Dalton Pepper Commits To West Virginia 7/18/08

Breaking News

By Jordan Ingram

Pennsbury shooting guard Dalton Pepper, has made a verbal commitment to Big East power West Virginia. He chose WVU over such programs as Villanova, Miami, and Seton Hall. This past season the 6-foot-5 blue chipper averaged 22.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and three assists en route to a Pennsylvania Class AAAA All-State First Team selection.
Pepper will be joining a group that, led by first-year head coach Bobby Huggins, posted a 26-11 record and made it to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. With the loss of star forward Joe Alexander to the NBA, incoming freshman like Pepper will have huge shoes to fill.
The Levittown, Pa. native will be a solid addition to the Mountaineers with his accurate 3-point shooting and above average rebounding ability for a shooting guard. Pepper shouldn’t disappoint as he was well tested in his high school career playing against the likes of Chester, Penn Wood, and Norristown in state competition. He also contains deceptive athleticism that could translate into him being similar to former Mountaineer star Mike Gansey.
His innate ability to facilitate points for his teammates will be an underrated trait that will make him a fan favorite at West Virginia. At 215 pounds he’ll also have the strength to score in post up situations against smaller guards.
In order to be a productive college player, Pepper must improve his average foot speed which will in turn make him a better defender in the extremely tough Big East. Though he’s an adept shooter, at times he was too unselfish which must be changed if he plans to flourish in Huggins’ demanding system.
During the off-season Pepper has produced solid showings with his Jersey Shore Warriors AAU team as well as an all-star appearance at Eastern Invitational. His solid play during the summer has consistently kept him in the conversation of the top 10 players in the state.

Dalton Pepper couldn’t be reached for comment.