MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — West Virginia will have its full compliment of guards Saturday, when the 25th-ranked Mountaineers travel to Youngstown State.
During a conference call Thursday, WVU head coach Bob Huggins confirmed Jermaine Haley will be back in the Mountaineers’ rotation.
“Yeah, he’s been practicing well,” Huggins said.
The senior guard dressed, but did not see action in last week’s victory against Nicholls State.
Huggins termed it a “coach’s decision,” as to what kept Haley out of the game.
Haley’s is the team’s second leading scorer at 11.1 points per game and his 65% shooting percentage is the highest on the team.
He had played in 45 consecutive games before missing the Nicholls State game.
No TV
For the first time since competing in the CBI last season, West Virginia will not be playing on TV.
Since it is Youngstown State’s home game, the television rights belong to the Penguins (7-5).
“I think there could have been TV,” Huggins said. “For whatever reason, they didn’t get it. I don’t know if it was a cost thing or what happened. Our people were willing to do it. Somehow it got bogged down.”
There is also no online streaming available, meaning the only live broadcast of the game will be come from radio. The game tips off at 1 p.m.
More on Derek Culver’s homecoming
WVU forward Derek Culver will play his first college game in front of his hometown crowd.
Players are permitted four tickets for each game. Culver said last week he would likely ask teammates for some of their unused tickets to help meet the request of his family and friends.
“I’m sure I’m going to get asked for a lot of tickets for the game,” he said. “It’s going to be great to go back home.
“I’ve tried not to think about it too much. I’ve tried not to get overly excited, because that’s when things usually go bad for me.”
The Covelli Centre, Culver said, was less than a two-minute walk from where he grew up in Youngstown.
Huggins, who grew up in Port Washington, Ohio, after his family moved there from Morgantown, said he expected several requests, too.
Port Washington is less than two hours south of Youngstown.
“The ticket stuff, you never get out of the way,” Huggins said. “I’m sure my cell phone will be ringing on the way to the game.”
TWEET @bigjax3211
