MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia point guard Juwan Staten said he was stunned by last week’s departure of teammate Terry Henderson, the second double-digit scorer to transfer out of the program this spring.
But Staten, an All-American candidate entering next season, squashed rumors that he might leave too. Upon receiving his undergraduate degree Saturday, Staten became eligible to transfer and play immediately at another school.
“People are going to talk, but I’m not looking to go anywhere,” Staten told MetroNews on Monday night. “Huggs is my man and I’m sticking with him. I’m not transferring.”
Coach Bob Huggins intimated to reporters that his staff foresaw the possibility of losing guard Eron Harris, a 17.2 points-per-game scorer who asked to be released in late March. But WVU coaches were blind-sided by the decision of Henderson, another sophomore who averaged 11.7 points.
“It shocked me too,” said Staten, who transferred from Dayton to WVU in 2011. “I never saw Terry be angry about anything that was going on here. We’d really love to have Terry on the team.”
Harris and Henderson’s 3-point shooting, complemented by Staten’s explosive penetration, would have comprised the league’s top backcourt next season. Now Staten figures to be joined by junior-college signee Tarik Philip and incoming freshmen Jevon Carter and Daxter Miles.
“Losing those two guys on the perimeter could affect the way that we play,” Staten said. “But you’ve got to move forward and prepare for whatever happens. You can’t live in the rearview mirror.”
During a junior season that required endless stamina, Staten wound up as the Big 12’s leader in scoring (18.1 points) and minutes (37.3), He ranked second in assists (5.85) and assist-to-turnover ratio.