During WVU basketball's showdown with the Utah Utes on Wednesday, there was a familiar face for fans of the program, but he was wearing the wrong colors.
Former West Virginia player James Okonkwo, who spent 2021-2023 with the Mountaineers before transferring multiple times – first to UNC, then to Akron, and finally to Utah. This season, Okonkwo finally found his role as a Power 4 starter for the Utes, as he has started 16 games for the program this season, and is averaging 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 points per game in 23 appearances.
James Okonkwo makes big impact in return game against former team
Okonkwo's stats in the 61-56 win for the Utes against the Mountaineers might not look super impressive at first, as he posted just five rebounds and two points – matching his season averages. But what was more important was when Okonkwo grabbed a few of those boards and the impact they had at a crucial moment in the game, as well as how the Utes played overall while he was on the court.
With just under 3:30 seconds to play in the second half and Utah holding onto just a two-point lead, Okonkwo pulled down an offensive board off a missed three-point shot, before kicking it back out to the wing to extend the possession. And while that possession did eventually end in a turnover, it burned 16 more seconds of the clock that WVU desperately needed come the end of the game.
On the next offensive possession for Utah, Okonkwo pulled down another critical offensive board and then drew a foul on Honor Huff. That possession would eventually end in a two-point basket for the Utes, extending their lead to 55-51, which ended a 9-2 run for WVU and proved to extend the score out of WVU's reach. He would add a defensive rebound in the final minutes to prevent a WVU second-chance opportunity.
Overall, Okonkwo finished his 17 minutes on the court with a +/- rating of 14, indicating the point differential between the teams while he was on the floor – it was the highest +/- for any player in the contest. In the end, Okonkwo's big performance had a major impact on WVU's season, as the loss to Utah likely knocked his former team out of NCAA Tournament contention.