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Report: Forward Elijah Macon cleared to attend West Virginia

Bob Huggins

West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins talks to his players during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Baylor in Morgantown, W.Va., Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013. (AP Photo/David Smith)

AP

Formerly a commitment in West Virginia’s 2012 recruiting class, 6-8 power forward Elijah Macon was forced to delay his enrollment in order to attend prep school. One year later, Macon’s been cleared to attend the school this season according to Mitch Vingle of the Charleston (W. Va.) Gazette. Of course, this means that Macon has still yet to be cleared to play.

The addition of the Huntington Prep product (if cleared to play) is an important one for the Mountaineers, who lost both Deniz Kilicli and Aaric Murray from last year’s team. The 2012-13 campaign was a disappointing one for head coach Bob Huggins, and while he may not have a great deal of interior depth this season this may be a better mix.

Macon would join a rotation that doesn’t have a great amount of experience, with junior Kevin Noreen (3.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg) being the most experienced returnee. The Mountaineers did manage to add some talented players to the front court, with former URI big man Jonathan Holton and freshman Devin Williams among the newcomers.

Holton had some legal issues to clear up before being allowed to join the program, and with that done the former Atlantic 10 All-Freshman Team selection has the talent needed to be an impact newcomer in the Big 12. Adding Macon to the mix would only make the Mountaineers better inside.

But if last season did anything, it reiterated the importance of team chemistry to a successful program. If West Virginia can improve in this area, they’ve got a shot at improving on their 13-19 record (6-12 Big 12) of a season ago.

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