Minus Edwards, Mountaineers set for matchup with Radford – WV MetroNews

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — On the same day RaeQuan Battle figures to make his debut in a West Virginia uniform, Mountaineer center Jesse Edwards will undergo surgery to repair a fractured right wrist.

In what marks West Virginia’s 11th game this season, the Mountaineers welcome Radford to the WVU Coliseum for Wednesday’s 7 p.m. affair that’ll air on Big Now on ESPN+.

WVU interim head coach Josh Eilert remains without a full roster at his dispense for at least the next month, with Edwards to be sidelined a minimum of four weeks after suffering his second major wrist injury in less than two calendar years (he previously broke his left wrist in February 2022 while playing for Syracuse).

“Once again, another challenge we have to deal with and face head on,” Eilert said. “I’ve said we’re not going to be a victim. We’re going to take our challenges head on. Here we are with another one.”

Its last time out, West Virginia (4-6) suffered an 87-79 loss to Massachusetts on Saturday despite welcoming back guards Kerr Kriisa and Noah Farrakhan, both of which provided a spark. Kriisa scored 20 points and made six three-pointers, while Farrakhan, capitalizing on a court ruling that permits him eligibility the remainder of this season, scored 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting.

“It was pretty much instinct and watching players from the nine games before and seeing mistakes and what needs to be brought to the table,” Farrakhan said. “It was pretty natural.”

Battle, who testified in court last Wednesday as part of a case against the NCAA, had been expected to play his first game at WVU against UMass, but was instead held out due to flu-like symptoms that Eilert said Tuesday caused him to lose 13 pounds, before adding, “I’d be doing a disservice to throw him out there and forcing the action.”

Eilert said Battle will “100 percent” be in the lineup against the Highlanders, and his presence figures to give the Mountaineers a lift on both ends.

“Even when RaeQuan makes a bad decision defensively, he can recover so fast,” Eilert said. “Not only is he hard to go by, he’s a natural scorer and athlete. He can run, jump and create his own shot. Looking forward to getting him back in the fold as quick as possible.”

Still, there’s no mistaking the importance of Edwards’ absence. West Virginia’s tallest rotational player had also been its most consistent through the season’s first six weeks. Even with his worst showing yet as a Mountaineer against the Minutemen when he was limited to two points and three rebounds on 1-for-7 shooting, Edwards averages 14.8 points and a team-high 8.7 rebounds to go with a team-best 17 blocked shots.

Without the 6-foot-11 Edwards, Akok Akok figures to become the Mountaineers’ starting center as he continues to work himself back into game shape. Akok, who stands 6-10, missed the season’s first seven games after collapsing during a late October exhibition against George Mason. He has played in each of the team’s last three games and for a total of 42 minutes, including a season-high 22 in the last outing.

“Looking at Akok at the five, and it’ not his natural position by any means, but he’s very serviceable at the five,” Eilert said. “I hate for him to play that many minutes at the five.”

Pat Suemnick, a 6-8 reserve forward, could also fill in some at center.

“That hurt us pretty bad. Jesse is a huge impact on our team and a leader on the team,” Farrakhan said. “It’s detrimental, but coach believes in next players up and we believe whoever that is ready to step into that challenge.”

Quinn Slazinski, a 6-9 forward and WVU’s top scorer at 17.3 points among regulars in the lineup throughout the season, is unlikely to shift to center with Edwards sidelined, though working Kriisa, Farrakhan and Battle into the lineup does alter his role. 

“His role changes more due to the fact we have more guard play in there and more scoring options from guard play,” Eilert said. “We won’t have to rely on him as much and the offensive game can come more naturally to him rather than forced. I don’t see him by any means sliding down play the five and playing small. We’re going to have to work Akok to maximize his efficiency and work with Pat.”

Regardless of the direction Eilert opts to go in with lineups, West Virginia will need to shore up rebounding issues that surfaced throughout much of Saturday’s loss when the Minutemen controlled the boards, 47-32. 

WVU has been out-rebounded in three straight games and by a total of 22 boards over its previous two contests.

“Until we buy in on rebounding, we’re going to struggle to beat anybody,” Eilert said. “Certainly a buy-in thing and a lot of rebounding is effort and discipline. We haven’t shown it just yet. Now you lose your leading rebounder and hope it wakes those guys up.”

Eilert will oppose one of his best friends in Radford head coach Darris Nichols, who enjoyed a strong four-year playing career at West Virginia that ended in 2008.

A native of Radford, Nichols is in his third season as the Highlanders’ head coach after working as an assistant at Florida from 2015-21.

Radford (9-4) enters on a four-game win streak and having won seven of its last eight. The Highlanders have already played a game in West Virginia this season when they earned their first victory in thrilling fashion, 66-62 over Marshall in a contest played inside The Greenbrier Resort’s Colonial Hall back on November 10.

A trio of guards — Kenyon Giles, DaQuan Smith and Bryan Antoine — pace the Highlanders offensively with averages of 14.8 points, 13.5 and 11.1, respectively. Each of the guards has made between 21 and 26 three-pointers, with Antoine having the best percentage from long range of the group at 42.6.

Chandler Turner, a 6-7 forward, chips in with 9.5 points and 5.6 rebounds, while fellow 6-7 forward Justin Archer is the team’s top rebounder at 8.5 to go with an 8.1 scoring average.

The Highlanders have been excelled from behind the arc this season by making nearly 40 percent of 268 three-point attempts, while limiting opponents to less than 29 percent shooting from distance.

“Their bigs do a lot of the intangibles. Their biggest strength is the three guards in the starting lineup and they have some good guards off the bench as well,” Eilert said. The bigs play their role at a high level. Excel in your role is how you help a team win, and he has guys that excel in their role and buy in.”