Konate goes back to basics
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Bob Huggins didn’t think he’d have the services of Sagaba Konate against Pittsburgh.
Turns out, he likely got the best version for the latest edition of the Backyard Brawl.
The junior center has been battling a nagging knee issue throughout the course of the season and didn’t practice Thursday prompting Huggins to reveal that he didn’t believe he’d be able to suit up. Things shifted drastically Friday as Konate was able to go through practice changing his fortunes.
“Tricked you didn’t I? It wasn’t unexpected. He wasn’t going to play at the time,” Huggins said.
The Panthers are probably still wishing that prognosis wouldn’t have improved.
In one of his most complete games of the season, Konate came off the bench to finish with 16 points and just narrowly missed a potential triple double with 9 rebounds and 7 blocked shots. That doesn’t even factor in the number of shots that his presence in the post altered.
Although he was improved his range this season, Konate stuck to what he does best in the second half in the post and was able to hit 3-5 shots for 10 points while grabbing 6 of his rebounds and blocking 6 shots after the intermission. It was simply a shift with his mind set.
“I wasn’t starting so I needed to help my team. I know I haven’t really helped my team the past couple games so I needed to do more,” Konate said. “Scoring, rebounding and blocking shots. Everything.”
The block totals put Konate alone atop the Mountaineers all-time marks and 191 and made it the fourth time in his career that he had eclipsed at least seven in one game.
It’s something that the Mali native has become known for on a national level.
“He’s shooting the ball way better, doing a lot of things better but still his claim to fame is being able to block shots,” Huggins said.
But perhaps more importantly than that is just keeping him on the floor, something that has proven to be a difficult task throughout the course of the year.
Not being able to consistently practice with the team is part of the reason he has taken a step back at times on the floor this year, but following the game Konate said that his knee felt great.
“Now we’ve got to move forward,” he said. “I’ve just got to keep playing.”
Hopefully with quite literally Konate at the center of it all.
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