In high school, Esa Ahmad could take over a game. In college, he’s sometimes easy to miss.
Still, as a freshman for West Virginia, Ahmad is improving every day according to his head coach.
"“I think he’s gotten a lot better in every area,” Bob Huggins said in his weekly teleconference. “He’s getting much better defensively. He’s been much better in the press. He’s starting to rebound the ball the way we thought he would rebound the ball. Offensively, he’s doing a good job moving the ball. He made a three in the Oklahoma game so we’re happy with him.”"
Though he has been thrust into the Mountaineers’ starting lineup, Ahmad is averaging just 4.6 points and 3 rebounds per game. In the most recent game against Oklahoma, Ahmad scored five points, grabbed four rebounds and blocked two shots.
That’s a far cry from the numbers he put up at Shaker Heights High School.
According to Rivals.com, Ahmad was the No. 72 prospect in the nation last year; ESPN.com ranked him in the Top 45.
He was listed at 6-foot-7, 210-pound as a high school senior and he has since added to his frame. Ahmad stands at 6-foot-8 and weighs 225 pounds. He looks the part of a Division I player, but what else can he do to add more to the team?
Well, he is still playing more like a guard than a post player, though he has been billed as a guy who can play every position on the floor. If that’s the case, he needs to drastically improve on his 39-percent shooting percentage.
Plus, Ahmad is shooting just 15-percent from behind-the-arc.
At Shaker Heights, Ahmad averaged 23.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.5 blocks and 1.6 steals per game.
According to Cleveland.com, Ahmad was the highest ranked player to commit to the WVU basketball team since Kevin Jones came to Morgantown from Mount Vernon, N.Y.
If Ahmad can develop into the player Jones was, the Mountaineers are surely on a successful track. He is only 17 games into his college career, and has seen just five games in the nation’s most toughest basketball conference, the Big 12.
Part of it might be adjusting to the speed of the game. Ahmad is not going to be a one-and-done, or two-and-done type player. He is still raw, especially on the offensive end.
If he can shore up his shooting touch quickly, he will be an asset to the Mountaineers in their quest for a conference championship.