Possible North-Central WV Prospects for the Battlers

The 2015-16 boy's basketball season would no doubt be termed successful for north-central West Virginia area high school basketball programs. The WV AA and AAA field was loaded with quality teams with Division I, II and III talent. North central area high school teams had many a player and teams on that list. Battler Beat decided to take a look at a few of the players that the Battlers may have been keeping their eye on throughout the season. We will keep the site updated throughout the spring and summer to let fans and readers know if any of the prospects previewed below sign with the Battlers.

Luke Dyer is one player that has caught the eye of several of the D2 coaches in the state of West Virginia. Dyer was known as a 'staff-sheet stuffer' for the Eagles. The senior point guard statistics this past season were amazing. Dyer averaged 17.8 points per game, 5.1 rebounds per game, 4.5 assists per game and 3.3 steals per game. These numbers are impressive for any player but are more impressive considering Dyer was the focal point of many opposing team's defensive strategy. Dyer was the only returning starter this past season for RC Byrd HS. Despite his team's inexperience, he led the Eagles to the quarterfinal round of the WV AA state tournament. Dyer is known as a player that makes his teammates better by his overall skill set and basketball IQ. He would be considered a good prospect because of his versatility on the floor. Many project him as a 2-guard at the college level but still with the ability to
fill in at the point guard position if needed. His shooting ability lends well at the two spot along with his ability to dribble off the wing and penetrate to the basket where he has an uncanny ability to pass or shoot. Dyer was named to the WV AA 1st-team all state basketball squad for this past season's
accomplishments.

Another nearby prospect that the Battlers could be taking a look is Zach Musgrove. He is a senior that attended Grafton High School which is eight miles north of the Alderson Broaddus campus. He is another versatile player that stands 6'4" and can play a couple of different positions on the floor. He averaged 20.2 points per game this past season for the Bearcats to go with 7 rpg and 3.2 apg. He is a good shooter from the three-point range but can also finish on the break. Musgrove would not be the first Grafton product to land at ABU. During the early '90s, the Battlers had both Al Smith and Terry Cole on the men's basketball team as products of Grafton High School. Cole would later be inducted to the Battler Hall of Fame. Musgrove was named to the WV AA 2nd-team all state basketball squad this past season.

Ben Riley is another versatile prospect who could possibly play the three or four at the Division II level. At 6'5" tall, Riley was able to both post players up as well as take players off the dribble from 10-12 feet from the basket. He averaged 19.1 points per game and 11.7 rebounds per game this past season for the Lewis County High School. He led the Minutemen to the WV AAA Regional
championship game where they lost to Musselman HS. Riley was selected to the WV AAA 2nd-team all state basketball slate for his efforts.



The last prospect that we will feature may be the most intriguing. RC Byrd senior Dante Speas was a late-bloomer as a high school basketball player. He was a valuable reserve for the Eagles during the 2014-15 season. But this past season, Speas became a starter and as the season progress he became on of the top productive players in the state of West Virginia. For the season, Speas averaged 14 ppg and hit 39 treys. He was also known as a relentless defender on the perimeter. He had several productive games during the second half of this past season when the Eagles took on some of the best teams in the state.