This year West Virginia’s men’s basketball team has seen some new additions and familiar returners in multiple positions, including at guard.
Returners include fifth-year senior Kedrian Johnson, sophomore Kobe Johnson, and sophomore Seth Wilson.
Kedrian Johnson has proven to be an effective point guard who relies on his defensive abilities to help keep opponents on their feet when facing him.
While not much of a scorer, averaging only 5.3 points per game last year, his defensive capabilities are what impressed the most, as he would pick up a total of 52 steals.
New to the team last year, Kobe Johnson would see only a limited amount of playing time and would average 8.9 minutes per game and 1.5 points per game while also picking up Academic All-Big 12 rookie team honors.
Like Kobe Johnson, Seth Wilson’s playing time was limited last year. Despite only averaging 1.9 points per game, Wilson sometimes showed that he could be a threat from the three-point line, and showed his ability to shoot the ball well.
The newest faces for guards include senior Joe Toussaint, fifth-year senior Erik Stevenson, and freshman Josiah Davis.
Before coming to WVU, Toussaint played for the Iowa Hawkeyes for three years. In his junior year, he was a force in the Big Ten and one of Iowa’s top players.
He ranked first on the team in assists with 3.2 and steals with 1.4. His passing abilities stood out as he would amass a total of 114 assists as a junior which would rank him 10th in Iowa history as a junior.
His elite passing skills would also help find him sixth in the Big Ten and 36th in the country with a 2.33 assist-to-turnover ratio.
In regards to fitting into a brand new offense, Toussaint’s experience at Iowa has helped him feel comfortable and confident in his abilities.
“The system here is not hard, to be honest,” Toussaint said. “It was easy for me to pick up, and just knowing my knowledge from over there and bringing it over here, you know, its just made it really easier for me on the basketball court,” Toussaint said.
Before coming to Morgantown, Stevenson played with three different schools — Wichita State, Washington, and South Carolina.
Last year at South Carolina, Stevenson averaged 11.6 points per game and was a force to be reckoned with at the free throw line.
In 62 attempts, he would go on to miss only one free throw last season.
On the floor, his field goal percentage was 36.9%, and he would shoot 33.3% from beyond the three-point line.
Throughout his collegiate career, Stevenson has gotten used to moving around, while also adjusting to new coaching staffs and teammates. However, the transition from South Carolina to WVU has been great for him.
“I love it here, it’s been a great transition,” Stevenson said. “Obviously, if you guys know, I’ve had to transition a lot in my college career, they make it easy to transition here and make it feel like home.”
The youngest members of the WVU guards is freshman Josiah Davis and Josiah Harris.
Davis hails from Kitchener, Ontario but attended high school at Teays Vally Christain School in Scott Depot, West Virginia.
Last year Davis led his team to a NACA National Championship, and in that game, he had 34 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
For the year, he averaged 19.0 points, 9.4 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 2.2 steals per game.
Harris, while not a guard, will play a similar role to what Jalen Bridges played as a guard/forward hybrid mix. A traditional three who can stretch to the four position. In West Virginia’s scrimmage against Bowling Green, Harris hit two three-pointers, and has lots of versatility on the court.
With a good mix of defensive and offensive abilities, these six guards will need to use their unique skills to help WVU bounce back from a rough 2021 season.
Photo Credit: WVU Sports
