West Virginia has been searching for a low-post scoring presence all-season.
Perhaps it’s redshirt freshman Isaiah Cottrell that can provide it.
Cottrell has taken 20 shots over the last two games and while the results of those have been mixed it’s been a much more aggressive approach than what he had shown earlier in the season.
Those 20 shot attempts are almost more than the 21 total that Cottrell had taken in the seven non-conference games since the team returned from South Carolina Nov. 22. If nobody else is going to do it, perhaps Cottrell is auditioning for the role.
The Las Vegas native has only connected on 6 of those 20 attempts but has displayed a much more aggressive approach on both ends of the floor.
“Isaiah is getting better and better. Isaiah has got a lot of tools and he’s got to continue to improve on certain things,” head coach Bob Huggins said.
The big is also making his presence known on the defensive end blocking three shots each in the two conference games and setting a season high in minutes played over the past two contests.
Some of that is to be expected as Cottrell works his way back from the torn left Achilles tendon that cost him almost all of last season. It was a battle to get back on the floor.
Obviously physically limited, Cottrell would often sit flat footed shooting the basketball as a way to stay connected to the game he loved during his rehabilitation from the injury. Through that process, he increased not only his range but his touch. He did the same with passing and over time improved there, as well.
Through that work, Cottrell beat the odds and was back on the court in seven months and that was with zero limitations although it admittedly took some time to get his feet under him.
Shooting is one area that people expect out of Cottrell despite his size but there is more to his game than just that and he has attempted to prove himself more than capable in the post.
That is the next step in his development and as Cottrell gets more and more comfortable perhaps the Mountaineers have found their answer down low in the skilled big. Against Kansas State the rest of the bigs only attempted four shots total, with Cottrell assuming a larger role.
Now, can he consistently put it the basket? That could be the next step toward unlocking the potential of this team as it continues forward with the challenging Big 12 slate.
“Will make a big difference is we can throw the ball down there to him on the block and count on him being able to score it,” Huggins said.
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