EerSports.com has learned that Mountain State Academy 7-footer David Nyarsuk has committed to West Virginia! Click below for more on this breaking story ... Continue to refresh the page as we add more details ...
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"It's official, he's signed and his guardians are signing, and [the National Letter of Intent] will be at WVU tomorrow," said Mountain State coach Rodney Crawford.
Nyarsuk visited WVU for Mountaineer Madness and seemingly became the staff's top priority once Adreian Payne committed to Michigan State Oct. 29. A 7-foot-1, 230-pound center ranked No. 19 at his position by ESPN.com/Scouts Inc, he's described a a force on defense and on the glass.
"He's long and athletic and a very good rebounder, great shot-blocker and is getting better offensively, but that's not a big part of his game right now. But he defends and rebounds very well," Crawford said.
Nyarsuk, a native of the Sudan who attended Patterson Prep in North Carolina last year, joins Poca, W.V., gurd Noah Cottrill -- who played at Mountain State last year -- in what is now a two-man 2010 class for WVU coach Bob Huggins. Huggins had made several trips to Beckley to watch Nyarsuk play recently. Crawford, a former player under Huggins at Cincinnati, felt all along that WVU is a great fit for his new big man.
"He's going to get so much better offensively under coach Huggins. He fits the mold of a Huggins player, by how long he is and how hard he plays defensively," Crawford said.
Many high-major programs had expressed interest, with Indiana and Southern California being the latest, but only WVU, DePaul and Wyoming had offered scholarships. The reason, according to Crawford, was that there was some misinformation about his transcript -- often a concern for colleges recruiting players from overseas -- being spread.
"The only reason people weren't offering is because they didn't know his grade situation," Crawford said. "He has a little bit of work to do but he'll be fine."
Crawford spoke last night with Huggins and assistant coach Larry Harrison, with both of whom he's shared long-standing friendships, about their latest addition.
"They were excited about the whole thing. They were extremely ecstatic," he said.
ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc rated Nyarsuk a 90 on its 100-point scale. Here's their most recent evaluation of him, from July:
July, 2009: Upside is the word that repeatedly comes to mind when watching Nyarsuk compete. He is weak and needs to add strength but this athletic center runs the floor effortlessly and takes drop off passes created by guard penetration and finishes above the rim with quickness and power. Nyarsuk plays with great urgency on both ends of the floor. In transition he attempts to seal his defender in the lane for a quick catch and finish at the rim. In the low post he has good not great hands and at times has difficulty holding his position but when he catches the ball he attacks with quick moves and simply elevates over opponents with his tremendous length although his back to the basket moves needs to be more fluid and smooth. He is an excellent area rebounder and can rebound over weak box outs with again his unmatched length. He is an excellent weak side shot blocker and great at contesting shots in and out of his area but must learn to use his quickness when defending in the lane because he is not strong enough to mix it up although he is more than willing. Nyarsuk is a very intriguing prospect with his best playing days ahead but his size and energy make him a factor the entire time he is on the floor.
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