WVU Basketball Now Has 2 Roster Spots Open After Silverio’s Denial

WVU basketball now has two scholarship spots remaining for the 2023-24 season after Omar Silverio’s waiver was denied. Silverio was expected to be one of the veteran guards on this roster.

Here’s an update on West Virginia’s roster as of Thursday night.

Guards:

RaeQuan Battle

Jeremiah Bembry

Kobe Johnson

Kerr Kriisa

Jose Perez

Seth Wilson 

Forwards:

Josiah Harris

Ofri Naveh

Quinn Slazinski

Patrick Suemnick

Bigs:

Jesse Edwards

Silverio’s ruling on Thursday resulted in the end of his collegiate career. West Virginia now has six guards, four forwards and a center. The coaching staff has been retooling the roster over the last month after Josh Eilert was named the interim head coach. West Virginia dealt with six transfer portal entries after Bob Huggins resigned but returned Perez and Kriisa who re-opened their recruitments.

Under Eilert, the coaching staff has signed Jeremiah Bembry (G – Florida State), Quinn Slazinski (F – Iona/St. John’s) and Ofri Naveh (F – Israel).

RaeQuan Battle from Montana State still needs a waiver unless he graduated this summer.

The latest recruiting for WVU:

West Virginia has reached out to Argentinean big man Lee Aaliya about joining the roster. Aaliya (6-foot-9) is an Argentinean prospect in the 2023 class. Aaliya’s recruitment opened up on Thursday after the NCAA cleared him to enroll, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. Aaliya averaged 17.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. Aaliya’s best performance was against Canada on July 1 recording 31 points, 20 rebounds, three blocks and two steals on 57% shooting.

Aaliya has four years of eligibility remaining and will turn 19 in November.

Transfers such as Malcolm Dandridge (C – Memphis) and Deshawndre Washington (G – New Mexico State) have been contacted by WVU’s staff but it appears that those recruitments have died down.

WV Sports Now will keep you up to date on how West Virginia fills out the final two spots on the roster.