WVU men's basketball expects well balanced scoring team

MORGANTOWN -- West Virginia University men's coach Bob Huggins expects another well balanced scoring team in 2009.

The veteran coach welcomes back two starters and five key contributors from last year's NCAA Sweet 16 team that posted a 26-11 record.

"I think we're going to have four or five guys in double figures. That's the kind of team we have," Huggins said. "I don't think we have a guy that can do what Joe (Alexander) did on a consistent basis at the end of last year. It will be the same guys."

Alexander was an NBA Draft first-round selection.

During the off-season senior guard Alex Ruoff has worked hard taking the basketball to the rim and posting up smaller guards to add another dimension to his game. Huggins says he is already beginning to see a difference.

"You go back to the NCAA tournament games last year and he took it to the basket better than he had all year and he has worked at it," Huggins said. "He needs to do that because he's got everybody running at him now because they know he's going to make shots. It makes it easier to be a driver when everybody has to run at you.

"He's also worked hard at playing in the post a little bit. Maybe we can have him down there when people play smaller guards."

Ruoff averaged 13.8 points per game and shot 41 percent from 3-point range.

Huggins also expects offense to come from juniors Da'Sean Butler, Joe Mazzulla and Wellington Smith.

Butler averaged 12.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while Mazzulla and Smith came on strong at the end.

Mazzulla played well in the NCAA tournament and finished the season averaging 5.8 points. Smith showed averages of 5.2 points and 3.8 rebounds and led the team with 60 blocked shots.

"Da'Sean is going to be a good scorer for us. I think Mazzulla will end up being a scorer for us," Huggins said.

Huggins believes the Mountaineers will have significantly more depth and he might be using nine or 10 players on a regular basis.

The coach cited the improvement made by forward John Flowers during the off-season and a four-player recruiting class that includes one of the top high school players in the country in 6-foot-9 inch forward Devin Ebanks.

One scouting service had Ebanks ranked as the No. 11 player in the country.

Cam Thoroughman played in only 16 games last season, in part, because of injuries. The 6-7 sophomore is another candidate for the regular rotation. So is 6-3 sophomore guard Jonnie West, who saw limited action

Six-foot-eight freshman Kevin Jones was named Mr. Basketball in New York.

"They're both about 7-feet long which means they have the wing span of a 7-footer. Their reach is really good and they get to balls," Huggins said.

New York City guard Truck Bryant is also expected to give West Virginia a big boost in the backcourt.

Huggins added an additional big body in the summer, 6-9 junior college transfer Dee Proby.

-- Information from www.msnsportsnet.com

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

West Virginia coach Bob Huggins reacts to a call during the second half in a second-round NCAA West Regional basketball game against Duke on Saturday, March 22, 2008, in Washington.