WVU's basketball team wasn't exactly at its best Monday night at the Charleston Civic Center.
Playing a Colonial Athletic Conference team, the Mountaineers, ranked No. 22 in the most recent coaches' poll, won by 13 - 86-73 - before a crowd of 8,101.
Yet let's stop right there. And let's give West Virginia assistant Billy Hahn, who scheduled the game, credit.
See, the visitors, James Madison, got game.
And now the Mountaineers have tape.
Just ask the nephew of WVU assistant Ron Everhart.
"I told him before the game they'd win their conference, go to the NCAA tournament and win a game," Everhart said.
"We needed that," added fellow assistant Larry Harrison, "to show the guys what we're talking about."
In the end, WVU forced JMU into 19 turnovers. The Mountaineers outscored the Colonials 40-22 in the paint. The hosts' bench outscored that of the visitors 46-22.
But West Virginia had to work. It had to work hard. Which is very good at this stage for the team.
"[James Madison] is good," said WVU coach Bob Huggins. "We knew they were good coming in... No reason to believe they won't win their conference. Physical. I told our guys they're like playing Buffalo. Those guys made shots, though, we haven't had made against us in a while."
It was to be expected. JMU shared the CAA regular season title last season and has reached the postseason four of the last seven seasons. It was picked to finish second to Hofstra this season. In the Dukes' only other game, it beat Richmond, which was picked to finish sixth of 14 teams in the Atlantic 10. (Dayton is supposed to win, in case you're curious.)
"It's a Top 100 team," said WVU's Jevon Carter, who finished with 19 points. "From this we can learn to identify and close out the shooters better."
"It was a little chippy," said Mountaineer big man Devin Williams, who also had 19 to go with 10 rebounds. "It was good, physical basketball... We just stuck to the game plan and capitalized."
Williams, in fact, liked the game.
"Definitely," he said. "There were good matchups across the board. And we met the challenge."
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Perhaps the most interesting part of WVU's early season games is the play of newcomer Esa Ahmad, a former two-time Ohio Player of the Year.
In the closed preseason scrimmage against Temple, Ahmad had 21 points. In the season opener against Northern Kentucky, he had 7. Against James Madison, he had but 3.
You know how colts have to gain their legs? That's what it seems Ahmad is doing in Huggins' offense. Except, of course, for that Temple outing.
Still, the freshman had his moments on Monday. He had a steal that led to a Carter lay-in to make the score 39-27. Later, he spotted Daxter Miles underneath the basket on an inbound play. WVU immediately had a flurry after as the crowd jumped in.
Yes. If you caught that, Ahmad, a freshman, has inbound duties.
"He's like a lot of freshmen, but he's a newcomer and a starter," Everhart said. "He has to figure it out. That said, man, he passes it so well. He's talented. It's fun when the ball is in his hands. He's another playmaker."
Ahmad finished Monday with 1-of-7 shooting.
"He's adjusting to the speed of the game," Everhart said. "He's never had to play this hard on defense. He's expending a lot of energy.
"I'll tell you what though. You know when you're on the playground? He's the guy you want to pick you - because he passes it."
"He's playing pretty well," Carter said. "He missed some shots tonight, but I think he fits into our team perfectly."
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And finally...
A little scoop. I've been asked a lot about the status of WVU big man Brandon Watkins. I've been asked if he'll play this season. I've been asked if he'll play again at all.
The answer to both is apparently yes.
Watkins played in 23 games last season before an ACL injury. The sad part for him was it came right after a 14-point, 9-rebound game in 17 minutes of action in the Mountaineers' victory over Kansas State.
Word is, he's been practicing. And further word is he might just be back in action as early as next Friday.
We shall soon see.