A little bit about a few things…

 

WVU Baseball

 

The Mountaineer baseball team ended its season earlier this week after losing both of its games at the Big 12 Tournament in Tulsa. West Virginia finishes the season at 27-27. While the .500 season isn't something Coach Randy Mazey is happy about, it wasn't totally unexpected. Mazey told us earlier this week on Sportsline he expected this season to be a rebuilding year.

 

With the opening a few months ago of the brand new Monongalia County Ballpark and a nice nucleus of guys returning next year, Mazey expects the 2016 to look much different than this season did.

 

WVU Basketball

 

Even though the Mountaineer basketball team doesn't play for another six months, we still had some news this week. The non-conference portion of the 2015-16 schedule was released. As in past years, we see some games that will present significant challenges for West Virginia, but also provide some great opportunities.

 

The two highlights on the schedule, in my opinion, are the December matchup with Virginia in New York City and a game against Florida in Gainesville.

 

Tony Bennett has returned a winning culture to the Cavalier program. Virginia has won two straight ACC titles and entered last year's NCAA Tournament as a number one seed. A win over the Cavaliers on a neutral floor would be a huge boost to the WVU resume come next March.

 

The matchup against Florida is also a fun one. Not only have the Gators been one of the best programs in the country for the past decade, but this year Florida features former Mountaineer great, Darris Nichols as an assistant coach.

 

The Mountaineers also have potential matchups with Cal out of the Pac-12 and San Diego State. The Aztecs have appeared in six straight NCAA Tournaments under coach Steve Fisher.

 

The downside to this year's non-conference schedule: The biggest (and best) games are on the road or at neutral sites. While this will be good for the team's RPI and strength of schedule rankings come March, it is a disappointment from a season ticket holder perspective.

 

The team also announced this week that Lamonte West has signed to become a Mountaineer. The 6-9 West, appears to be a versatile, athletic player. He spent this past season at powerhouse Miller Grove in Georgia. Those of you that follow recruiting closely will recognize Miller Grove as the school that produced Tony Parker, now at UCLA. Parker and his Miller Grove team appeared in Wheeling at the Cancer Research Classic during his senior year.

 

West will need to add some bulk to his frame and improve his strength to make an impact at West Virginia, but his length and skills would appear to be a good match for Bob Huggins' system. The good news is that West doesn't have to be a major contributor right away. West Virginia returns Devin Williams, Jonathan Holton, Nathan Adrian, Brandon Watkins and Elijah Macon along the front line.

 

West appeared on the Northside Automotive Statewide Sportsline earlier this week and said he will arrive in Morgantown in early June. That head start should help him gain some strength and add some weight. If he can work his way into the lineup that would be a real bonus, but given the experience of the returning guys, it's not something that the team will be relying on next season.

 

WVU Football

 

The Rimington Trophy Committee has announced its Watch List for the prestigious award honoring the nation's top center and it includes a Mountaineer. Senior Tyler Orlosky has made the list. He joins five other Big 12 centers and 51 others from across the country as players to keep an eye on for the 2015 season.

 

If the award sounds familiar it may be because former Mountaineer, Dan Mozes won the award following the 2006 season.

 

Orlosky and the offensive line will be a huge key to the success of the Mountaineers this year. I'm as guilty as anyone of spending too much time talking about the guys that touch the football. However, as we should know by now, if a football team's offensive line isn't good, it's extremely difficult to have a great season.

 

Gone from last year's line are starters Quentin Spain and Mark Glowinsky and their 25 combined starts in 2014. Who steps up to replace them? In addition to Orlovsky, here are some names you will hear this fall. Yodny Cajuste is a redshirt freshman, but is a guy the coaches are extremely high on. Is he ready to be an impact player this season? Marquis Lucas and sophomore Marcell Lazard return, as does Tony Matteo and Adam Pankey.

 

As you can see, it's a mix of young guys and veterans. How quickly they gel and how well they play, will go a long way in determining if this West Virginia team can get back to competing for conference championships.

 

Have a question or comment? You can find me on twitter, @BradHowe07.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo of Randy Mazey courtesy of WVU Sports Communications, while middle photo of Jonathan Holton and the bottom picture of the WVU offensive line by Ben Queen of www.benqueenphotography.com.