MORGANTOWN — In sports, it’s called the change-of-scenery theory, in which some athletes suddenly perform better after a trade, or in the case of college athletics, a transfer.
A number of things factor into it, including different circumstances, coaching and teammates, as well as the athlete finding a different role at his new place.
This is where WVU point guard Joe Toussaint comes into play, and it’s hard not to notice how much a change of scenery has had an effect on him this season after transferring from Iowa.
It’s found in the numbers.
In Touissaint’s last two seasons with the Hawkeyes, he played in 67 games and scored in double figures a total of four times.
He’s reached half that total in just four games with the Mountaineers (4-0), including 18 points against Pitt.
He’s playing about five minutes more per game and is attempting four more shots each time out.
Touissant rarely shot a 3-pointer last season at Iowa, despite starting 21 times, and never attempted more than two in any game.
He’s already had two games at West Virginia with five 3-point attempts.
“To be honest, I just have the ball in my hands and I’m just trying to make a play,” is how Toussaint explains it.
But, maybe there is something to the theory of how a change in scenery can be a positive.
Or, as WVU head coach Bob Huggins tells it, it’s more a change of roles for Toussaint.
“They had two or three guys who were really good shooters and two or three guys who really expected that they were the ones who were supposed to shoot,” Huggins said.
Iowa made the NCAA tournament in Toussaint’s last two years on the team, and on those teams was 2021 national player of the year in center Luka Garza, 2022 NBA first-round pick Keegan Murray and Patrick McCafferty, the son of Iowa’s head coach.
Amongst all of that, it was tough for Toussaint to flex any sort of offensive game.
“His role was more to push it in transition, and if he can, get it at the rim and don’t take shots away from those other guys,” Huggins said.
At WVU, Toussaint is coming off the bench to support starter Kedrian Johnson, but Huggins has found opportunities to play both point guards at the same time.
With an opportunity to have more freedom offensively, Toussaint is getting himself to the free-throw line more, while averaging just as many assists and rebounding the ball better.
It’s still early, and the Mountaineers are about to take a step up in competition Thursday against No. 24 Purdue at the Phil Knight Legacy tournament in Portland.
But, Toussaint’s 10.5 points per game is his highest ever in college.
“My mindset going into games is to get assists — I’m a point guard,” Toussaint said. “I want to keep everybody happy. If I go out and score 10, 12 or 14, I want everyone else to have 10 or 11, as well. I’m not trying to outscore anybody. It’s my job to make everybody else happy.”
So far, that includes Huggins.
“He’s shooting it better,” Huggins said. “I don’t know if he’s playing all that much different. He’s become more of a point guard.”
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