Joe Sadlek/All-Pro Photography
MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — Juwan Staten was shooting .000 percent from 3-point range this season, so, of course, West Virginia’s game-tying 3-point attempt came off his hot hand.
As if those odds weren’t long enough, the 5-foot-10 Staten found himself trying to snap his season-long oh-fer while swallowed up by 7-footer Isaiah Austin and that Plastic Man wingspan of his.
West Virginia’s final possession should not have spooled down to such a hopeless matchup, not when the Mountaineers’ best three 3-point shooters were on the court: Eron Harris and Terry Henderson stationed in each corner, Kevin Noreen looming at the top of the circle. But WVU’s season, and particularly its depressing run of late-game situations, haven’t followed design.
“After (Baylor) switched, I looked over to Huggs and he was looking back at me. He wasn’t really giving me a sign to do anything, so I looked up at the clock and knew that I had to make a play.” — Juwan Staten regarding WVU’s last possession
Down 65-62, here was West Virginia’s plan for the final 17.9 seconds:
Staten would get a ball-screen from Noreen just across halfcourt. Then the point guard would come off that screen crisply and drive to the basket for a quick two, or kick to the either corner for a 3, or pass back to Noreen spotting up for a 3.
Yet here’s how the final 17.9 seconds actually transpired:
Noreen screened Bears guard Pierre Jackson with 12 seconds left, and Baylor switched, leaving the elongated Austin on Staten some 24 feet from the hoop. Instead of trying to take the 7-footer off the dribble, Staten lost his aggressiveness and tried to reset the play on the left wing.
What did Coach Bob Huggins want at that point?
“If they’re going to switch, then you have to get to the rim and score and foul them,” Huggins said.
Noreen’s take: “Some thought Wannie would drive to the basket and score by going around the big. Some thought I should have re-screened for him and he would’ve kicked it back to me for a 3. We didn’t do either.”
What was spinning though Staten’s mind at this juncture?
“After they switched, I looked over to Huggs and he was looking back at me,” Staten said. “He wasn’t really giving me a sign to do anything, so I looked up at the clock and knew that I had to make a play.”
More from Staten as he processed a situation that was looking more dire by the second:
“Getting the ball out full court … by the time I had it, it was like seven seconds left, and it would have been kind of hard to get to the basket, score and then foul,” he said. “So we just had to go for a last-second shot.”
Finally, with seven seconds left, and the two-point drive no longer an option, Staten tried to push Austin off the 3-point line, but the big Baylor freshman was too smart to allow Staten space to shoot. He deflected the jumper, which fell into the lane to Jackson, who dribbled out the final seconds as the WVU Coliseum crowd of 6,588 over the late-game mismanagement.
“I knew the defender was long, so I was I just tried to go at him and back him up and get a shot off,” Staten said. “(Austin’s) length was a little too much. I thought I had enough room, but once those long arms went up, it was a different story.”
And what about Staten’s three-year, 3-point drought? During those fateful, frustrating final seconds against Baylor, was Staten rattled or at least made reluctant by the fact he hasn’t sunk a jumper from behind the arc since Feb. 16, 2010?
“At the end of the day I’m a basketball player. I’m a competitor,” said Staten, now 0-of-9 on 3-pointers this season. “I don’t care if I hadn’t made a 3 all year, if the ball’s in my hands with a chance to win the game I’m going to take the shot with confidence.”
Love the moxie. Hate the shot selection.
“At the end of the day I’m a basketball player. I’m a competitor. I don’t care if I hadn’t made a 3 all year, if the ball’s in my hands with a chance to win the game, I’m going to take the shot with confidence.” — Juwan Staten, now 0-of-9 this season 3s and 4-of-35 in his career
But what other storyline could WVU generate, considering its series of near-misses in an arena where the Mountaineers were once purported to be stingy? Just add Baylor to Oklahoma, Kansas State and Kansas on the expanding list of games that got away.
“(Baylor) guarded it really well, but we didn’t execute either,” Noreen said in eulogy of that final, dreadful possession. “I didn’t do anything, and Wannie didn’t do anything. We got stuck in a hole and got a bad shot because of it.”
Staten’s 3-point percentage this season remains .000, which seems right in line with his team’s performance in clutch scenarios.
Gold and Blue Now Thursday, May 23 
Gold and Blue Now 5-21-2013 
Sportsline: Randy Mazey and Kyle Wiggs 
Sportsline: Dana Holgerson 
Randy Mazey 5-20-2013 
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Comments
Woodchuck
Looks to me that Huggings is trying to coach in Congress. Hard to get misfits to get anything done as a team.
I still have all the faith in Huggins. He will learn a very valuable lesson from this year and be even better in years to follow.
February 28, 2013 at 6:30 am | Report comment
rclthomp
The problem is this isn't a video game, you can't reset and this roster needs reset. My guess is that Murray(attitude), Hinds(shot selection) and Staten(all the above) won't be back.I'm not sure why Gerun was added to the roster to begin with. It seems that Aa. Brown and Miles have fell out of favor although I think they both should play more, they give us some size and Aa. Brown was recruited to be a shooter.
February 28, 2013 at 10:54 am | Report comment
gv
Why even interview these players, it is bad enough to watch it last night and this morning I get up and read it. It is obvious that foul shooting and end of game situations in practice run into happy hour, therefore they are skipped.
February 28, 2013 at 6:44 am | Report comment
tony
there seemed to me to be a lack of awareness of the clock in the speed in which staten was operating. he HAS to give the ball up no matter what anyone said. he should have known there were no TOs and have a plan..on his own. he is a player after all. i dont get it.
February 28, 2013 at 6:52 am | Report comment
harvey lantz
I agree with you Woodchuck,,I have faith in Huggs,,he will not have this problem again..The transfers he depended on,the senior leadership?? he so badly needed,will be gone..Time to start anew,get that new blood in there..
This years freshmen were our best players,,our four incoming players are purported to be outstanding..Future is bright.
February 28, 2013 at 7:50 am | Report comment
Robert
the best part about this season: there are only 2 games left plus the big 12 tourney.
February 28, 2013 at 7:50 am | Report comment
Larry
The irony of this is so rich. The players have listened to Huggins make excuses for so long that they are now getting very good at it.
Coming down to the last 30 seconds with no timeouts is inexcusable. Huggins looked like he was seeping into a coma there at the end.
14 seconds to play, down by 3. Instead of quickly getting the ball into the front court, Staton nonchalantly walks the ball up the court looking to the coach to find out what to do and Huggins has a blank look on his face.
When will this madness finally end?
February 28, 2013 at 8:01 am | Report comment
chad
If you call yourself a D-1 player you should know what to do in that situation. Hell everybody in the Coliseum knew what to do, anybody who was watching that game knew what to do. Everyone except Juwan "Clueless" Staten. Christ how many times did Staten piss on a toilet before someone told him to lift the seat.
Don't confuse making excuses with telling it like it is. Huggs tells it like it is.
February 28, 2013 at 9:26 am | Report comment
cutty77
It will all be over soon.Hope we can stay within 25 against The Jayhawks.There getting Hot right now,and WE NOT.HUGGS WILL FIX IT.OK
February 28, 2013 at 8:36 am | Report comment
WILLIAM
Why don't you hear JUMPSUIT BOB complaint about the fans not coming the the game! THE ATTENDANCE WAS VERY SAD, LOOKED LIKE A GIRLS GAME. SOON THE GIRLS MIGHT GET MORE FANS THAN THE GUYS! Maybe HUGGINS CAN FIX THE ATTENDANCE TOO SINCE IT IS HIS FAULT!
February 28, 2013 at 11:33 am | Report comment
wvtd
yea, huggings will fix it. in a few years, maybe.
February 28, 2013 at 9:02 am | Report comment
chad
The two freshman can stay, the rest need to hit the road.
February 28, 2013 at 9:29 am | Report comment
Uncle Fester
Whatever happened to that "recruiting bump" WVU was supposed to get from its Final Four appearance?? Oh yeah, Huggins went to the Final Four with John Beilein recruits, not his own. Now that he is playing solely with his own recruits WVU's record has steadily gotten worse under Huggins. I bet attendance is off by 25% this year. Imagine, WVU couldn't even draw 5,000 for a game against Texas. Pitiful. Couldn't draw 11,000 for the OK State game on a Saturday. Pitiful.
February 28, 2013 at 9:31 am | Report comment
wvtd
at $10.000 a day you would think we would get our moneys worth out of huggins. he just watched the last few seconds go by with a stuned look on his face. guess he was thinking about a few cold beers after the game.
February 28, 2013 at 9:42 am | Report comment
tony
i dont agree with you but i would point out that huggs is a wine man.
February 28, 2013 at 10:00 am | Report comment
wvtd
well, some vino then.
February 28, 2013 at 10:51 am | Report comment
JImJim
$10,000 per day. Lucky's getting a great deal. lol I had to watch the games on www.esps360.com I'm sure WVU gets alot of TV money from that deal. ha ha.
February 28, 2013 at 10:56 am | Report comment
chad
I'm sure he was thinking "Is Juwann actually this dumb? Really??? He doesn't know what he is supposed to do next? How many times do I have to tell these morons what to do before they finally understand"
February 28, 2013 at 11:41 am | Report comment
jethro
good bye basketball, come on spring football!
February 28, 2013 at 9:42 am | Report comment
CHAD
MY QUESTION IS WAY BEFORE WE WERE DOWN 3 WHEN WE WERE ONLY DOWN 1 THE BEST PLAY YOU CAN COME UP WITH IS SCREENING FOR HARRIS TO SHOOT A 3..REALLY?? I KNOW THE KIDS HAVENT PLAYED WELL BUT THE COACHING HAS MOST OF THE BLAME..TIME FOR A CHNAGE..
February 28, 2013 at 11:42 am | Report comment
big tom
Pathetic, the describes our season.
Huggins is in charge, the buck stops there or is supposedto, but once again, he addresses the press and tells the world what terrible players he has recruited. He looks so fat and slurs his words, i wonder if his sobriety is causing some kind of withdrawal symptoms.
For the last time, what good was the 24 million dollar practice facility? Why are we paying huggie $8219 per day.
Is he ever at practices or just in his mancave at home remembering how great he was at UCINN. ANd please , let's not hear another story about the good ole days at Cinn.
Let the record speak for itself, it wasn't just this year, it's the past three yrs. of a downward spiral in our program... Cant just blame this yr. So the common bridge is Huggie.. Does he have medical problems? Or mental? this man is crying out for help.
February 28, 2013 at 12:41 pm | Report comment
Big Doug
All you Huggins fans need to wake up, have you watched the games? The way he verbally abuses the players(college stuents) why on earth would any high school player want to come to WVU to play for him. I am tired of hearing about his record, and what he did before. He had to leave U of Cinn, and the people in K-State did not get to know the real Huggins. He abuses the players so much they are affraid to shoot or do anything because as soon as they go to the bench he is in there face F-Bombing them and telling them they are useless. These are the players he chose for his team and i am so ashamed of the WVU fans, Coach and the Administration for allowing him to attack the players as he does. Good luck getting any good players to come to WVU. Huggins has to go.
February 28, 2013 at 2:09 pm | Report comment
chad
They deserve the vebal abuse with their pathetic effort. this isn't the 5th grade pony leagues
February 28, 2013 at 3:47 pm | Report comment
big tom
nobody deserves that kind of abuse. especially right there in public, on tv, in front of fans and probably their family.
I am ashamed and embarrassed how this grown man acts courtside. It isn't funny, and it sure isn't productive.
Oliver Luck needs to take this guy aside ,and have a long talk about that contract.
I am alittle disappointed in Luck for giving him this so called lifetime contract..
whatever,, we as dedicated wvu fans need an explanation as to why he is allowed to continue badgering the team.
If anything, huggins needs to look in the mirror and re examine his own methods,lifestyle, commitment to our BB team
February 28, 2013 at 4:16 pm | Report comment
Ron E.
I agree Doug!! How many other coaches out their act like this? Behavior is awful! His radio pals take up for him. Tired of same ol excuses!! First time in 65 years I've refused to watch complete game even when losing!!!!
March 4, 2013 at 4:48 pm | Report comment