gold-Blue Debut team scrimmage on Oct. 19.
“He’s another low-post presence who can pass the ball really well,” West Virginia point guard Beetle Bolden said. “He can really score on the block. He’s another piece that we can use.
“He’s a freshman. I’m sure he’s excited to be out there for his first game. He’s looking good.”
As far as realistic expectations, Huggins said also said Culver’s best attribute was his passing and his play around the rim.
As far as getting the rust off, Huggins said that may be a short process.
“He wasn’t very rusty [Thursday],” Huggins said. “He wasn’t very rusty at all. I think he’ll have a hard time when we run sets if it’s not coming out of a timeout.
“As far as playing, he was really active around the rim. He’s a big target. He’s a very willing passer. He likes to pass the ball.”
FOLLOW on Twitter @bigjax3211
