Last season, the West Virginia men’s basketball team struggled throughout the season, and part of the problem was the lack of Power Five experience within transfers brought in from the NCAA transfer portal.
Head coach Bob Huggins adjusted in the offseason and targeted transfers that have played at the highest level. Huggins started with the guard position, bringing in Joe Toussaint from Iowa to help handle the basketball for the Mountaineers.
The Iowa transfer brought with him three years of experience for the Hawkeyes in the rugged Big 10 conference, averaging just under five points per game.
Toussaint has come in and earned playing time with Huggins’s new-look squad, as the senior has averaged 11.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game across WVU’s first seven games.
Toussaint has had opportunities to shoot the ball for his new team, as the Bronx native has scored double-digits in four games thus far, including a game-high 18 points in WVU’s blowout road win over Pitt.
After WVU’s November 18th win over Penn, Toussaint spoke on what has gotten him going offensively early in his WVU career.
“To be honest, I just have the ball in my hands,” Toussaint said. “I have the ball in my hands most of the time at the end of the shot clock, and I just try to make something happen.”
Toussaint has found himself with the ball in his hands late in the shot clock multiple times this season, but make no mistake, the former Hawkeye is no ball hog that focuses on high point totals.
“My mindset to go in the game is really to get assists,” Toussaint said. “I want to keep everybody happy. I’m not trying to outscore anybody.”
Toussaint has backed that statement up, as he is averaging 3.3 assists per game across seven games.
As the backup point guard, Toussaint has complemented fifth year senior Kedrian Johnson well, as the pair accounts for nearly 20 points and over six assists per game.
Toussaint and Johnson have also established themselves as guards that lock up on the defensive side of the ball, as 19 turnovers have been forced by the two point guards.
Toussaint spoke on playing alongside and backing up Johnson at the point guard position.
“I enjoy playing with Keddy (Johnson),” Toussaint said. “We kind of foul a lot, so I know why they don’t play us together. We both can play off the ball, we both can play on the ball and just cause havoc on defense. We feed off each other.”
Toussaint’s offensive help and ball pressure on the defensive end will need to stay constant throughout the season, as the Mountaineers look to improve on their 6-1 record.
