MORGANTOWN — Beetle Bolden entered practice Friday with an unfortunately familiar feeling: His left shooting hand in pain.
Normally that would top the news for the West Virginia men’s basketball team, except on this day, junior forward Sagaba Konate wasn’t at practice at all.
“He had a doctor’s appointment for his knee,” West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said.
Since sitting out West Virginia’s 83-70 loss against Rhode Island last Sunday, Konate’s knee has been a hot topic.
The 6-foot-8 forward has sat out two games this season with soreness in his right knee, one that was operated on last summer after Konate worked out at the NBA Combine.
Huggins hinted after the Rhode Island game that Konate’s playing status before each game was up to Sagaba and his older brother, Bakary, who is acting as Sagaba Konate’s advisor.
Whether or not Konate, who is averaging 13.6 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, will play today against Jacksonville State is still to be determined.
“I don’t know,” Huggins said. “I haven’t spoken to the doctor.”
As for Bolden, Huggins said the junior point guard banged his injured hand in practice and it was heavily taped for practice on Friday.
“He got hit again and he’s got a bunch of swelling in it again,” Huggins said. “He had it to where he just had that one magnetic deal on it, but now, I don’t know.”
Bolden, who is averaging 11.0 points per game, first hurt the hand during preseason practice. He sat out the team’s final two games at the Myrtle Beach Invitational with a hand and elbow injury.
He has shown a knack for playing through pain throughout the season, including cramps and cuts above his eye.
Bolden said he wasn’t missing today’s game.
“Yeah,” he said when asked if was able to play.
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