Joe Sadlek/All-Pro Photography

Sophomore point guard Juwan Staten has been benched the past three halves after starting West Virginia’s first 14 games.

With West Virginia approaching back-to-back road games this week at Iowa State and Purdue, coach Bob Huggins remained cryptic on the status of Juwan Staten, revealing only that the sophomore point guard will have a seat on the team plane.

Staten, averaging a team-high 30 minutes per game, was benched in the second half of Wednesday’s 57-53 win at Texas and did not play in Saturday’s 65-64 home loss to Kansas State.

Asked Monday morning if Staten would travel with the team and play in Wednesday night’s game in Ames, Huggins said, “Yeah, he’s going to travel.”

Staten leads West Virginia (8-7, 1-2 Big 12) with 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game and ranks second in scoring with an average of 10.5 points. Huggins has declined to elaborate on the specifics of what led to Staten’s de facto suspension.

“Everybody’s got to be on the same page, and if everybody isn’t on the same page you don’t have a very good team,” Huggins said.

“We all make mistakes. We’ve got two days of practice before Iowa State, and we’ll see where everything is and what happens from there.”

 

Allan Taylor

ataylor@wvradio.com
@AllanTaylorWVU
Allan Taylor joined MetroNews in August 2012, following 18 years of newspaper, magazine and multimedia work as an SEC columnist, sports editor, assistant sports editor, managing editor, news reporter and media consultant.
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Comments

  • tony

    the whole thing is kind of strange. i never knew there was a problem until right when it happened.. and now we seem better (play and cut harder) with hines at the point..moreover, jabari seems better..maybe its best he is a sub for now and see what happens. i know jabari missed a lot of fouls shots but Ill take my chances as long as he's going to line as much as he is. he is really effective at penetration and he can maybe kick out just a touch better than jujuan..neither can dish when they penetrate like they should. they should be in there praticing hoop driving and dishing for hours...just looking at the flow of things, i'd stay like it is for now...

    January 14, 2013 at 2:08 pm | Reply Report comment

  • Moon

    Sometimes when you know you are not going to get pulled for messing up...you play with more confidence. JH has been playing with more confidence and naturally he has been playing better. JS is much quicker to the basket and has much better instincts at this point...but if you want to play for Huggs...you better figure out who gives the "rogers" and who gives the "outs"...as we say in the Army.

    January 14, 2013 at 2:40 pm | Reply Report comment

  • Alum

    Lesson: When the coach calls a play you better run it and not wave it off.

    January 14, 2013 at 2:40 pm | Reply Report comment

  • GregG

    Sometimes you have to make a point, be it your 5 year old son or a group of college basketball players. Maybe now Staten and the rest of the team will open their eyes to the fact that Coach Huggins knows far more about the game than they do at this point.

    January 14, 2013 at 5:13 pm | Reply Report comment

  • cutty77

    I don't know what happened,but i will say this.If Staten doesn't play,Huggs may lose almost every game.Hinds Can't play the point,remember he came from the same program as Truck did.NEED I SAY MORE ON THAT.Huggs is a Hard Headed Coach,but its His Team.Sometimes you win the war,then lose the Battle.Huggs Feed your Family Before you Feed Your Ego.

    January 14, 2013 at 6:28 pm | Reply Report comment

  • Pghmountaineer

    It appears that Huggs is unable to motivate these guys. Today's recruits want to be motivated in a positive way and really don't care to be ridiculed in public. I think he may have lost this team for the year.

    January 14, 2013 at 8:58 pm | Reply Report comment

  • Kevin

    Mr. Staten flipped Bobby the bird when Huggs took him out of the Texas game. Guess Huggs took offense.

    January 14, 2013 at 9:03 pm | Reply Report comment

  • mark

    A 58 year old man should be smarter than a 20 year old kid.

    January 14, 2013 at 10:27 pm | Reply Report comment

  • rekterx

    Hinds is not from the same high school as Truck Bryant. He is, however, from the same school as Kevin Jones.

    January 15, 2013 at 9:02 am | Reply Report comment

  • rekterx

    And Kevin Jones and Jabarie Hinds are from the same high school as Lowes Moore, Rodney and Scooter McCray, Ben Gordon, Gus Williams and many other fine basketball players.

    January 15, 2013 at 9:07 am | Reply Report comment

    • cutty77

      Now you sound like Huggs.When i had Kenyon Martin at Cinny,and all these other Cinny Players.Nobody wants to hear about his Cinny players they always did this and that.Hinds has been there 2 years now,if he was better than Staten he would have started ahead of him,not behind Him.Hinds is a good defense player,but he is not a point Guard,just like Dennis is Not a center,but Huggs continues to play him.All this Huggs induced Drama is killing this Team.During The Big 12 Media Day,Huggs says I'm not going to wear a Suit or a Suit Jacket.Well Guess What a call came from Upstairs at WVU.You put a Suit Jacket on,and the other Coaches put one too.Huggs has got everything he has wanted at WVU,and then some.Its not to much to ask him to do a few things different.Huggs Does Not Run WVU.

      January 15, 2013 at 3:50 pm | Reply Report comment

  • cutty77

    If this isTrue about giving Huggs The Bird.Just do what Danny Don Did on A Monday Night Football years ago.Danny Don said The Fan must think I'm Number One.I'm Surrrrrrrrrrrrre Huggs Has never Cussed Him. Real Simple To Get Respect,You Have To Give Respect.You can't Yell and Cuss to get Respect from anybody,let alone Players on Your Own Team you Brought to Your School.Some Things Never Change With Huggs.

    January 15, 2013 at 9:41 am | Reply Report comment

  • D

    There are reasons kids transfer!

    January 15, 2013 at 10:57 am | Reply Report comment

  • John

    If he flipped the bird to his head coach, the man who gave him a scolarship, THE HEAD COACH for crying out loud, then he should be off the team for good. How many of you could get away with flipping off your boss? If he doesn't like the way he's being treated, go somewhere else and play. Whether your boss or your head coach, the position demands respect. Give it or get out.

    January 15, 2013 at 11:33 am | Reply Report comment

  • larrydc

    well said JOHN

    January 15, 2013 at 9:56 pm | Reply Report comment

  • Scott

    So, we are supposed to pat them on the head and tell them how good they are? Let them wave off plays and run what THEY want? Let them flip the coach off when THEY think they shouldn't have been taken out of a situation and it should be all OK. What the 3rd active winningest active coach in D1 basketball thinks or teaches or even preaches to them isn't something MORE than they know? Huggins has forgotten more about basketball then most ALL of us here will ever know. He;s coach, his rules, follow them or sit or leave. You knew the reputation before you signed to come, you thought he would treat YOU different than anyone else. Come on people.
    Let's Go Mountaineers! Always a fan, win or lose.

    January 16, 2013 at 11:22 am | Reply Report comment

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