West Virginia has already cleared the first hurdle with 2027 point guard Javion Tyndale. The Mountaineers made his final six, and now the next step is getting him on campus for a visit.
That won’t be easy. WVU is chasing the 247Sports No. 55 player in the class against Providence, UNLV, St.
Bonaventure, Seton Hall and Loyola Chicago. Still, the Mountaineers may have a path here, and it starts with fit.
Tyndale is listed at 5-foot-8 and 155 pounds, which puts him in the same small-guard lane as Miles Sadler. Ross Hodge has shown he can make that kind of player work, and recruits notice that sort of thing.
“I want a school to be honest,” Tyndale told 247Sports recruiting analyst Dushawn London. “I don't want it sugarcoated. Being a small guard is a hard role, and I want to be in the best situation possible.”
The timing also favors West Virginia at least a little. Providence and Seton Hall are the only other high-majors to offer Tyndale, and both came later than WVU’s offer. The Mountaineers got involved in December, while Providence waited until June and Seton Hall until July.
“They've been on me for a while,” Tyndale told London. “They're a great program.
I love the coaching staff. I'll be watching them a lot this year, especially with my cousin playing there and a lot of other Canadians.”
Tyndale’s rise has been hard to miss. He plays at Montverde Academy in Florida, and his stock has taken off over the summer.
In June, he was No. 138 in the 247Sports Composite. Today, he sits at No.
He backed that jump up with production. At EYBL’s Peach Jam, Tyndale averaged 16.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Then he helped Canada win gold at the U-18 Americup, where he posted 12.6 points and an event-high 6.0 assists per game and earned MVP honors.
The evaluations match the numbers. 247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein called Tyndale one of the best point guards at the event, even with Beckham Black and Cayden Daughtry in the field as the class’ No. 1 and No. 3 prospects.
“Whatever Tyndale may lack in sheer size, he makes up for with quickness, compact strength, swagger and toughness. It may be a cliché, but you're not going to find many players with more heart, and that's why he has established such a distinct pedigree for winning,” Finkelstein reported.
“Offensively, he's a constant threat to get a piece of the paint. He attacks with speed in the open floor, has the tight and creative handle to break down even set defenders, an excellent left hand and understands how to leverage his frame by playing lower to the ground than anyone else.
He can create for his teammates when he's in attack mode but has simultaneously proven he can manage a game and take care of the basketball. ... Defensively, he can also really set the tone and put a lot of pressure on opposing handlers.
He's able to pick up for the length of the court, get underneath bigger guards and over top of ball screens, often forcing turnovers or taking them out of their offense.”
In Other News...
Former West Virginia WR Cam Vaughn's Miami Run Ended Abruptly
Cam Vaughns brief Miami stint ended before it ever really began, as the former West Virginia wide receiver was dismissed from the Hurricanes program by head coach Mario Cristobal. Vaughn had transferred earlier this year after leaving Morgantown, but he never got to appear in a regular-season game for Miami, leaving his move south as one of the more abrupt roster developments of the season.
Cristobal made the announcement without offering a reason for the decision, which only adds to the uncertainty around what comes next for Vaughn. For West Virginia fans who followed his transfer, the news turns what once looked like a fresh start into another quick reset, and it leaves the next chapter of his career hanging in the air. [Read more 🡒]
WVU's New-Look Offensive Line Is Setting A Different Tone Early
Rick Tricketts arrival as West Virginias new offensive line coach has already given the Mountaineers a noticeably different feel up front. The group has been reshaped with more experience, and in recent scrimmages it has looked more physical and more organized, a promising sign for a unit that is being asked to set the tone for the offense. Even the response from players families has reflected the early buzz around the lines work.
The size profile up front is still similar to what West Virginia had last year, but the emphasis now is on better coaching and cleaner technique making the difference. That combination is what has created the early optimism, because for this group it is not just about being big enough, it is about playing with more precision and more edge. How far that carries once the games count is the next question, but the first impressions have been encouraging. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Has One Defensive Battle Fans Need To Watch Closely
Zac Alleys defense has put a spotlight on one of the more interesting positional battles on West Virginias roster, the nickel and sam spot. It is the kind of role that has to do a little bit of everything, and the Mountaineers appear to have a few different candidates who could handle it depending on how the staff wants to line up and what kind of look it wants to give offenses.
Geimere Latimer and Maliek Hawkins stand out as the more experienced options, giving WVU a pair of players with different but appealing traits for the job. Behind them, Emory Snyder, Miles Khatri and Jayden Ballard add developmental intrigue, and the way that group progresses could shape how flexible the defense is when the season starts. [Read more 🡒]