BUCKHANNON, W.Va. — Noah Cottrill, the four-star point guard who signed with West Virginia in 2010 and departed without playing a game, has left Division II West Virginia Wesleyan after one season.
While Wesleyan coach Patrick Beilein described Cottrill’s departure as “a mutual agreement” on Tuesday, he emphasized “there were no hard feelings.”
As a freshman last season, Cottrill averaged 12.9 points and 3.2 rebounds per game in 24 games for Wesleyan, including 19 starts.
“His skill set is very high,” Beilein said. “He still has a lot of game in him.”
In 2010 he became a Parade All-American while leading Logan High School to the West Virginia Class AAA state championship, culminating with a 22-point, 10-rebound performance against Wheeling Park.
WVU outrecruited Florida and Kentucky to land Cottrill, but the 6-foot-3 player—billed as one of the state’s best homegrown talents in years—was suspended during his first semester in Morgantown. He withdrew from school months later in January 2011.
Cottrill was arrested in December 2011 for possession of hydrocodone and a stolen gold chain.
He subsequently planned to restart his college career at Mountain State University during the summer of 2012 but that program folded and he wound up at Wesleyan.
“He understands the game and he came a long way with being a leader on our team,” said Beilein, who confirmed Cottrill had re-enrolled for fall semester classes at Wesleyan that started in mid-August. “He looked to be in good shape, looked like he had been working out.”
A source said Cottrill was considering transferring to an NAIA program in Kentucky.