After a performance to forget in the Backyard Brawl, WVU bounced back in a big way against the Gaels of Iona, picking up an 86-43 win.
Now, WVU's top performer in the win was Javon Small, who poured in 23 points, including 5 three-pointers. Small also picked up 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals in his 31 minutes of play.
Through the first four games of the season, there are a couple of widely-held preseason beliefs that have already been proven true. Firstly, West Virginia’s top offensive producers this season will be Tucker DeVries -- who was second in scoring for WVU against Iona -- and the aforementioned Small. These two seniors entered the season with the most experience, and have showcased an ability to score the ball at a high level throughout their careers. Through WVU’s first four games, these two have been vital to the offense.
The second belief is that West Virginia must find a third player in addition to these two that can provide consistent offensive production. So far, they have found it in the form of a true freshman named Jonathan Powell.
West Virginia’s Jonathan Powell certainly doesn’t play like a true freshman
Make no mistake about it, Jonathan Powell has an eerily similar look on the court to a former Mountaineer who finished his career at Baylor and is now playing in the NBA -- Fairmont, W.Va-native Jalen Bridges. The true freshman has quickly established himself as a third scoring threat to help shoulder some of the offensive load.
Jonathan Powell is the 3rd best player on this team as a true freshman
— Huddy Tuddy (@HuddyTuddy3) November 21, 2024
Let's take a look below at the stat line game-by-game for Powell so far this season, which shows his ability to be a consistent double-digit scorer with a knack from getting hot behind-the-arc.
Game | Points | 3PT |
|---|---|---|
Robert Morris | 11 | 3-7 |
UMass | 10 | 2-6 |
Pitt | 16 | 4-10 |
Iona | 11 | 3-6 |
The consistency from Powell has been there every game out, and he's done it all off the bench. He has yet to register a start and averages 22 minutes per game. As West Virginia continues through the non-conference schedule, look for him to grow in his confidence while earning even more playing time.
"He gives us such a spark off the bench," WVU Head Coach Darian DeVries said after the Iona game. "He comes in he's full of confidence, we love that about him. He understands what he's good at, he knows how to find his spots, and he's not afraid to let it go."
Again, if West Virginia is to have any success in the Big 12 this season, they need guys to step up. Jonathan Powell being a double-digit scorer and a knockdown 3-point shooter will bode well for this team if he can keep it up.
West Virginia will have an extremely tough test next week in the opening round of the Battle 4 Atlantis. West Virginia will face off against #3 Gonzaga next Wednesday at 2:30pm ET on ESPN.