MORGANTOWN — Without Esa Ahmad, the WVU men’s basketball team overcame early adversity in Germany to win 15 straight games in the United States and reach the No. 2 ranking in the country.
With Ahmad, the Mountaineers are 0-2 and lost double-digit second-half leads against Texas Tech and Kansas.
That is an unfortunate reality WVU must live with, as the Mountaineers prepare to host Texas (12-6, 3-3 Big 12), at 2 p.m. Jan. 20.
But it is not a reality in which anyone with the WVU program believes Ahmad’s return stirred up too much of the Mountaineers’ chemistry. That thinking begins with the young man himself.
“It’s all part of the game,” Ahmad said. “I’m not really too down on myself about, ‘Oh, I came back and we lost two games.’ You’ve got to keep working. It happens.”
WVU head coach Bob Huggins said he wasn’t looking at Ahmad’s return as a factor for the two losses.
“I honestly don’t think that had anything to do with it,” he said. “He’s been practicing with us. He hasn’t been practicing so much with the so-called first team, but he’s been practicing.”
Ahmad was hit with a 16-game suspension by the NCAA for not meeting eligibility requirements, forcing Huggins to usher junior-college forward Wes Harris into the starting lineup and needing freshman Teddy Allen to have some kind of an early impact.
Both had great moments while Ahmad was out, including Allen being named the Big 12’s Newcomer of the Week for combining for 42 points in wins against Kansas State and Oklahoma two weeks ago.
Harris has been solid, scoring in double-digits three times, while averaging 4.5 rebounds per game.
Ahmad witnessed their growth from the bench. He saw Jevon Carter develop into one of the country’s top point guards, while Lamont West also developed into an offensive threat.
Ahmad admits that he went back and forth during his time away from the game on where he would fit in with the Mountaineers once he returned.
He had a number of options, including jumping right in as an experienced leader who already had 38 Big 12 games under his belt or simply being a second or third option behind Carter.
“I just tried to come in and get my shots within the game,” Ahmad said. “I didn’t want to force things or do too much. At the same time, I wanted to be aggressive, but controlled.”
Ahmad also pointed out there is still time for the Mountaineers to correct the mistakes that haunted them against Texas Tech and Kansas.
Maybe his return wasn’t trumpeted with riches that propelled the Mountaineers to the top of the Big 12 standings. But, with each practice, Ahmad gets a little more comfortable playing with his teammates, who in turn get a little more comfortable with him again.
“I’m still trying to get into a rhythm with these guys,” Ahmad said. “I haven’t played a lot” with Carter and Daxter Miles Jr. “I’m still getting to know West and Teddy. I think we’re going to be fine.”
