West Virginia freshman guard KJ Tenner prides himself on never getting too high or too low.
Tenner, 6-foot-0, 166-pounds, has never tried to overthink or underthink any situation and just approaches things with an even keel. That’s always been how he’s handled any situation and that was on display in the season opener when he scored 10 points on 4-5 shooting while running the point and has carried over since that point.
“I can say I got a lot of confidence saying that I didn't look like the typical freshman,” he said.
Tenner is coming off a senior season in Memphis where he averaged 21.2 points, 4.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game en route to winning Mr. Basketball in Division 4A in Tennessee. He has always shown the ability to score the basketball and recorded 1,000 points in 42 games.
Darian DeVries got involved with Tenner before he arrived in Morgantown largely due to how he developed a strong relationship with him during the summer of his 11th grade season. Along with DeVries, assistant Tom Ostrom served as the lead recruiter there and he felt a genuine connection so he decided to join the pair at Drake. Tenner felt that the coaches had his best interest at heart.
But when DeVries took the job at West Virginia he didn’t have to wait long to see if he was going to be in his plans there as the head coach got in contact only a few days after arriving in Morgantown.
“I'm a pretty loyal guy, so once Coach DeVries offered me the invitation to come follow him, it was a no-brainer for me because my mindset was I was going to play for him anyway, so why not follow him to this level?” Tenner said.
That didn’t stop other schools from trying to get involved after his strong senior season when he requested his release from the Bulldogs, but his mind was already made up.
“I took it as a great compliment for him to want me to follow him to this level because it's a different level than playing in the Missouri Valley Conference. This is Power Five, Big 12. So, for him to say I have an open invitation to follow him, it meant the world to me, to be honest,” he said.
It was a major development for Tenner as he was an undersized guard that was often doubted but now he has the chance to play out his career at the highest level from the start.
Tenner arrived in Morgantown over the summer and spent that time acclimating to the college game and learning from some of the experienced guards ahead of him on the roster such as Javon Small. He was able to see the pace that he plays with as well as how he uses his body as a point guard.
Others such as Joe Yesufu also told him to be himself and play with confidence.
“Just being able to see where my game is against these guys on this level. I'm playing against some seniors there, older guys, and I felt like my game could work on this level, going against them guys in practice,” Tenner said.
The hardest adjustment for Tenner has been the physical side of things and simply becoming more comfortable with playing a college basketball game and the toll that takes on a body.
“It's a different level, it's a different physicality,” he said.
On the plus side, Tenner had somebody he could lean on in roommate and fellow freshman Jonathan Powell. The two arrived together and have pushed each other to make constant improvements.
That doesn’t come as a surprise to Tenner or his family as they often would help him practice answering questions and dealing with what it would be like to be a major college athlete. That even includes his family members interviewing him to prepare him for potential media opportunities.
“We always believed that I would get to this level and I would be in front of cameras,” he said.
But through it all Tenner isn’t changing who he is and relies on the same level-headed approach that has gotten him to this stage of his career.
“This is who I am and this is who I will always be regardless if I have a terrible game or a great game. I will be the same regardless,” he said.
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