This is a dream column for a Kanawha Valley writer.
See, I have great sports news for fans of WVU.
Also, I have great sports news for fans of Marshall.
And, neatly, it all comes from one source: Hargrave Military Academy postgraduate basketball coach A.W. Hamilton, situated in Chatham, Virginia.
Yes, it's that A.W. Hamilton, who played hoops at MU from 2002-2005 after transferring to Huntington from Wake Forest. Hamilton assisted Kevin Keatts, now the head coach at UNC Wilmington, at Hargrave before taking over the program.
But to the news.
First, Valley sports fans may remember former South Charleston High standout Brandon Knapper, a WVU commitment, decided to hone his skills at Hargrave.
Well, it's early in the prep school's basketball season, but to say Knapper is off to a good start would be quite an understatement.
Hargrave is ranked the nation's preseason No. 1 prep team, according to NextUpRecruits.com - and Knapper is not only starting, he's averaging 23 points a game. (The Tigers, by the way, will meet high school power Huntington Prep at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 10 at Teays Valley Christian. Teays will face off with Mountain State Christian at 6 p.m.)
Knapper is connecting on 67 percent of his shots from the floor and 58 percent of his 3-point attempts through his team's 3-0 start.
"I'm really, really pleased with Brandon," Hamilton said. "He's had an incredible approach to this season and is off to an unbelievable start. He's been lights-out. He's been absolutely lights-out."
Understand Hargrave isn't for the faint of heart. Hamilton is coaching kids heading to Ohio State, Georgetown and Xavier. So Knapper is making a statement here.
"I've been very pleased and as we continue to go forward he'll get even better," Hamilton said. "He's getting in much better shape. He's learning how to play the point guard position a little bit more. He's doing a really good job. I'm really proud of that kid.
"The thing that's great about Brandon is he's a really, really smart kid. He works hard in the classroom and on the court. He's a student-athlete. And it's always fun to be surrounded with a bunch of those guys."
WVU's Bob Huggins is waiting.
"We're playing him at the 1 [point guard] and 2 [shooting guard]," Hamilton said of the 6-foot-1 Mountaineer commitment. "Our style here is to kind of play two point guards, so we have him and Braxton Beverly, who is going to Ohio State, as a two-headed monster. And they play together."
Of course, there are always aspects players can work on.
"One of the things Brandon had to work on was getting stronger, getting ready for how physical the game is going to be at West Virginia," Hamilton said. "He's absolutely bought in to that. We lift four times a week. We have our own strength coach. And he's doing an incredible job getting into the weight room. When you see him you'll be able to tell right away he's gotten bigger and stronger. He needs to continue to that.
"Then, defensively, he's going through an adjustment. Going from prep or high school to Division I is the biggest leap. You have to learn how to guard the ball and keep guys in front of you. He has to be a guy who dives on loose balls, takes charges and things like that. That's something he's working on and has made a commitment to it. We watch film three, four times a week and he's engaged and wants to get better. I'm really, really pleased with him."
Hamilton paused before restarting.
"If he continues on this pace, which I'm almost 100 percent sure he will, I think he'll be a major factor at West Virginia next year," said the coach.
OK, Marshall fans, I hear ya. So what's the good news regarding Thundering Herd sports?
Well, Hargrave has not one, but two MU commitments: center Iran Bennett and forward Tanner Robinette. And ... well, I'll just get out of the way and just let Hamilton speak of the former.
"Iran has a chance to be an NBA player," said the coach. "There aren't many guys like him in the country. He's 6-9 ½ and 320 pounds. He has the best hands of a big man I've ever seen. He's a great athlete who can move his feet. He's a monster. He's terrific and is getting better every day."
Does that qualify as good news, Herd fans? In his last game, Bennett had 17 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots. He's averaging 9.3 rebounds and 3.3 blocks.
"He's a special player," Hamilton said of Bennett. "That's a wonderful, wonderful 'get' for Marshall. He could go down as one of the school's all-time greats."
Iran, by the way, is pronounced more like Iren, then I-ran. And Marshall fans can credit assistant Mark Cline for the aforementioned "get."
"He got in here early," Hamilton said of Cline. "Iran went to the Louisville game and loved it and fell in love with Coach [Dan] D'Antoni.
"Marshall is a good spot for Iran. I went there as a player and I know how good it was for me. I think the academics fit him well. The smaller environment fits him well. He can grow. We all felt it was a perfect fit for him."
Then there's Robinette, a 6-8 forward.
"He's from Honaker, Virginia," Hamilton said. "He's the type of kid that's going to be really good. He has nice touch around the basket. Big, strong body. He doesn't really play above the rim, but he has great post moves.
"He's spent a lot of time working with [Golden State Warrior] David West on an AAU program he played with. He's been well-coached. I think he'll be a guy in Conference USA and at Marshall that people will be excited about. He's tough; he's nasty; he boxes out and plays hard. Unbelievable kid. Marshall fans will really like Tanner Robinette."
Knapper and Bennett both start, while Robinette comes off the bench for Hamilton.
So, hopefully, that made your day.
Whether you root for WVU or Marshall.
Contact Mitch Vingle at 304-348-4827 or mitchvingle@wvgazettemail.com. Follow him on Twitter @MitchVingle.