Looking at bright spots in a tough result on Friday for the West Virginia Mountaineers in their first loss of the season, one true freshman continued to show that he can not only be a difference maker for the team in the future, but that he can be one right now.
WVU walked away having to swallow a bitter pill after losing an 11-point lead in the second half in a loss to Clemson. But despite the unfortunate collapse, WVU’s exciting freshman Amir Jenkins put on display two areas of his game that can help WVU on the offensive side of the ball.
A promising young player, Jenkins is supposed to be a senior in high school playing in his final high school season, but he decided to reclassify to the Class of 2025 to join the WVU program a season early. First-year head coach Ross Hodge must be extremely appreciative of that decision, as Jenkins has shown what kind of talent he can bring to the bench for Hodge.
When former Mountaineer Emmitt Matthews Jr. drew some comparisons between Jenkins and his former teammate and current New York Knicks guard Miles McBride, some might not have taken the comparison seriously. But the more we see the young freshman guard, the more that Matthews Jr. might have been spot on.
Against Clemson, Jenkins was instrumental for the WVU offense, as the main play-maker when Jasper Floyd was on the bench. The Worcester, Massachusetts, native finished the game with eight points, four assists (team high and tied for game-high among all players), and three rebounds.
Within all of the stats, one of the most impressive takeaways from Jenkins’ game against Clemson was his ability to drive to the rim. Sometimes it meant getting an opportunity for a shot at the rim. Other times it was being able to drop off the ball to a teammate in the low post, or causing the defense to collapse and leading to an open teammate on the perimeter. But Jenkins had several drives to the basket, which allowed for several of those outcomes to come true.
And while some might call the mid-range shot a lost art with the increased focus on perimeter shooting in college basketball, Jenkins’s mid-range shot might be his offensive calling card and a serious weapon the Mountaineers can utilize. Shooting 3-for-5 (60%) from the floor, Jenkins had two nice mid-range shots he showcased on Friday night.
It may not happen this season with the veteran guard Floyd in front of him, but Jenkins will most likely eventually be a game-changer in his collegiate career. Jenkins provides great depth on the bench for Hodge, and if Floyd cannot get the job done, Jenkins could likely prove a formidable solution to that problem.