--West Virginia head coach Josh Eilert said re-recruiting his roster was a balancing act. You didn't want to bring somebody into your roster when you're trying to build a foundation that could rock the boat. It was a delicate situation and he wanted to figure out who was all in and support them. Eilert said they were backed up against the wall in a lot of ways and they had 5-6-7 spots to fill and had to get creative in which direction they went recruiting wise to put the roster together to compete in the Big 12.
--When school started Eilert said they didn't even have 13 guys on the roster. As soon as they got 10 on campus they did five on five and they wanted to do team from the jump. They started official practice yesterday but it felt like they just turned things up a notch.
--West Virginia has a young, vibrant coaching staff that is eager to get on the floor. The coaches and players they have on the roster really feed off that. Eilert tries to limit himself on what he does on the floor but it helps the coaches are young and can do it. Three of the four guys on the floor have worn the jersey and know what it means to the state and the people. They want to represent West Virginia the right way. Eilert believes they have a good group and people on the roster and recruiting it helps.
--There wasn't a lot out there to backup Jesse Edwards so he was a critical piece to maintain. They looked at options late in the summer but there wasn't a lot out there. One of his main concerns was keeping Edwards and keeping Kerr Kriisa.
--The timing in a lot of ways, several went in before Eilert got the job but some would have left anyways. You have to look at the guys that were graduating and had immediate eligibility when it comes to exploring their options.
--Eilert said that each school has different philosophies on how they enter people into the portal so he didn't want to hold those things up with players like Kriisa and Jose Perez. But he was confident that he could recruit them and they would want to be part of what they are building.
--Eilert doesn't look at this as an interim he stares at a picture every day from the press conference that has that word in it. He is the head coach for ten months and that's the way he looks at it. He has the opportunity to prove himself and there is a lot of pressure but he is excited to take on that challenge.
--Eilert was thinking more about taking care of the guys on the roster than himself during the week before he was named head coach. There is no case study for this and he can't look at people to see who to call to get some guidance. Some people have had to take over but it's been different situations.
--First day when the turmoil was going on and Wren Baker met with the team and staff he was coming off the road recruiting and trying to get back as soon as he could. He got home after those meetings and he was shell shocked initially on how it would go. Got a phone call from Baker and he said if you don't mind stop by my office. They sat down and he looked to Eilert for leadership and keep things in working order. He did everything he could to keep things together and keep that transition smooth. He asked if he could get his opportunity to sell himself and have a chance and he did. Baker made sure he was the man for the job.
--There's a lot of wall space in the office and he stared up at that blank white wall and asked what should he put up there. He reached out to Dale Sparks and he said can you make me a collage. It's a side photo, profile photo and on the TV it just had a big interim graphic. He looked up there and thought it should be great motivation.
--Anybody would be doing a disservice if they didn't look at the macro side of things for recruiting. He is going to do what is best for West Virginia basketball. He is going to recruit for the future and there are a couple pieces on the roster that can't play this year like Noah Farrakhan that will help.
--Eilert said the offensively they are really coming along but defensively they drill defense and they need to carry some of that over. The rosters are such a revolving door. They have four fifth year guys but all have come from different backgrounds. They don't have a whole lot of depth so they have to keep Edwards out of foul trouble. Offensively they are really getting there and making progress while trying to play as fast as they can and push the ball. They want to get the playmakers involved and keep Kriisa in decision-making mode.
--Eilert's philosophy on offense is he sat down with Da'Sean Butler to do a lot of things with spacing to keep corners filled and keep the ball in the right hands. They've put in a lot of sets.
--Jesse Edwards is going to have his challenges transitioning from 2-3 zone to man-to-man. He is as long a rim runner out of a pick and roll that they've ever had. It will be easy to rack up some assists with him and you put guys around him that can make shots. Akok Akok has shot the ball well so far and he's going to make shots consistently. His best attribute is on defense where he is so active and can give depth on the front court. Pat Suemnick is going to play some four/five. They have good depth at the four with Quinn Slazinski and Akok. Josiah Harris has been good and he's been the most effective offensive rebounder so far. In the past the spacing wasn't the best but the best shot was a missed one, so rebounding is a concern.
--Kerr Kriisa is going to have to beg him to be more aggressive because he is a pass first guy. From a coaching perspective you love it, but he needs to take open shots. Still ongoing with RaeQuan Battle on the waiver situation and he looks forward to getting an answer in the coming weeks. Battle is special and he is the most natural athlete and can really score the ball well and get his own shot. He would fit right in during the press Virginia days. The waiver is a concern and it hangs over their head because he is a special player.
--Eilert has been pleasantly surprised with the times on the schedule. Best time slots are the ESPN+ games and worst are the TV games when it comes to preparing for the next game. There are four more schools and less time slots so naturally they will be on ESPN+ more than in the past.
--Joe Mazzulla told him it was the greatest opportunity of his life and he was playing with house money. There are going to be a lot of challenges but he has to control what he can control. If you bring a great attitude to work and carry on as a leader and put people in the right position to succeed.
--Eilert loves long, athletic guys in the backcourt. Jeremiah Bembry is a long, athletic guard. He is somebody that can be a counterpunch to Kerr Kriisa.
--Chemistry is one of the biggest concerns that he had coming into this season so they're trying to do everything they can to build that.
--Offensively they scrapped everything and started over. Everybody is starting over. Defensively they are trying to keep as much as possible.
--West Virginia hasn't got to a point in practice where they have separated the starting five to the scout team. They are mixing and matching as much as possible.
--Eilert puts more into analytics than Bob Huggins did but he thinks there is a limit to where it is effective and how to use it.
--Eilert is more mindful of rest and looking to maximize that. They are working to be as conditioned as possible right now but once they get closer to the season they want to maximize their legs and be in the best condition possible.
--Eilert said he will have all of his coaches involved with scouts and all other aspects. They've already broken down the schedule and their responsibilities for each of those. Eilert is going to have input as well and they broke all of that down in the first couple weeks as a staff.
--Eilert would say to the fans give us your full support and you'll be pleasantly surprised. They're going to play with a chip on their shoulder and they'll feed off that and fans will likely see some stuff they didn't expect to see.
--Trust had to be rebuilt with the players. Their foundation was crippled and everything they thought they came here for. Trust and culture and respect has to be built and it doesn't happen overnight. They are getting to the point where everybody believes they can rely and trust each other.
--Eilert isn't too concerned about where his team sits in the Big 12 talentwise right now because they need to worry about today.
--When school started Eilert said they didn't even have 13 guys on the roster. As soon as they got 10 on campus they did five on five and they wanted to do team from the jump. They started official practice yesterday but it felt like they just turned things up a notch.
--West Virginia has a young, vibrant coaching staff that is eager to get on the floor. The coaches and players they have on the roster really feed off that. Eilert tries to limit himself on what he does on the floor but it helps the coaches are young and can do it. Three of the four guys on the floor have worn the jersey and know what it means to the state and the people. They want to represent West Virginia the right way. Eilert believes they have a good group and people on the roster and recruiting it helps.
--There wasn't a lot out there to backup Jesse Edwards so he was a critical piece to maintain. They looked at options late in the summer but there wasn't a lot out there. One of his main concerns was keeping Edwards and keeping Kerr Kriisa.
--The timing in a lot of ways, several went in before Eilert got the job but some would have left anyways. You have to look at the guys that were graduating and had immediate eligibility when it comes to exploring their options.
--Eilert said that each school has different philosophies on how they enter people into the portal so he didn't want to hold those things up with players like Kriisa and Jose Perez. But he was confident that he could recruit them and they would want to be part of what they are building.
--Eilert doesn't look at this as an interim he stares at a picture every day from the press conference that has that word in it. He is the head coach for ten months and that's the way he looks at it. He has the opportunity to prove himself and there is a lot of pressure but he is excited to take on that challenge.
--Eilert was thinking more about taking care of the guys on the roster than himself during the week before he was named head coach. There is no case study for this and he can't look at people to see who to call to get some guidance. Some people have had to take over but it's been different situations.
--First day when the turmoil was going on and Wren Baker met with the team and staff he was coming off the road recruiting and trying to get back as soon as he could. He got home after those meetings and he was shell shocked initially on how it would go. Got a phone call from Baker and he said if you don't mind stop by my office. They sat down and he looked to Eilert for leadership and keep things in working order. He did everything he could to keep things together and keep that transition smooth. He asked if he could get his opportunity to sell himself and have a chance and he did. Baker made sure he was the man for the job.
--There's a lot of wall space in the office and he stared up at that blank white wall and asked what should he put up there. He reached out to Dale Sparks and he said can you make me a collage. It's a side photo, profile photo and on the TV it just had a big interim graphic. He looked up there and thought it should be great motivation.
--Anybody would be doing a disservice if they didn't look at the macro side of things for recruiting. He is going to do what is best for West Virginia basketball. He is going to recruit for the future and there are a couple pieces on the roster that can't play this year like Noah Farrakhan that will help.
--Eilert said the offensively they are really coming along but defensively they drill defense and they need to carry some of that over. The rosters are such a revolving door. They have four fifth year guys but all have come from different backgrounds. They don't have a whole lot of depth so they have to keep Edwards out of foul trouble. Offensively they are really getting there and making progress while trying to play as fast as they can and push the ball. They want to get the playmakers involved and keep Kriisa in decision-making mode.
--Eilert's philosophy on offense is he sat down with Da'Sean Butler to do a lot of things with spacing to keep corners filled and keep the ball in the right hands. They've put in a lot of sets.
--Jesse Edwards is going to have his challenges transitioning from 2-3 zone to man-to-man. He is as long a rim runner out of a pick and roll that they've ever had. It will be easy to rack up some assists with him and you put guys around him that can make shots. Akok Akok has shot the ball well so far and he's going to make shots consistently. His best attribute is on defense where he is so active and can give depth on the front court. Pat Suemnick is going to play some four/five. They have good depth at the four with Quinn Slazinski and Akok. Josiah Harris has been good and he's been the most effective offensive rebounder so far. In the past the spacing wasn't the best but the best shot was a missed one, so rebounding is a concern.
--Kerr Kriisa is going to have to beg him to be more aggressive because he is a pass first guy. From a coaching perspective you love it, but he needs to take open shots. Still ongoing with RaeQuan Battle on the waiver situation and he looks forward to getting an answer in the coming weeks. Battle is special and he is the most natural athlete and can really score the ball well and get his own shot. He would fit right in during the press Virginia days. The waiver is a concern and it hangs over their head because he is a special player.
--Eilert has been pleasantly surprised with the times on the schedule. Best time slots are the ESPN+ games and worst are the TV games when it comes to preparing for the next game. There are four more schools and less time slots so naturally they will be on ESPN+ more than in the past.
--Joe Mazzulla told him it was the greatest opportunity of his life and he was playing with house money. There are going to be a lot of challenges but he has to control what he can control. If you bring a great attitude to work and carry on as a leader and put people in the right position to succeed.
--Eilert loves long, athletic guys in the backcourt. Jeremiah Bembry is a long, athletic guard. He is somebody that can be a counterpunch to Kerr Kriisa.
--Chemistry is one of the biggest concerns that he had coming into this season so they're trying to do everything they can to build that.
--Offensively they scrapped everything and started over. Everybody is starting over. Defensively they are trying to keep as much as possible.
--West Virginia hasn't got to a point in practice where they have separated the starting five to the scout team. They are mixing and matching as much as possible.
--Eilert puts more into analytics than Bob Huggins did but he thinks there is a limit to where it is effective and how to use it.
--Eilert is more mindful of rest and looking to maximize that. They are working to be as conditioned as possible right now but once they get closer to the season they want to maximize their legs and be in the best condition possible.
--Eilert said he will have all of his coaches involved with scouts and all other aspects. They've already broken down the schedule and their responsibilities for each of those. Eilert is going to have input as well and they broke all of that down in the first couple weeks as a staff.
--Eilert would say to the fans give us your full support and you'll be pleasantly surprised. They're going to play with a chip on their shoulder and they'll feed off that and fans will likely see some stuff they didn't expect to see.
--Trust had to be rebuilt with the players. Their foundation was crippled and everything they thought they came here for. Trust and culture and respect has to be built and it doesn't happen overnight. They are getting to the point where everybody believes they can rely and trust each other.
--Eilert isn't too concerned about where his team sits in the Big 12 talentwise right now because they need to worry about today.
