As the season has progressed, Teyvon Myers has stepped up and made an impact for the West Virginia basketball team.
Before the season started, Myers was regarded as the funniest player on the Mountaineers. Some fans might have thought the real joke was that he was even on the team.
Myers took an unconventional approach to becoming a guard for the Mountaineers. Last year, he was out in North Dakota playing for Williston State College. Myers began his collegiate playing career with Alan Hancock College in California. Plus, he played high school ball in his native New York, and out in California.
So, he’s awfully well traveled. Every unique experience for Myers has allowed him to make an impact for the Mountaineers.
Guard depth was one of the keys for the Mountaineers as they got through Big 12 Conference play. But when Daxter Miles was injured, Myers earned his first start with WVU on Feb. 16 against Texas. He played 19 minutes and scored six points.
The three games since, Myers has remained in the starting lineup.
He played just eight minutes, despite starting, against Oklahoma. Myers scored just two points in the loss against the Sooners, but shot 100-percent from the floor.
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West Virginia has won the past two games. Against Iowa State, Myers scored two points in eight minutes and against Oklahoma State, he scored seven points in 11 minutes.
It may seem odd that a starter is getting less-and-less minutes on the court, but head coach Bob Huggins is running a smart scheme with this plan.
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All along, Huggins has wanted a strong bench. That’s exactly what the Mountaineers have this season, with leading scoring Jaysean Paige as the best sixth man in the country.
Huggins wants good depth to play 10 or 11 players in every game. Myers appeared in 26 of West Virginia’s 29 games this season, though he only averages 9.2 minutes per outing.
But with Myers in the starting lineup, Huggins has an even strong bench. Guards Miles, Paige and Tarik Philip provide a nice boost as the game goes on. The WVU offense diversifies itself as Myers is gaining experience and even helping the flow of the game.
At Williston, Myers averaged 25 points per game, the most of any junior college player in the nation. He also shot 45-percent from the floor.
Now, Myers is showing that same comfortably with the Mountaineers.
He may not light up the score sheet just yet, but Myers’ increased presence will give the Mountaineers a new edge, come tournament time.