I know that Friday’s loss to Dayton was disappointing and debilitating to many NCAA brackets (for entertainment purposes only, of course), but it was a stark reminder that this team is still somewhat in a transition phase.

I think it’s safe to say that last year’s team over-achieved thanks in large part to the break-out performance by Joe Alexander, which raised hopes and expectations for this year’s team. But if you really take an objective look at this year’s team you can make an argument that they over-achieved as well.

The Mountaineers relied heavily on three freshmen after the early departure of Alexander for the NBA and the injury of starting point guard Joe Mazzulla. West Virginia lacked size inside and depth at guard. All things that could have doomed this team, so when you look back at the obstacles the Mountaineers faced, a trip to the NCAA Tournament has to be considered a success despite the first round loss.

Now, the issues of inside size and outside depth should be resolved with this year’s recruiting class.

Six-foot-nine inch, 240 pound Dan Jennings and 6’9” 245 lbs. Deniz Kilicli should shore up the inside while freshman Dalton Pepper and junior college transfer Casey Mitchell should help outside. The arrival of those players combined with the experience picked up by the three freshmen and the return of Mazzulla should make WVU a much deeper and more experienced team come tournament time next year.

However, there are still many questions surrounding next year’s team. 1) Can Mazzulla return? His surgery is very rare for an athlete and could hinder him from ever playing again. We will just have to wait and see. 2) Can Mitchell, if indeed he does sign, replace the output of graduating senior Alex Ruoff? 3) Who will lose their scholarships to make way for the three new freshmen and Mitchell? WVU currently only has just two scholarships to give—Ruoff’s and Alexander’s (which was given to walk-on Josh Sowards this past season). My suspicion is that Will Thomas will leave the team and, perhaps, Jonnie West will become a walk-on. But, those are not based on any facts, just my opinion.

All of these things make for an interesting off-season which will also include intense work in the weight room as Coach Bob Huggins continues to mold his team into the physical players he wants. I’ve been told that by the start of next season Da’Sean Butler will have an “NBA body” and Devin Ebanks can expect to be considerably more muscle-bound. I would also expect to see obvious enlargements of Kevin Jones and Wellington Smith who have great work ethics in the weight room.

So, don’t despair Mountaineer fans the future is bright and West Virginia basketball is in good hands. Now if e can just get that $20 million to build that practice facility…