The Sock 'Em, Bust 'Em Board Because that's our custom

Dibo’s coming!

The sharpshooting Parisian who spent the past two seasons at Casper (Wyo.) College and made more than 40-percent of his 3-point attempts while standing 6 feet, 9 inches above the ground committed to WVU Tuesday. With Jonathan Holton signing Monday and Dibo’s paperwork a formality, Bob Huggins is done with the Class of 2013-14.

If you’re keeping score at home, that would mean no Donte Grantham — trust me, I asked.

From what I gather, Mr. Dibo’s last name is pronounced DEE-bo (I’ve also heard a very European De-BO). I don’t think it’s DIE-bo, or die-BO. And clearly I hope it’s DEE-bo because of all the fun we could have for two years.

Holton and Dibo, it sure seems, address needs. For starters, they may be starters. If not, at least they’re ready to play tomorrow. And Huggins needed bigs who could stretch defenses on offense and grad rebounds on defense to create offense.

Holton can do both, and while Dibo hasn’t been a great rebounder in his career, trust that Huggins is going to emphasize it, but understand, too, that his teammates are all going to be pretty big. There aren’t many small lineups WVU can use. I guess Huggins could go with Staten, Browne, Harris and Henderson at once, but that could be a dreadful passing/defending lineup. And I know there are small ball things WVU could do, but I’m talking about literally small.

Even if Huggins did something like Staten, Harris and Henderson, any of the two forwards are going to be big — and Harris and Henderson aren’t short.

A lot has to happen, of course, so anything that follows is supposition, but if Dibo and Holton can play reasonably close to their reputations — and that’s not asking a lot because that’s why they’re coming to WVU — it serves to reduce demands on Devin Williams and Elijah Macon (who, by the way, is good to go). They can worry about rebounding and stick-backs and one-footers before and until Huggins loads some back-to-the-basket stuff on their shoulders, which Williams can apparently handle.

I think we’ve seen what happens when you try and need to trust freshmen. So this is good for them, at least early.

It’s good for Aaric Murray and Kevin Noreen, too. Noreen is better when he has limited duties like screening and passing and rebounding. He’s not an offensive player and he probably shouldn’t be playing 30 minutes a night, whereas Dibo and Holton have an offensive reputation and can give you something on both ends.

Dibo and Holton also give Murray some help, especially Holton, who could give WVU a body inside on offense and defense. The word I keep getting is he’s actually a good defensive player who’s blocked shots in the post. Murray is going to have to score inside, and the same goes for Williams, but those forwards will provide a little space by being able to pull attention outside.

The combinations intrigue me most. If Dibo and Holton can guard at a Hugginsian level, they can play together. Not sure what they can do or what WVU might surrender if they play together and with three guards, but if they’re your forwards and Murray is your center, putting Harris/Henderson at one guard spot gives you four shooters who, at worst, spread defenses and make life appreciably easier for Staten. Or Browne.

Maybe Dibo and Holton spell one another and Murray and Williams do the same and Huggins plays three guards. That’s still three shooters and more space than the Mountaineers have been used to seeing.

What I recognize as perhaps being most important is the comparable height across the floor. It’s a little like the 2010 team that could guard like crazy because it could switch everything and one defender could trade off for another who was pretty much the same size and/or skill. When WVU found trouble last season, it was on defense and often in mismatches. This might give Huggins an ability to avoid that.

It’s a little obtuse, but it now looks like part of a plan. I think we all thought Huggins needed guards because he needed shooters. He found two-position forwards who can shoot. It’s an interesting approach because it will create some mismatches. Again, WVU can be big and WVU can be tall, but there’s a difference between those two and WVU can play quick — “small,” if you must — if it is tall. Conversely, WVU might be big and slow and get caught up like it did at times last season, but it looks like Huggins has tried to move away from that possibility.

All of that said, it’s fair to wonder if Huggins really is done. Holton and Dibo are playing. Williams and Macon are playing. That’s four frontcourt players added at the expense of someone else on the roster. There are only two other forwards on the team — and I don’t think Noreen is losing the trust of Huggins or is scared by the possibility of a playing fewer minutes.

When you add like this, you sometimes subtract because a kid suddenly realizes things are not what they once were. I thought Keaton Miles was coming back before, and he still might be now, for all we know, but these new players are new variables.