Don't look now, but the West Virginia Mountaineers have yet another former star posting career-best numbers in the NBA. This time, the player in question is Javon Small – who spent his senior season with WVU basketball in 2024-2025 before getting drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Small has played in just 19 games this seasons, struggling to find a role early with his new team. However, he has recently cracked the lineup more consistently for the Grizzlies and showed why he could be a future star for the franchise on Saturday night.
Former WVU Basketball Standout Guard Goes Off For Memphis Grizzlies
On Saturday, the Grizzlies battled the Portland Trail Blazers, falling in a narrow 122-115 loss. But the team's defeat wasn't for a lack of offense from Javon Small.
JAVON SMALL HAS ARRIVED 🔥
— WVU Barstool (@WVUBarstool) February 8, 2026
He’s got 15 PTS, 3 AST, 2 REB and counting
5/5 from the field as well
pic.twitter.com/DoOiwkaKln
Small had a stunning shooting effort for the Grizzlies, going 7-of-10 from the field (2-of-4 from three-point range) and 6-of-6 from the free throw line to score a career-best 22 points. He also added six rebounds and four assists in a dynamic, all-around performance while also registering a career-high 28 minutes of playing time.
It marks his second consecutive game scoring double-digits and recording five or more boards, as he notched an 11-point, five-rebound effort in the first of a two-game swing against the Trail Blazers. It's just the third and fourth times that Small has scored 10 or more points in his NBA career.
Small is one of three Mountaineers in the NBA this season, alongside veterans Jevon Carter and Miles McBride. McBride has also been having a career season before a recent injury put him on the sidelines, with the time frame for a return estimated to be around the NBA Playoffs.