MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia continued adding to its 2018 basketball recruiting class by signing 6-foot-7 combo guard Jermaine Haley on Monday.
The former New Mexico State signee redshirted in 2015-16 and became a part-time starter in 2016-17 for a team that went 28-6 and won the WAC. The British Columbia native averaged for 3.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 21 minutes for the Aggies.
Upon transferring out of New Mexico State last season, Haley initially committed to Wyoming but decided instead to spend a year in the juco ranks at Odessa (Texas) College.
At Odessa, Haley became the conference’s Co-Defensive Player of the Year while averaging 10.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game.
Haley owns an interesting backstory. A Rivals four-star recruit coming out of high school in Canada, he held offers from Louisville, Gonzaga and Oregon before originally committing to Washington and then flipping to New Mexico State, where fellow Canadian Paul Weir was coaching.
Haley’s father was a defensive end who played 62 games over five NFL seasons with the Dolphins and Redskins. His grandfather Otis Haley set a U.S. high school record in 1968 by high-jumping 7-foot 1 1/4.
Here’s a look at one Haley’s best games from his freshman year at New Mexico State:
Haley becomes the fifth WVU signee for this class, following guards Trey Doomes and Jordan McCabe along with prep school forward Derek Culver and junior college center Andrew Gordon.
The Mountaineers currently have four outgoing players — Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles were seniors, with D’Angelo Hunter and Maciej Bender transferring. Two underclassmen, Sagaba Konate and Esa Ahmad, have enrolled for the NBA draft and face a June 11 deadline to withdraw if they choose to return to school.
Haley’s addition gives West Virginia’s backcourt some much-needed length considering returnees Beetle Bolden and Brandon Knapper are generously listed at 6-foot, while the incoming McCabe is 5-10.
“We are really excited to add size and experience to our backcourt,” Mountaineers coach Bob Huggins said. “We had a pressing need for size in our guard rotation.”