MORGANTOWN — In a way, the game of basketball has always been a little different for Beetle Bolden, which is to say he’s a little guy in a big man’s game.
The 6-foot West Virginia guard has never shied away from that fact. It’s served as a motivator for him throughout his career.
In order for smaller guys to make the grade, they have to play harder and faster.
They take charges. They’re always the first to dive after a loose ball and they never let size be a deterrent in competing.
In a nutshell, that explains Bolden’s numerous injuries that have covered the length of his left arm this season, but also includes bruised legs, cuts above his eye and body cramps.
It also explains Bolden’s two fouls in 17 seconds in Tuesday’s 98-67 loss against TCU, that saddled him to the bench with 18:14 still remaining in the first half.
“I’m just looking to bring some energy to my team,” Bolden said. “I want to show them how to pick up defensively. That’s what I try to do every game, and unfortunately I got called for a foul at the other end [offensive foul], but as long I’m trying to send a message to these young guys on how to play, there isn’t a problem with it, because I’m going to get back into the game and give my all no matter what.”
His style will not change, Bolden has made that a strong point whenever asked.
But, his two quick fouls set off a chain reaction that also saw teammates Chase Harler, Esa Ahmad, Derek Culver, Lamont West and Jermaine Haley draw two first-half fouls.
“Our core guys all got in foul trouble and it took our experience off the court,” Bolden said. “We tried to play through all of it.”
“If we’re going to have any chance to win, I thought we would need to have Beetle in the second half,” West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said after WVU’s loss last week against Oklahoma State, in which Bolden also drew two fouls in just six minutes of the first half.
West Virginia’s early foul trouble eventually forced Huggins’ hand against TCU and he had to put Bolden back in before halftime. He picked up his third foul with 1:19 left before halftime.
Bolden has fouled out of three games this season, which leads the team. He fouled out late against the Horned Frogs after receiving a technical foul with 2:53 remaining in the game.
“That was just me being competitive,” Bolden said. “Me and a player were going back and forth. That’s all.”
As the Mountaineers (8-9, 0-5 Big 12) try to rebuild a broken season, Bolden’s ability to stay out of foul trouble will be a key, because the longer he stays in the game, the longer the Mountaineers have one of their top scorers and most experienced players on the floor.
The Mountaineers will certainly need him Saturday, when No. 7 Kansas visits the WVU Coliseum.
WVU players said the opportunity to make a statement against the Jayhawks could go a long way in helping to turn around the season.
“We just need to get over the hump,” Harler said. “Once we get that first win, we can get our confidence back and kind of go from there. We’ve struggled to find that first one so far. Saturday will be a great opportunity for us to play Kansas at home. If we win that, we’re right back on the map, because it’s Kansas. We just have to get ready to play that game.”
