COMMENTARY
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Between Esa Ahmad’s strained knee, Devin Williams’ strained psyche and Bob Huggins straining to see anyone in the upper sections, Tuesday night’s game against Kansas State could’ve gone better.
But 15-point wins aren’t to be discounted in the Big 12—not even one at home against a second-tier team.
That second-tier team, Kansas State, had not lost any game by such a pronounced margin this season. Not to No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 2 North Carolina, No. 5 Texas A&M or No. 17 Baylor—all those matchups played on the road or a neutral court.
And thus, this 70-55 win was more of an accomplishment than some might think, and more than merely a tune-up for Saturday’s SEC/Big 12 Challenge against Florida.
The diagnosis for Ahmad is that he could return in time for West Virginia’s next practice on Thursday. Say what you will about the prized recruit not meeting freshman expectations (which he hasn’t), there’s still some value in a 6-foot-8 component who can outrun fellow bigs, defend against smaller wings and help unclog the offense with his passing (Ahmad is third on the team in assists).
Let’s call it a 60-40 chance we’ll see Ahmad back on the court in Gainesville. As for when we will see the real Devin Williams return? Wouldn’t dare set the odds on that one.
During a string of double-doubles to launch the season, Williams looked like a player ready to launch. And just two weeks ago, he delivered 17 points and 12 rebounds worth of goods against Kansas, providing just the kind of reliable, big-boy post-up option a poor perimeter-shooting team requires.
In four games post-KU, Williams has posted 6.7 points and 5.7 rebounds—the sort of line West Virginia expects from a backup like Elijah Macon, but not nearly sufficient for the team’s stud forward. Williams’ lackluster stretch includes nine baskets, 13 turnovers, 14 fouls and countless minutes stationed closer to Bob Huggins than the lane.
It took only 59 seconds for Williams to get the hook against K-State after back-to-back turnovers. Twice he caught the ball on the right wing, and twice he dribbled into a clogged lane. One possession resulted in an intercepted pass, the next in a traveling violation.
When a reporter sought an assessment on Williams’ mental state, Huggins joked, “I’m a ball coach. I’m not a shrink.” Still, the ball coach can spot the origin of shrinking production.
“Devin is rushing things, he’s hurrying things,” Huggins said. “He is trying to make things happen that are not there. He’s a great kid. He wants to be really good. He wants the team to be good. He wants to help. When you force things, you don’t help—you hurt. He can’t keep turning the ball over like he’s been turning it over.”
No he can’t, at least not when the NCAA tournament rolls around. But against K-State, Williams’ six turnovers did nothing to prevent a comfortable win in which WVU led for the final 35 minutes. Much of the second half by double-figures.
That level of control flummoxed K-State coach Bruce Weber, who remarked “I thought we could compete with them.” After all, Weber’s team extended WVU to two overtimes when they met on the day of the Cactus Bowl.
Huggins took Tuesday’s margin as a sign of growth, saying WVU couldn’t have beaten K-State earlier with this type of effort from Williams. Yet, Williams was similarly unproductive in the first meeting, which might validate the old Huggins adage that he doesn’t look in the rear-view mirror.
The 20th game in West Virginia’s rear mirror showed Nathan Adrian picking up Ahmad’s slack and Jon Holton playing 33 pogo-stick minutes. It turned on Jaysean Paige compensating for scoring only three baskets by making four steals and Teyvon Myers pumping in five points in the span in 67 seconds (i.e. one point more than his aggregate scoring the previous four games).
It was telling that Huggs spent a disproportionate amount of his postgame radio interview criticizing fans for leaving about 4,000 seats vacant. I’ll spare you my counter-rant detailing how the state’s citizens possess the second-lowest disposable income in the U.S.. Nor will I share that Mapquest link which spells out a four-hour roundtrip to the Coliseum from West Virginia’s three largest cities—quite the weeknight haul for a game that’s televised.
Let Huggins grumble about the no-shows. He’s rightfully proud of his program for cracking the top-10 and chasing the Big 12 crown. The state’s economy may be dreadful, but his team is prosperous and flourishing. Tuesday night’s win, in spite of several obstacles, proved that again.