When Darian DeVries was hired by West Virginia, they didn’t have a single recruit from the class of 2024 after only one of the Josh Eilert campaigns requested an NLI release.
KJ Tenner, who was committed to Drake, where DeVries previously coached became the first. He was not highly touted as a recruit but was Mr. Basketball in Tennessee.
In his official Mountaineer debut against Robert Morris on Monday, Tenner made a splash. In 15 minutes coming off of the bench, he had 10 points, three assists and a rebound, shooting four of five from the floor, including two of two from three.
“Monday was great. I was excited to get out there. I wasn’t nervous at all; I’m a pretty middle guy I don’t get too high or don’t get too low. I don’t try to overthink it or underthink any situation in life and that’s just how I am. And I felt like I was prepared for Monday,” Tenner said.
Tenner said he’s had a smooth transition to the college level. He felt comfortable and has had people tell him he doesn’t look like a ‘typical freshman’ out on the floor.
“Getting adjusted to the college level and I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job of that,” Tenner said. “I felt comfortable out there. I can say, I got a lot of compliments saying that I didn’t look like the typical freshman. And I appreciate that but I try to prepare myself any level any new situation and I felt like I was truly prepared for Monday.”
When asked about his scoring ability, Tenner exuded confidence. In addition to his personal playmaking ability, he said he feels like he can help make plays for his teammates.
“I feel like I can score on three levels: I can play in the mid-range, I can finish at the rim, and I can knock down the three balls as well,” Tenner said. “And I just feel like I have this knack for just making plays for others as well. I have the knack to score the ball as well.l I scored 1,000 points in 42 games in high school. So, I feel like I have a pretty good neck at putting the ball in the hoop.”
Tenner looks to build off of his strong performance in WVU’s season-opener when the Mountaineers host UMass on Friday. The game tips off at 7 p.m. EST and can be streamed on ESPN+.
