On Tap This Weekend

It's been some time since I posted, so please forgive the rustiness.  I know we've got a big basketball game tomorrow, in the sense that it's a "can't lose" game at home against an inferior opponent.  As WVUIE pointed out, win tomorrow and Monday and we clinch a double bye.  At this point, I'd be perfectly satisfied with five more wins:  two in the regular season, one in the BE tourney, and two in the NCAAs.  Granted, I think we are capable of more, but I could live with that type of finish.  So what else is on tap for this weekend, other than copious amounts of Yuengling lager to be consumed at my local WVU Alumni gamewatch?  (*Note:  tomorrow is the Nationwide Gamewatch, complete with a food drive where each chapter competes to see who can donate the most food.  So go support your Mountaineers, your local Alumni chapter, and those in need in these hard economic times!)  Glad you asked.

As much as I'm enjoying this basketball season, I can't seem to get football out of my mind.  Maybe it's because Latwan Anderson hasn't signed yet, or maybe it's because I have a photo montage of Robert Walker's 19-yd game winning TD against Miami in 1993 plastered above my bed.  But I'm excited about this year's recruiting class and almost giddy over what the prospective 2011 class has in store.  In case you didn't know, Stew and Co. are hosting a Junior Weekend starting tonight.  And the rumors are swirling that it's setting up to be epic.  Despite what you may think about his game management skills, we all know Stew can recruit.  And the interest list at this point looks a tad different than it has in the past, with more stars there than on The 25314's fourth grade spelling tests.  You can find a breakdown of some confirmed and suspected visitors after the jump.

The one confirmed recruit on BlueGoldNews.com's visitor list for this weekend is massive OT Cyrus Kouandjio from Dematha, MD, home of current Mountaineer FB Ryan Clarke.  As the top OT recruit in the country, Big Cyrus has tons of offers on his plate  (as well as two porterhouse steaks, three ears of corn, and a gallon of mashed potatoes), and has already visited Pitt.  We've had some success in the last year or two of landing stud OL, and the Ryan Clarke connection can't hurt, so keep your fingers crossed and we'll see what happens.

If you live in Parkersburg, WV, you may have heard inklings that star players RB Allan Wasonga and OLJustin Johnson might be headed to Morgantown this weekend.  As native West Virginians, Wasonga and Johnson are no strangers to the program, and both have made the trip across Route 50 before.  Johnson, as the little brother of Josh Jenkins, is the more likely of the two to commit, as Wasonga has expressed interest in going out of state.  He even contacted Pitt about a potential offer, which would be enough for me to pull his offer.  (I kid, I kid...Wasonga is clearly too talented for us to pull his offer.)

I heard through a little birdie in Harrisburg, PA, about a few potential visitors, including five-star RB Jameel Poteat from Bishop McDevitt HS.  Poteat has a lot of talent, but coming from the same HS as LeSean McCoy he's going to be difficult to pry away from Pitt and nearby Penn State.  Nonetheless, it's always good to get kids on campus---from there, it's a whole new ballgame.  Just think, five years ago we were extatic to get interest from Jason Gwaltney.  Since then, we've signed five star backs Noel Devine and Tavon Austin and are garnering interest from yet another five star back this year.  That's big time, boys.  My Harrisburg contact also got wind of potential visits from Pottstown, PA (home of Yuengling Lager) duo Maika Polamalu, a four-star RB, and a four-star CB, Terrell Chestnut.  I don't know much about them other than what's in their profiles, but with the nasty weather in NE PA this weekend, I would be surprised if they actually made the trip.

I also got word through my contacts in the Columbus area that a trio of kids from nearby Pickerington are going to be making the trip.  That trimvirate includes:

Four-star CB Eilar Hardy, who already has a slew of offers from Big Ten and other Big East schools, as well as WVU, Unrated OL Alex Huettel, who has yet to receive an offer, but at 6-5, 250 looks to have the frame to put on enough weight to make an impact in our system, and  Three-star TE Darien Bryant, who camped at WVU last summer but does not yet hold an offer from us.  Presumably, Bryant is among a large group of true TE candidates in line to replace Tyler Urban when he graduates in 2 years. 

My Ohio contacts also said they heard something about all-everything QB Braxton Miller possibly making it down for a visit, but couldn't confirm anything.  Miller has offers from everyone, including the Cleveland Browns, but don't get your hopes up.  He looks to be difficult to pry away from the homestate Buckeyes (where he would be the heir apparent to Terrelle Pryor) and the Florida Gators, who he has also expressed strong interest in.

A typical junior weekend will involve 25 or so kids, including a few sophomores, so the names I listed are just a sampling, and a very good one at that.  Kids will get a tour of campus and meet with the coaches, and have the chance to attend the BB game.  They will also meet current team members and get to spend some time with them to see how they fit in.  I'm sure there are other names out there that I haven't heard who may or may not be as highly ranked, but may nonetheless be great players.  Also keep in mind, the weather may affect some of these trips as recruits are required to drive in for all unofficial visits. 

Who knows whether we'll land any of these guys, but for now, sit back and enjoy the fact that we're actually in consideration for them.  The future is looking bright, my friends. 

[Thanks to BGN and Scout.com for the player profiles.]

[photo via 3.bp.blogspot.com]