Chaz Briggs, a 6-7, 210 pound power forward who played the last two years at Wabash Valley College in Mt. Carmel, Illinois, has decided to attend West Virginia. He enrolled at the Morgantown, WV, school today.

Head Coach Gale Catlett said, "Chaz is a very nice young man who played for a great junior college program. He is a very athletic player who will round out our recruiting class for this year."

Briggs, who signed with Rhode Island this past spring after taking official visits to Colorado, West Virginia, St. Bonaventure, was denied admission to the Atlantic 10 school because he was missing a math requirement from high school. He recently earned his associate's degree from Wabash Valley (IL) Junior College, an achievement that would enable most Division I schools to accept him as a transfer.

Duquesne, Wisconsin, Idaho and Central Connecticut State contacted Briggs over the past week but the relationship already established with Coach Catlett appears to have done the job.

Briggs averaged 10.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game for Wabash Valley College in Mount Carmel, Ill. Briggs helped the Warriors to the Division I JUCO national title by defeating Allegany College of Cumberland, Md.

He shot 61 percent from the floor, 70 percent from the free throw line and 33 percent from three-point range. Briggs was Wabash’s team leader in rebounds and steals and was one of eight Wabash players to sign with Division I schools.

"The best thing about Chaz is he’s athletic and makes athletic plays," said Jay Spoonhour, the former coach at Wabash who is now an assistant at UNLV. "He’s got the wingspan of a seven-footer. He’ll keep getting better."

He joins Jonathan Hargett, Tyrone Sally, Drew Schifino and Chris Garnett as newcomers to the WVU basketball team this season. Hargett, Sally and Schifino signed with the Mountaineers last fall, while Garnett sat out last season after transferring from Eastern Kentucky.

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