West Virginia's Derek Culver Is The Big 12's Most Dominant Player That No One Is Talking About

For Mountaineer fans, the name Derek Culver is a part of every discussion around West Virginia basketball. But for those outside of West Virginia, the names they know are Oscar Tshiebwe and Miles McBride, which is understandable because they are having phenomenal freshman seasons. However, not many people are talking about Culver, yet they should be.

Through 18 games, Culver is averaging 10.7 points, 9.2 rebounds (which is 4th in the Big 12), 2.1 assists, .6 blocks, and .8 steals. His stats may not jump off the page when you read them, but it is more than that, it is what he brings to the court on every possession. His defensive intensity lights a fire under his teammates which in turn causes them to raise their play to a higher level. So when Culver is clicking, so are the Mountaineers.

His maturity has grown this season as well. You can tell by the decisions he makes with and without the ball. During his freshman year, Culver was forced to be the primary offensive weapon for the Mountaineers, in which he did perform well, but wasn't exactly ready for that role. He would force shots and turn the ball over when defenders would swarm him. Now, with the help of a better cast around him, Culver has grown into a force, being able to score on the low post at any given time. 

Despite these growths in his game, he still isn't getting the national recognition that he deserves. 

Andy Katz is a respected name in the College Basketball world, but he, along with others aren't putting respect on Culver's name. What will it take for Culver to start seeing his name being mentioned more? Winning. If the Mountaineers continue to win, and make a good run in the Big 12 tournament, and the NCAA Tournament, more pundits will start to talk about how valuable Culver is to West Virginia.