#36 Overall (#6 PG) Ryan Boatright Chooses Mountaineers

Big get(s) for Bob Huggins today.

Ryan Boatright, the very highly rated PG from greater Chicagoland, has verbally committed to play his college ball at West Virginia University.  Generally regarded to be the quickest player in the 2011 class, Boatright immediately brings a different element to the Mountaineers, who have for years relied on more physical, bruising guards.  Did I mention Boatright is quick?

Boatright is super quick with the ball. He has the ball on a string. Boatright can get anywhere he wants on the floor with the ball. He challenges taller players at the rim and can finish over or around them. Boatright probes and penetrates the defense looking for openings to attack where he can find open teammates with his court vision. Boatright is athletic enough to finish above the rim or he will hit floaters and pull ups with range to the arc although streaky. He can break and apply ball pressure as well and run the offense. Boatright is terrific at making plays at end of clock situations for himself or teammates. He is a true point but loves and looks to score.

Of course, with that speed comes very little size, as Boatright stands only around 5'10" and 165 pounds (ESPN may say 6'2", but they're in the minority).  Still, big things are predicted for Boatright, considering his highlight tape shows off the charts athleticism and handle.  If he signs, he will be a major recruiting coup for Bob Huggins.  All you have to do is watch the first play to notice that (well, the second play if you count the free throw).

Too often, free throws are ignored by highlight reels.  That terrible trend ends today!

But that wasn't enough for the WVU head coach, as the verbal commitment of Pat Forsythe, a 6'10" center from outside Cleveland was also confirmed.  Now, at first glance, the "inking" of Forsythe doesn't look like much, but then read this article from today's Cleveland Plain-Dealer, and you get a much different picture.

"Pat went from a virtual unknown to one of the top big-man recruits in the country," said Brunswick coach Joe Mackey, who accompanied Forsythe (6-10, 210) to West Virginia.

"He is not listed in any of the magazines or the recruiting lists. But, he was noticed during a tournament in Las Vegas at the end of July and things snowballed from there."

Forsythe looks to add some major size to a Mountaineer front court that is filled with more small and agile power forwards than true centers.

This now brings the size of the Mountaineer class to four, with Boatright, Forsythe, and the previously committed Tommie McCune and Aaron Brown.