Bolden, Stark once teammates now on different sides
While Murray State might be a new opponent for the entirety of the West Virginia roster, at least one player isn’t for one sophomore guard on the team.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
That’s because James “Beetle” Bolden traveled overseas this summer to play on a select team in Spain and his teammate, and roommate for that matter, was none other than Racers guard Jonathan Stark.
The same Stark that leads Murray State in scoring at just under 22-points per game and claimed player of the year honors in the Ohio Valley Conference. That one.
The two didn’t square off against each other much considering there was only one practice session during the event but they did play together.
Matching up against international players, Bolden said that the two performed well in the backcourt during the trip on the court while catching some sight-seeing away from it in the foreign country. The two left on good terms.
“He’s a good dude. We got kind of close and played together on the same team,” he said.
So naturally Bolden exchanged messages with Stark first following him earning player of the year honors and then again when the bracket was set. Nothing too elongated, just short and sweet.
“Congratulations for making it,” the two exchanged.
On the floor? That will be a battle. Bolden will likely draw the assignment of defending Stark at some point and from what he’s seen that will prove to be a difficult assignment.
“He’s a crafty player,” Bolden said. “…He’s a really good player.”
But what makes him crafty?
“He can score at all levels on the court. He can shoot the three, he can drive it, he can get his players open shots and finish at the rim well. He finishes crazy shots so you have to do a good job of guarding him,” Bolden said on a miniature scouting report on the senior.
The numbers back that up.
Stark, who started his career at Tulane, hit almost 46-percent from the field and 41-percent from three. He also is active in getting his teammates involved.
It’s nothing that couldn’t been seen by watching Stark on film though and the two rarely had many opportunities, if any, to truly challenge each other. Still by what Bolden saw he compared him favorably to a guard that West Virginia is plenty familiar with this season.
Excuse the reference, but Bolden likens him to Oklahoma point guard Trae Young.
“But a shorter version of him. Trae Young is more athletic but I can compare him. He shoots the ball just like him honestly,” Bolden said.
While the two might shoot the ball the same according to one perspective, their usage on the team is entirely different as Stark is not asked to dominate the ball like Young does with the Sooners. He plays more as an off-the ball type of option that can create his own shots.
“They run him off some baseline screens and of course they ball screen for him but he gets a lot of shots on his own,” Huggins said.
The do ball screen for Stark to get open and that will be a key for West Virginia to know how to guard that and attempt to contain him.
“His team does a good job of getting him open,” Bolden sad. “He knows how to use ball screens well and he can honestly call for a ball screen anytime he wants it.”
Two friends, become foes at least for one Friday in March. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m.
