If you live in the Kanawha Valley and wish to see WVU signee Maciej "Magic" Bender play hoops, this is the week for you.
Bender is coming to a neighborhood near you. Twice.
Tonight, Bender and his Mountain Mission Challengers will visit Teays Valley Christian for a 6 p.m. game. Then, on Wednesday at noon, Bender and company will play at the Charleston Civic Center in the Little General Shootout at the Big House against First Love Christian Academy from Washington, Pennsylvania.
Should be fun for Mountaineer fans. Many in the Valley have already seen future WVU guard Brandon Knapper of South Charleston and maybe even backcourt-mate-to-be Chase Harler of Wheeling Central.
The two unknowns for WVU fans are Bender and Sagaba Konate. By Wednesday night, though, the list will be pared to Konate.
So, what should you expect if you check out Bender?
It's hard to tell, but don't expect a 30- or 40-point scoring game. When Mountain Mission played against national power Oak Hill Academy, Bender scored 18 points. Yet he's also had games in which he scored but four or five points. His averages heading into the Teays Valley Christian game are 10.8 points and 7 rebounds. The Challengers are 22-6.
"He's been doing very well," said West Virginia native and Mountain Mission assistant coach Justin Dempsey.
Earlier in the season, the Challengers defeated Teays Valley 70-39.
"I understand First Love has a really good team with a lot of international players," Dempsey said.
But what of Bender? A 10.8 scoring average?
"We have a lot of kids trying to get a scholarship," Dempsey explained. "We have 10 guys that play every game and most only get to play for two and a half quarters.
"We're playing so many kids because we have seven or eight seniors and only two have signed [national letters of intent] so far."
The two are Bender with WVU and Jethro Tshisumpa with Arizona State. The latter is a 6-10, four-star ESPN Top 100 player who is averaging just 7.8 points. So you get the drift. The team's leading scorer is Harold Baruti, who is averaging 11.6 points. Bender is the Challengers' second-leading scorer.
The future Mountaineer, by the way, has grown to 6-foot-11 and 235 pounds, according to Dempsey. And many, many are excited about Bender's potential. That includes Harler, who has played with him during AAU action.
"His basketball IQ is unbelievable," Harler said recently. "And being 6-10, 6-11 and be able to step outside and shoot a 3-pointer? Being able to read a pick-and-roll, set up a screen and know when to roll and when to step back and shoot a 3? That's unbelievable. I compare him to [former Wisconsin standout] Frank Kaminski. He can post up high, catch the ball and throw a no-look [pass] to the corner. Or drive and throw a behind-the-back pass. It's pretty cool to watch him play."
"He's really stepped up his gamed defensively," Dempsey said. "He sees what WVU is doing. He watches every game."
Dempsey, though, wants to temper fans' expectations a bit.
"Magic hasn't become as aggressive as he'll need to be at WVU," said the assistant coach. "You just see it in spurts."
Dempsey said he remembers a moment when Bender was caught in the corner on offense.
"I yelled 'Attack, attack!' " said the coach. "He went baseline and dunked. When he wants to score, he can play with anyone in the country. It's just a matter of if he wants to."
Indeed, the word "finesse" has been coupled with Bender. It hasn't been with Mountaineer coach Bob Huggins or his team. It will be interesting to see how they all mesh.
Oh, and check out the other Challengers. Dempsey didn't want to specifically point out other Mountain Mission players WVU might be interested in, but did say one, 6-9 Florent Thamba, won't be in the Valley because he'll be at the NBA Beyond Borders camp in Toronto during the All-Star weekend.
Yes, by the way, I did ask Harler about Konate when he discussed Bender.
"He looks like a beast down low," said the player.
Konate, a 6-8 Mali native, is averaging 16.6 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocked shots for Kennedy Catholic High in Hermitage, Pennsylvania. His team is 18-2.