Men's Basketball: Beilein Inks Six
November 10, 2005 03:41 PM | General
November 10, 2005
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| Beilein |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University basketball coach John Beilein has announced the signing of six players to national letters of intent.
Devan Bawinkel, Desean Butler, Jacob Green, Joe Mazzulla, Wellington Smith and Cam Thoroughman have all inked letters of intent to play basketball for the Mountaineers in 2006-07. They will join 7-foot center Jamie Smalligan, who transferred from Butler and is sitting out this season due to NCAA transfer rules.
"Obviously next year's team will have a whole new look. Only time will tell," says Beilein. "If the young men have the same attitude and receptiveness to learning like this 2006 graduating class, then we should have a very good team in years to come."
Bawinkel, a 6-foot-5-inch, 185-pound swing man from Winnebago, Ill., averaged 20.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists as a junior at Winnebago High. As a sophomore, Bawinkel averaged a team-leading 14.3 points. In both his junior and sophomore seasons, he led his team to a second-place finish in Illinois' Class A state tournament. Bawinkel, who also plays AAU Basketball for the Illinois Wolves, was named to the Chicago Sun Times first team last season.
"Devan has great range on his shooting," says Beilein. "He sees the floor very well. Devan is similar to the two-guards in our system that we like to recruit."
Butler, a 6-foot-7, 205-pound forward from Bloomfield, N.J., averaged 15.7 points per game as a junior at Bloomfield Tech High. Last year, he led his squad to a 20-4 record and a Group 1 championship in 2003. Butler earned first-team all-Essex County honors. He plays AAU basketball for the New Jersey Elite.
"Desean is a long forward who is an excellent passer and has the ability to score," says Beilein. "Although he is the consummate team player, Desean can score as well as he can pass."
Green, a 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward from Clinton, Md., averaged five points and five rebounds per game at Gonzaga High in Washington, D.C. He had a 12-point, 10-rebound performance late in the year against WCAC champion DeMatha. Green plays AAU basketball with the I-270 Warriors.
"Jacob started coming into his own at the end of last summer," says Beilein. "He has a nice shooting touch and defends extremely well."
Mazzulla, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound guard from Warwick, R.I., was the Rhode Island Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior. He averaged 18 points, seven rebounds and two steals for Bishop Hendricken. Mazzulla led his team to two state titles as a junior and sophomore in Division 1, the highest high school level in Rhode Island.
Mazzulla scored his 1,000th career point at the state tournament last year. He was named MVP of the state tournament two years in a row and earned all-state honors during his junior and sophomore seasons.
"Joe was born to be a point guard with tremendous quickness and speed," says Beilein. "He's the type of leader that we want our point guard to be."
Smith, a 6-foot-7, 195-pound forward from Summit, N.J., averaged 21 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks per game for Summit High last season. He was named first-team Union County and earned second-team all-state honors by New Jersey Hoops. Smith is attending Blair Academy this season.
"Wellington is one of the better athletes in the country," says Beilein. "His ability to run the floor, his quickness and his leaping ability really stand out. He is also a very good shooter."
Thoroughman, a 6-foot-7, 185-pound swing man from Portsmouth, Ohio, averaged 22.3 points per game as a junior at Clay High. He was named first-team 2005 Associated Press Division IV all-southeast region. Thoroughman earned all-district first-team honors as a sophomore. He plays AAU basketball for the Cincinnati Royals.
"Cam is a versatile guy who really doesn't have a position," says Beilein. "He can play four different positions. He's a tough kid who has a great nose for the ball. He shoots, scores and rebounds extremely well.
"We like the fact that the six members of this class are true student-athletes," says Beilein. "We expect no problems with their eligibility."
