SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — South Charleston guard Brandon Knapper is a big reason why expectations are so high again for the Black Eagles this season.
The junior — who was tabbed by head coach Vic Herbert last year as a ‘D-I player waiting to happen’ — made headlines after his sophomore campaign by committing to WVU and coach Bob Huggins (although a year of prep school likely will be in line for Knapper before making his way to Morgantown).
And that notoriety for him hasn’t come without some extra heckling from opposing crowds so far this season.
“I hear the crowd screaming my name,” Knapper said. “I’ve gotten a lot more attention this year – when I’m shooting free throws, I hear the crowd screaming ‘D-II, overrated’ and this and that. But to be honest, I like that, because it pumps me up a lot more and I play harder with more energy. I like when the crowd tries to get into my head. When the lights come on, I shine – that’s what my grandpa tells me all the time.”
The Black Eagles jumped out to an unbeaten 7-0 start, including a 76-50 win over Hurricane and 56-48 win over rival Capital.
“This year, we have great chemistry,” Knapper said. “We move the ball a lot and talk to each other more. Off the court, we’re good friends – everybody hangs with each other during lunch and after school. This might be the best year in terms of chemistry.”
The Black Eagles could have been even better, too, if not for a knee injury suffered by senior standout A.D. Cunningham during football season.
“That impacted us a lot,” Knapper said. “He brought a toughness to our team. He brought a football mentality to the basketball court. He got all of the 50-50 chance balls. He carried us on our back with his toughness. Others have had to step up to take his place in scoring – Tamon Scruggs, Kentre Grier, Shaiyan Mabry and we have other guys who have been contributing to the team, too.”
Individually, Knapper still has plenty of time to work on some of his attributes before eventually making the transition to the college game down the road.
“This year, I’m taking the ball to the basket more and finishing more,” Knapper said. “Contact doesn’t bother me anymore. I got bigger and stronger over the summer and I’m in better shape. I’m a little quicker and more explosive this year as well.
“I still need to get bigger and stronger, and continue to work on controlling the game as a point guard and making the guys around me better,” Knapper said. “In the Big 12, they have big, tough guards, so I need to stay in the weight room so that when I go to the basket, it won’t bother me.”
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