(Bob Huggins press conference – November 3)
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Nine newcomers will take the court at the Coliseum this winter for the WVU men’s basketball team. Included in that group are just two freshmen. Canton, Ohio native Josiah Harris is joined by Teays Valley Christian graduate Josiah Davis. Harris says there’s a distinctive way that the two freshmen are called out in practice.
“They call Josiah Davis ‘JD’ and they call me ‘JoJo’ or ‘Bean’. It doesn’t matter. Growing up, my head was really big and they said I looked like a bean. So they called me ‘JoJo Bean’. That where it came from,” Harris said.
Harris, a 6-foot-7 forward, is one of three players from the state of Ohio on this year’s roster. He says the opportunity to advance his game under Bob Huggins put WVU ahead of an impressive list of offers that included Ohio State.
“I get to play for a legendary coach. Not everybody gets to play for a Hall of Fame coach and learn from him. I love the atmosphere at West Virginia. We don’t have a pro team. So I feel like West Virginia, this is the pro team and everybody gathers to watch them. The fanbase is like no other. So it was a no-brainer for me.”
Harris led Richmond Heights High School to the Ohio Division IV semifinals as a junior and they won the state title a year later. Harris was injured in the state final but recovered quickly to begin offseason workouts at WVU in May.
“It was terrible getting injured in the state championship game. But I am healthy now. It is a blessing to be back. I didn’t think it would be this fast. But I feel a hundred percent. [Strength and conditioning coach] Shaun [Brown] has been getting me stronger. Doc [Meador] has been helping me on my rehab. I feel like I am ready to go.”
Harris quickly earned praise from Huggins for his work beyond normal team practices. Having all hours access to a practice facility is a luxury to take advantage of.
“In high school, we used to sneak to get in the gym. Now, it is 24/7 access. We have all the tools to get better so why not use them all.
“It is very easy to get in here. We just call up the managers and they have been very helpful giving us rides up here and rebounding for us. Sometimes I spread myself too thin. But those are days you just have to work a little bit harder. I know it is going to pay off eventually.”
Six Mountaineers will be playing in their fourth or fifth season of college basketball this year. Harris will be competing with those seasoned veterans for playing time but they have provided great guidance.
“They have taken me under their wing as a little bro. They just tell me a lot of stories about how they were playing and things I should look for while being on the court and things to avoid.
“I am trying to win. I know everyone on this team is trying to win. We’re winners. Iron sharpens iron. Whatever it takes to win and get to that National Championship, that’s what we need to do regardless of who comes here.”
“If you paid attention to the exhibition game, 22 is pretty good,” Huggins said. “He makes shots. He is active. He rebounds and he is 17 years old. I want to play the best guys. I want to play the guys who can help us win.”
As Harris continues to make the adjustment to Division I basketball, he says the defensive demands placed upon him are similar to those from his high school coach.
“My coach, Quentin Rogers, he is a little bit like Huggins,” Harris said. “He was a defensive-minded coach. That’s one of the reasons I chose to come here. It resembled so much of each other in high school and college. It is not really much of an adjustment from my high school at Richmond Heights.”
While only five players remain from the 2021-2022 season which saw WVU win just 16 games, Harris says this season can make amends for a rare losing season last winter.
“It is a big motivation,” Harris said. “Coach Huggs always talks about how he doesn’t want a year like last year. We feel like we let the state down. All the fans coming out and losing those games, we are just coming back with revenge this year. We’re going to show the fans that we are sorry and we are ready to come and play now.”
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