With starting point guard Kerr Kriisa's nine-game suspension being sent down by the NCAA, the West Virginia men's basketball team will be forced to make a shift at the point guard position in a spot where numbers are thin.
Junior point guard Kobe Johnson is set to take over as the starter in place of Kriisa and lead WVU at the position. Johnson was recruited by former head coach Bob Huggins and is now in his third year at the program, but there were no considerations of him leaving despite the turmoil.
"It's been kind of rough. A lot of things are going on but we’ve [the team] been staying together. I really love it here. Us staying here, that's what the city needs," Johnson said.
Now Johnson has been given his chance to retake a starting role for the Mountaineers. He has started eight previous games for WVU and has experience as a multi-year member of the program.
Johnson was given this opportunity because of Kriisa's aforementioned suspension, which was handed down by the NCAA due to "impermissible benefits" that he received during his time at Arizona.
This penalty strikes Kriisa down with a nine-game leave, but he is still able to practice and travel with the team and mentor his teammates. Interim head coach Josh Eilert says that just having Kriisa there is still extremely valuable.
"He’s [Kriisa] one of our captains and he can do an incredible amount of good for our program by mentoring [Jeremiah Bembry] and by giving Kobe [Johnson] pointers on running the show," Eilert said.
Kriisa, a native of Estonia, transferred to West Virginia from Arizona during the previous offseason but will not be able to step foot on the court until the Mountaineers face off against Massachusetts on the road on Dec. 16.
Despite one player being sat down, another has benefited from this adversity and that is Johnson. He understands that in this situation it's the next man up and he said he wants to be a leader during this change.
"When I found out the news it hurt, but I have to take that on and be the next man up. Prepare these guys and lead them," Johnson said.
When it comes to the coaching staff and the shift they're being forced to make, Eilert is still confident in what Johnson brings to the table.
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Now that 61 total games are under his belt at West Virginia, Johnson is ready for what this new role entails and in his opinion, he's improved quite a bit as a player during the offseason.
"When I first came in, I wasn't too experienced," Johnson said. "I learned from the past guys, had a big summer and kept working. Now I feel like I'm an experienced player and I'm ready to go. I feel like I'm better everywhere offensively and in reading the game."
As a point guard in basketball however, many aspects of the role go beyond your skill but also include your intangible qualities, showcasing them both on and off the court. Johnson is focusing on maintaining a positive mindset and his continued improvement.
"I have to be more now that Kerr [Kriisa[ is gone. I still have to figure it out and I'm still learning things but I have to get better," Johnson said. "I'm just trying to keep a good mindset, just trying to keep those guys up and be a great teammate."
From an outside perspective, Eilert has been mindful of the continued hard work and grind that Johnson has shown during the last three seasons and he said that players with that mentality and that mindset will eventually shine through.
"His confidence levels are way higher than it was last year. Stepping up from a sophomore to a junior with a staff that has a lot of faith in him and will depend on him, that's given him confidence," Eilert said. "They just keep grinding, they keep showing up every day and eventually they're going to shine."
Between Kriisa and Johnson, Eilert says there is some give and take between the two players in terms of their skill set, specifically on defense.
"His [Johnson] length as a defender is better than Kerr [Kriisa] along with his size and athleticism," Eilert said. "You can't post him up because he’s a big strong guard, so there’s a give and take."
To round out the point guard position alongside Johnson is redshirt freshman Jeremiah Bembry, who transferred to West Virginia from Florida State and has yet to appear in a college basketball game after redshirting last season.
Eilert said that Bembry gained some experience while playing in the team's closed scrimmage versus Vanderbilt and that West Virginia could turn to him if that situation arises.
He also said that returning guard Seth Wilson could provide some relief at the point guard spot if needed.
"Jeremiah is a redshirt freshman, he’s very capable but he hasn’t played a college game," Eilert said. "The closest thing he’s got is the minutes we gave him in the Vanderbilt scrimmage. Probably should have given him more minutes against George Mason but we can get him fine-tuned on the offensive end and I'm not asking a lot. Just get him to put the ball where it needs to go. Seth [Wilson] can also relieve the pressure from Kobe [Johnson.]"
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