Three Newcomers Expected to Redshirt for WVU

Sit, learn, and develop. That's what WVU head coach Bob Huggins wants his young guys to do.

West Virginia will welcome six newcomers to the team this upcoming season with three of those guys being freshmen: G Seth Wilson, G Kobe Johnson, and F Jamel King. However, it doesn't seem very likely that any of the three freshmen will see much floor time at all in 2021-22, if at all. 

Earlier in the week, head coach Bob Huggins pointed out how well redshirting panned out for Fairmont, WV native Jalen Bridges and that with the amount of talent returning to the team, it would make the most sense to redshirt the three younger guys to allow them to develop their game and adjust to college basketball.

"I thought the best thing we did for JB was to redshirt him for a year and not play him," Huggins said. "His redshirt year, he could practice, and instead of going to a prep school and playing against high school kids, he came in here and played against grown men and I think it helped him tremendously. So, that's probably what we're going to do with the freshmen that we got commitments from. Let's bring them in and let them grow up and play against grown men as they're growing up. If you think about it after everything happened JB came in and didn't miss a beat and never played in a game before. If you can afford to do that, I think that's a terrific thing to do."

Seth Wilson (6'3", 185 lbs - Lorain, OH) averaged 13 points and seven rebounds per game this past season and was named to the All-Lake Erie League First Team and All-Lorain County First Team. 

Despite being only 185 lbs, Wilson is built like a fullback. Broad shoulders, thick frame, and terrific lower body strength which he uses to his advantage when driving the ball down inside the paint. He loves to attack the rim and seeks contact while doing so. Wilson is a strong finisher and does a good job of staying balanced while absorbing contact. He has a nice touch on his running floater and has confidence in pulling up from mid-range on the run. Wilson likes to attack the glass on both ends of the floor and doesn't mind throwing his body around against some of the bigs. Very consistent three-point shooter but has a very elongated shooting motion that will need to be sped up so that he can be a more fluent/efficient shooter at the collegiate level. Wilson also looks smooth posting up on the block and hitting turnaround fades from the block - something Huggins loves to do with his guards.

Fellow Ohio guard Kobe Johnson was named Ohio's Division I Player of the Year as a senior in addition to being named Division I All-Ohio First Team, Northeast Inland Division I Player of the Year, and  Repository Stark County Player of the Year. Johnson averaged 20.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 51% from the floor and 40% from three-point land. 

Johnson is an elite scorer that can score at all levels - near the rim, mid-range, and from three. He has a smooth stroke that appears natural and consistent which allows him to shoot the ball from beyond the arc at a high clip. Johnson can attack the rim but his strength is being a jump-shooter. Defensively, Johnson is much better than given credit for as his offensive game overshadows his defensive production. He's got very active hands, moves his feet well, and keeps the ball in front of him.

The last piece of the 2021 recruiting puzzle is former New Mexico commit, Jamel King. King is a very solid three-point shooter that has a consistent motion to his shot. Coming to WVU, King's offensive game is very similar to that of sophomore Jalen Bridges. He has the ability to make highly contested threes and will knock down pretty much anything when given an open look. He does drive the ball down the paint on occasion but that is one area of his game that he needs to continue to develop. With his length, King could be an asset on the offensive glass but again, will need to work on getting inside a little more to have that type of impact. 

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

Huggins on WVU/Marshall: 'It's Not a Rivalry'

Huggins Hints at 'Doing Something Different' Defensively in 2021-22

What Will Miles McBride Do?

You can follow us for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us Twitter:

Facebook - @WVUonSI

Twitter - @SI_WVU and Schuyler Callihan at @Callihan_.