MORGANTOWN — WVU forward Esa Ahmad withdrew his name from the NBA draft and will return for his senior season at WVU.
Ahmad, from Cleveland, averaged 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season, as a junior.
He has played in 89 career games with 82 starts and needs 238 points to become WVU’s 53rd 1,000-point scorer.
“We are pleased that Esa will be back for his senior season,” coach Bob Huggins said. “Esa was able to explore his options and gain valuable feedback from NBA professionals that will help him in the future.”
— Shaun Brown was named the strength and conditioning coach for WVU men’s basketball and brings 30 years of experience to the Mountaineers.
Brown comes to WVU from Minnesota, where he served as the strength and conditioning coach for the Minnesota men’s basketball team for five years.
“We are extremely excited to add Shaun to our basketball staff,” coach Bob Huggins said. “When I called people who I trust in this profession, the first name they all mentioned was Shaun Brown. Shaun possesses all the qualities we look for in a strength coach.”
Brown also worked eight years in the professional ranks, serving as the head strength coach for the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, from 2003-’06, and six seasons as head strength coach for the Boston Celtics, from 1997-2003.
Brown has worked with 21 players who were selected in the NBA draft, including lottery picks Jamal Mashburn, Ron Mercer and Antoine Walker.
Brown earned a bachelor’s degree from Canisius, in 1987, and a master’s degree from Ohio State, in 1988.
TRACK AND FIELD
Redshirt senior Amy Cashin was named the Big 12 Track and Field Female Athlete of the Week, the conference announced.
Cashin won a pair of races last week. She won the 3,000-meter steeple-chase at the Penn Relays, in a school-record time of 9:59.40. Two days later, Cashin was victorious in the 1,500 meters at the Virginia Grand Prix, running 4:21.56.
The weekly conference honor is Cashin’s third of the track and field season. She was named the Big 12 Female Track and Field Athlete of the Week twice during the indoor season.
WVU closes the outdoor regular season Friday, at the Billy Hayes Invitational, in Bloomington, Ind.
