Too many options, a dream or nightmare for Huggins?

West Virginia is off to a positive 7-2 start to their season, and like any team full of new players, they have some challenges to work through.

One of those challenges: too many options.

“Obviously you don’t know how everybody is going to piece together. You have guys coming from all different programs which means all different styles of play. You wonder how all of that fits together,” said head coach Bob Huggins.

At the point guard spot, the Mountaineers have two solid court managers and excellent on ball defenders in Kedrian Johnson and Joe Toussaint, both of which are talented enough to deserve a starting spot on the roster.

Toussaint has been one of, if not the most consistent player for the Mountaineers, and is coming off the bench. To play them both on the court together would provide an elite backcourt, but that brings along some worries as well.

“It’s scary to have both of them out there at the same time because if one of them gets in foul trouble you have no sub really, unless you’re going to play the freshmen who’s really not ready yet. That’s why I played Kobe at the end. I played him at point guard because we need another guy. Kobe with his size can bother some point guards because he’s got really good feet and he’s had really good coaching growing up. I was hoping that maybe we could have him play some point to take one of those guys off the ball and maybe give the other one a rest, but who knows how it all shakes out,” said Huggins.

Along with Kobe Johnson as a backup guard, Seth Wilson still remains as a solid spot up shooter. With Erik Stevenson leading the team in points and starting in the guard position as well, this creates a further challenge to get everyone good minutes.

The center position has a similar situation, three effective bigs in Jimmy Bell, Mo Wague, and James Okonkwo all looking for minutes.

“It's frustrating because you know you have to get some of those other guys in, too. We took Keddy out after he made two in a row and he’s looking at us like, ‘what are you doing’, but you have to get those other guys in some,” said Huggins.

Tre Mitchell has been superb for West Virginia this season, and Emmitt Matthews sits right alongside him at the forward position in the starting line-up, which fills up even more space for the six or so players producing off of the bench who are looking for time.

“We got guys there that deserve playing time, Kobe deserves more playing time and Seth deserves more playing time. JoJo is getting so much better. That guy for a freshman gets a lot done, for anybody he gets a lot done. James needs playing time, Mo needs playing time,” said Huggins.

With transfer Jose Perez expected to join the team mid-way through the season, a player who averaged 19 points per game last season, rotations will only get more complicated.

“I got a lot of ideas,” said Huggins, “I just hope a few of them work.”

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