MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — Good morning from the WVU Coliseum, where West Virginia hopes it can create one more classic against No. 7 Kansas. The Jayhawks (15-2, 4-1 Big 12) are the second top 25 team the Mountaineers (8-9, 0-5) have faced this season. The first was its own game to remember, a 62-59 loss against then-No. 11 Texas Tech.
A lot is on the line for the Mountaineers, who are trying to avoid their first 0-6 start to conference play since the 2001-02 season that saw WVU wind up 1-15 in Big East play and finish 8-20 in what was the only 20-loss season in school history.
Instead of dissecting trends and matchups, we take a glance to the future, because Bob Huggins said some interesting things during his time with the media on Friday, beginning with the possibility of forward Sagaba Konate returning for his senior season. Huggins left that door wide open, saying the thought of Konate, Derek Culver and future freshman Oscar Tshiebwe playing together on the front line would be a welcomed sight.
“That might get me through the rest of the year without doing something drastic,” Huggins said. “We could do that. We could play three bigs. We played three bigs at Cincinnati. Really, those guys are better passers than the little guys we’re playing now. All three can pass and we would be able to rebound it defensively and it would be awful tough to get in a shot in close.”
With a smile, Huggins added, “It’s a nice thought. Why don’t you go talk to Sags.”
The conversation came up, because Konate was involved in a short shooting drill just a few feet away at the time. Huggins said Konate still has a lot of strengthening to do in his knee before there is any talk of a return this season and then there will need to be some time to get back into basketball shape, “I don’t think anyone has a timetable,” Huggins said.
As for the talk of recruiting, Huggins was on the road Wednesday evaluating some prospects, and said the downfalls of this season have not hurt the Mountaineers’ image to potential recruits.
“It’s been good. Everybody still wants to talk about ‘Press’ Virginia,” Huggins said. “Everybody still wants to talk about [Jevon Carter]. That’s been good and it hasn’t been a problem.”
As it stands, WVU has Tshiebwe and Cincinnati guard Miles McBride signed for next season, which would put the Mountaineers at 14 scholarship players (one over the limit) if everyone but Esa Ahmad (senior) returns next season.
As for the game with the Jayhawks, here’s what you need to know:
TV: ESPN for the 2 p.m. tip-off. BETTING LINE: Kansas is a 4.5-point favorite.
THREE GOOD QUESTIONS
So, what are the chances Konate returns this season or next season? That really depends on who you talk to. My personal belief is there is a chance Konate could return this season possibly sometime in Feb. That is a guess and not any inside info. The bigger question is next season. One thought is Konate’s family probably won’t want him to return to school after all that happened this season. Maybe. But, if the Konate is not going to be an NBA pick in 2019 (seems unlikely at the moment) and if teams overseas or in the G League don’t offer a great deal (have no idea what those offers would be — the most a G League player can make is $35,000 over the five months of the season), then returning for a senior season could be a reasonable option. Would Huggins want Konate back? One word: Yes. Why would you not want the country’s best shot blocker on your roster? Kids are resilient and whatever drama has been created this season can be fixed with the time that an offseason provides. I would personally set the odds at Konate returning to WVU next season at even money at the moment.
What do we look for in the Jayhawks? Look for a four-guard lineup most of the time that will revolve around 6-foot-9 forward Dedric Lawson, who just may be the Big 12’s Player of the Year by the end of the season. Lawson is not what you would call an explosive athlete. He is not going to wow you with athletic ability, but his post game is sound and fundamental. He rebounds and has a soft touch around the rim. You think he’s not killing you and then all of a sudden you take a look and he has 20 points and 10 rebounds with six minutes still left in the game. Senior guard Lagerald Vick may be the key. He’s shooting 47 percent from 3-point range and he’s by far the guy who is going to take the threes on this team.
Do the Mountaineers have a chance? A lot has to go right for the Mountaineers. They can’t turn it over 17 times like they did against TCU. They have to make free throws. Culver has to have a good game on the inside. They have to guard Vick on the outside and not let him have a lot of open threes. If those things happen, then yes, WVU has a shot, because Kansas hasn’t shown the ability to blow away Big 12 opponents yet, especially on the road.
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