WVU basketball: Esa Ahmad will bring new dimension on offense

The WVU basketball team is one of the hottest teams in the country riding a winning streak that dates back to November.

During this streak, however, the Mountaineers have played without one of their best players. Esa Ahmad has not seen any action with the WVU basketball team as he continues to sit out to serve a suspension.

The suspension was handed down before the season began. WV Metronews cited the reasoning as use of an illegal “street drug.” This long time off, along with some assured tough love from head coach Bob Huggins, is about to come to an end.

It was reported on Tuesday that Ahmad can be released of his suspension on Jan. 13. That would mean he would be eligible to play in that night’s game against Texas Tech. This is obviously great news for Ahmad because he should be itching to get back on the court. It’s also good news for the Mountaineers because they are getting back one of their best scorers.

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But is Ahmad really needed right now? The easy answer is no, because the WVU basketball team has been playing great without him. Ahmad was a starter since his freshman year. In his place this season has been two newcomers who are developing more each time they touch the ball. Freshman Teddy Allen and sophomore transfer Wesley Harris are making the most of their time and making most fans forget that Ahmad was even part of the team.

Ahmad will definitely be a factor once he returns. He may not start right away, but Huggins will know what to do and how to utilize him the best. Ahmad is a natural basketball player with a killer instinct. This was supposed to be a great season for him where he would dismiss some of the lazy mistakes he made in the past.

If Ahmad can’t adapt to the pace of play right away, he can easily be replaced. But both Ahmad and the WVU basketball team have a lot to gain from his return. Ahmad can change a game when he’s hot and other teams need to gameplan even more for the Mountaineers because one more solid scorer will be on the floor.

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There is a lot the WVU basketball team can do with Ahmad in the mix. He will make the Mountaineers a better team even though there is a lot of work to be done on his end.