Post by elp525 on May 2, 2011 8:01:01 GMT -5
05/01/2011
Chip Fontanazza
MetroNews Sports
Even though West Virginia University hasn’t released anything official, former La Salle center Aaric Murray has made it clear his future will be spent in Morgantown.
Early Saturday morning, the 6-foot-10 center said on Twitter that he is going to transfer to WVU.
Now how will he fit with the Mountaineers? Will his size help him play in the Big East? Could Murray become the dominating big man WVU head coach Bob Huggins has been looking for? It could take a few years to answer these questions since Murray will sit out his first season because of NCAA transfer rules, but one thing is for sure. He does have a lot of talent and potential.
While at La Salle he has shown flashes of how good he can be, but he has been inconsistent and has never been able to put it all together. Aaron Bracy from PHILAHOOPS.com has covered Murray during his career at La Salle and says he may be a great pick up for the Mountaineers, but he needs a lot work.
“The problems that I saw this year is he had a really hard time with positioning and knowing how to get himself in position to block shots,” said Bracy in an interview with MetroNews. “He was in foul trouble every game I saw.”
“Obviously the kid is super talented,” continued Bracy. “He’s like a man among boys out there. He’s got the body, he can rebound as well as anyone I’ve seen. He can block shots, he can score, he shoots the three, he has range, but he’s just so inconsistent.”
And that inconsistency could come from a lack of development. La Salle has put some players in the NBA like Steven Smith and Rasual Butler, who both played in the 2000’s. He first chose to go to La Salle over WVU, Villanova, Rugters, Temple, Pitt and St. Joseph’s.
It was a surprising pick, and Murray’s career has surprised fans to this point. Last season he averaged 15.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game and hasn’t quite dominated the Atlantic 10 Conference like he was hoping.
“He’s a super talent, but inconsistent and really needs a lot of refinement on his game,” explained Bracy. “That’s not to say he can’t turn into a star player at West Virginia, because I think he can, but he needs a lot of work.”
In a recent article Bracy wrote about Murray, La Salle head coach John Giannini expressed how upset he was that he wasn’t able to help Murray develop his talent entirely.
“It’s always disappointing when you have a young player who doesn’t reach his potential,” Giannini told Bracy of PHILAHOOPS.com. “Aaric’s potential is just so great, but I know in my heart I did everything I possibly could have but for some reason it just wasn’t as good as we wanted it to be."
Now Murray is the hands of Bob Huggins, a man who has consistently put big men in the NBA and the 6-foot-10 Philadelphia native will be his newest project.
“With the coaching caliber of Bob Huggins and his staff and what he’s been able to do with big men in the past, I think he’s the kind of guy that could really help Aaric,” said Bracy.
Huggins has been known to have a tough demeanor on the outside, but he has always cared for his players. The nation saw that first hand at the Final Four when Da’Sean Butler tore his ACL and Huggins comforted him on the court as the Mountaineers’ dreams of National Championship faded away. That type of coaching may be exactly what Murray needs to succeed at the Division I level. Bracy notes that may play a huge role in his success at WVU.
“Aaric needs a lot of positive reinforcement,” explains Bracy. “I think he’s going to need the right kind of coaching and not just on the court, but he will need people to surround him at West Virginia and give him that positive reinforcement.”
Bracy also says Mountaineer fans shouldn’t expect a lot from Murray right away.
“If I were a West Virginia fan I would really dumb down my expectations because while the talent is there he hasn’t dominated at this level of competition (Atlantic 10),” said Bracy. “I don’t think – going to the Big East – that he is going to go in there immediately and dominate. I would think by the time he leaves West Virginia I think he could be a very good, solid center, but I don’t see as ever being a star player in the Big East.”
“I would caution West Virginia fans to have their expectations too high, especially in the beginning," he continued. “But in the end I think he will be a good fit.”
Chip Fontanazza
MetroNews Sports
Even though West Virginia University hasn’t released anything official, former La Salle center Aaric Murray has made it clear his future will be spent in Morgantown.
Early Saturday morning, the 6-foot-10 center said on Twitter that he is going to transfer to WVU.
Now how will he fit with the Mountaineers? Will his size help him play in the Big East? Could Murray become the dominating big man WVU head coach Bob Huggins has been looking for? It could take a few years to answer these questions since Murray will sit out his first season because of NCAA transfer rules, but one thing is for sure. He does have a lot of talent and potential.
While at La Salle he has shown flashes of how good he can be, but he has been inconsistent and has never been able to put it all together. Aaron Bracy from PHILAHOOPS.com has covered Murray during his career at La Salle and says he may be a great pick up for the Mountaineers, but he needs a lot work.
“The problems that I saw this year is he had a really hard time with positioning and knowing how to get himself in position to block shots,” said Bracy in an interview with MetroNews. “He was in foul trouble every game I saw.”
“Obviously the kid is super talented,” continued Bracy. “He’s like a man among boys out there. He’s got the body, he can rebound as well as anyone I’ve seen. He can block shots, he can score, he shoots the three, he has range, but he’s just so inconsistent.”
And that inconsistency could come from a lack of development. La Salle has put some players in the NBA like Steven Smith and Rasual Butler, who both played in the 2000’s. He first chose to go to La Salle over WVU, Villanova, Rugters, Temple, Pitt and St. Joseph’s.
It was a surprising pick, and Murray’s career has surprised fans to this point. Last season he averaged 15.2 points and 7.7 rebounds per game and hasn’t quite dominated the Atlantic 10 Conference like he was hoping.
“He’s a super talent, but inconsistent and really needs a lot of refinement on his game,” explained Bracy. “That’s not to say he can’t turn into a star player at West Virginia, because I think he can, but he needs a lot of work.”
In a recent article Bracy wrote about Murray, La Salle head coach John Giannini expressed how upset he was that he wasn’t able to help Murray develop his talent entirely.
“It’s always disappointing when you have a young player who doesn’t reach his potential,” Giannini told Bracy of PHILAHOOPS.com. “Aaric’s potential is just so great, but I know in my heart I did everything I possibly could have but for some reason it just wasn’t as good as we wanted it to be."
Now Murray is the hands of Bob Huggins, a man who has consistently put big men in the NBA and the 6-foot-10 Philadelphia native will be his newest project.
“With the coaching caliber of Bob Huggins and his staff and what he’s been able to do with big men in the past, I think he’s the kind of guy that could really help Aaric,” said Bracy.
Huggins has been known to have a tough demeanor on the outside, but he has always cared for his players. The nation saw that first hand at the Final Four when Da’Sean Butler tore his ACL and Huggins comforted him on the court as the Mountaineers’ dreams of National Championship faded away. That type of coaching may be exactly what Murray needs to succeed at the Division I level. Bracy notes that may play a huge role in his success at WVU.
“Aaric needs a lot of positive reinforcement,” explains Bracy. “I think he’s going to need the right kind of coaching and not just on the court, but he will need people to surround him at West Virginia and give him that positive reinforcement.”
Bracy also says Mountaineer fans shouldn’t expect a lot from Murray right away.
“If I were a West Virginia fan I would really dumb down my expectations because while the talent is there he hasn’t dominated at this level of competition (Atlantic 10),” said Bracy. “I don’t think – going to the Big East – that he is going to go in there immediately and dominate. I would think by the time he leaves West Virginia I think he could be a very good, solid center, but I don’t see as ever being a star player in the Big East.”
“I would caution West Virginia fans to have their expectations too high, especially in the beginning," he continued. “But in the end I think he will be a good fit.”
