Tilton prospects enjoy trip to Morgantown

When the Tilton School (N.H.) made the trip down to Morgantown, some of the players didn't really know what to expect.

But after two solid showings during the Mountaineer Shootout at University High School, the trip was well worth it.

"It was a long trip – two plane rides and a long car ride ... It was a long day but we're happy we got the win," said Tilton sophomore guard Wayne Selden.

Tilton is one of the top teams in the nation and features many highly sought-after recruits.

According to ESPNU.com, Selden is the No. 10 player in the 2014 class, while junior centers Nerlens Noel and Goodluck Okonoboh are No. 2 and No. 60, respectively in the 2013 class.

Senior forward Georges Niang is one of the best seniors in the country and will play at Iowa State. Shooting guard Domonique Bull has already committed to Missouri.

While in Morgantown, the players attended West Virginia's overtime win over Cincinnati and toured the new practice facility. These opportunities got the Ram starters thinking about WVU a little more.

"After talking to (assistant coach Larry) Harrison, I got a better feel for the program," Noel said. "I'll be looking forward to building a better relationship with their coaching staff."

Noel is considered the nation's premier shot blocker and has been fielding interest from elite programs like Kentucky, Syracuse and Connecticut. He said after last week, WVU would be added to his list of schools.

He admitted the addition was due in part to the new practice facility and all that it offers players.

"It's important, especially if it's 24 hours, so that whenever you need to, you can get in the gym, and work on what you need to," he said. "It's state-of-the-art. Whatever you need is there, and I think that facility is real nice and there's no way to not get better having that."

Another thing all the players said would be great about playing for West Virginia was getting the opportunity to play for head coach Bob Huggins, as well as the rest of the coaching staff.

Getting to attend practice earlier in the week and seeing how they work with the current players on the team was something the three Tilton players enjoyed.

"The way they coach is just awesome," Okonoboh said. "You can tell they try to get their players better and (Huggins) is real tough on the court, and that's a good thing.

"He has a high awareness when it comes to defense and offense. He can see the littlest things, and pick them out."

While Okonoboh commented about what the coaching staff did during the practice, getting to watch the Mountaineers' style of play was something that Noel thought he could see himself playing in.

"They like to get up and down the court," he said. "Just watching the practice, everything was in tip-top shape. It wasn't just nonsense. I really like the program and how it's run."

But they all agreed that possibly the biggest highlight of the weekend was getting to see the Mountaineers' win over Cincinnati.

"That was a great game. They stayed composed down the stretch of the game," Noel said. "It was a crazy atmosphere. It was very live. They have great fans, they all supported, and there's a great atmosphere there."

All three players said they're nowhere near ready to make their college decisions just yet, but they've started building their lists of possible schools.

When it comes to the things they're looking for, all three agreed on the most important factors.

"A program that's family," Selden said. "(It should have) a winning tradition. Coming in, I want to work my way into playing and be able to come into the program, and take my game to the next level."

Now, the next step is finding the programs that fit what they want.