KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Juwan Staten, pledging that his college career isn’t finished and West Virginia’s postseason hopes are still robust, predicted he’ll be back on the court when the NCAA tournament begins next week.
“I’m definitely going to play in the tournament,” the point guard said after the Mountaineers’ 80-70 loss to Baylor on Thursday in the Big 12 tournament.
The senior said he was “not allowed” to discuss the medical specifics of his left knee, which sported an ice-wrap as he sat in the postgame locker room. But he vowed the injury wouldn’t prevent him from being full-speed for March Madness.
“I know me,” Staten said. “I wouldn’t play unless I could play like me.”
“I’m definitely going to play in the (NCAA) tournament.” — West Virginia’s Juwan Staten
He missed his fourth consecutive game Thursday, while fellow senior Gary Browne sat out for a third straight with a left ankle injury.
“They could have played, but they weren’t 100 percent,” said coach Bob Huggins. “But (playing) wasn’t the right thing to do by them. … They’re both very excited about playing next week.”
During the postgame interview session, Staten counseled backup point guard Tarik Phillip, using a dry-erase board to diagram zone-attacking passes.
“It’s not the end,” Staten said afterward. “We have an opportunity to do something special.”