Photo by: Katie MacCrory
Knapper Thankful He Finally Gets His Opportunity With Mountaineers
October 03, 2018 08:09 AM | Men's Basketball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Finally, South Charleston's Brandon Knapper can play his freshman season at West Virginia University.
It could have been two years ago, following an outstanding senior season at South Charleston High in 2016 when he averaged 28.5 points, six assists and 5.4 steals per game for coach Vic Herbert's Black Eagles.
But West Virginia coach Bob Huggins felt it best for Brandon to get a little more seasoning in prep school, so Knapper agreed to go to Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia, where he played for former Marshall standout guard A.W. Hamilton.
At Hargrave, Knapper's name blew up nationally when he averaged 18 points and 3.1 assists per game for the Tigers, who won 43 games and advanced to the national prep school Final Four in 2017.
His impressive play at Hargrave drew rave reviews.
"When I was in prep school I give a lot of credit to A.W. Hamilton," Knapper said before Tuesday's practice. "He made me a better point guard because all I wanted to do was score. I had to find other things to become a true point guard like getting into the offense, passing and stuff like that."
That year spent at Hargrave better prepared Knapper for Big 12 basketball and it looked like he was going to see time as Jevon Carter's backup last season before he suffered a meniscus injury during preseason practice.
He rehabbed the knee and got it to the point where he was practicing with the team late in the season.
Then, this summer the 6-foot, 160-pound guard suffered another setback when he was held out for an undisclosed medical condition, further delaying his college basketball career.
It wasn't until Aug. 13 when Knapper was finally given the green light to continue playing restriction-free basketball.
"It was very frustrating," Brandon admitted. "God has plans for me and I just had to stay positive and stay in the gym."
'The positive is he was allowed to work out," Huggins added. "He just wasn't allowed to play. (The doctors) were more concerned with contact with him than coming in and spending time (working out), so I don't think it was as bad as it could have been. If he was totally shut down I think it would have been really hard on him."
Knapper said it was still hard enough.
"Sitting out the game I love, I had to find myself mentally," he said. "Physically, I knew I could go out there and play, but mentally I had to find myself and stay positive."
So, he remained positive and kept good thoughts in his head until he received the good news.
Now, the good news is Knapper is finally back out on the court to give West Virginia another physical presence at point guard this year.
He spent last year learning from All-American point guard Jevon Carter, now a rookie with the Memphis Grizzlies.
"He plays hard. He's been telling me all the time that's what Huggs loves – 'give it everything you've got every time you step on the court,'" Knapper said. "On the defensive side; he basically told me to stay in front of my man and don't try and reach. It was tough hearing him say that, because he gets a lot of steals, but that's what he's good at."
What wasn't tough for Knapper to hear was Carter constantly telling him to play tough they way Bob Huggins always wants his players to play.
"That's why he recruited me because of how tough I was," Knapper explained. "A lot of people didn't see that when I was coming out of high school because I scored the ball a lot, but I always had that gritty, want-to-punish-the-defender mentality."
Knapper said that comes from his grandfather.
"He's a real military guy, and he's always telling me to do this and do that and have a killer instinct every time I step out on the court," Knapper said. "That's what I try to do every time I get out there."
Brandon will be battling junior Beetle Bolden, 6-foot-7-inch juco transfer Jermaine Haley and touted Wisconsin Mr. Basketball Jordan McCabe for playing time as the replacement for Carter at point guard this year.
Chase Harler can also handle the ball, as can preferred walk-on Taevon Horton from Fairmont Senior, giving Huggins six different options to run the offense this year.
According to Huggins, the job is wide open.
"I don't care who plays," he said. "I don't play favorites. The way we play, and the number of guys we're going to play, it's their fault if they don't play."
Huggins said the new guards are already getting pretty familiar with the offensive sets, but there is far more to it than just knowing the offense.
They need to be able to recognize first, second and third options - and be able to do so with a defender up on them.
"It's what happens if they take something away. Then what do you do?" Huggins explained. "If you are a guy with the ball, who comes open first? A lot of times, your first option is open and you're looking at the third one because you're getting a little bit of pressure or maybe you didn't penetrate it deep enough to show the passing lane. If the passing lane gets too long they're going to run through it.
"There are a lot of variables," he added.
Including the number of variables out on the floor recognizing all of those options.
Thankfully, Knapper will be one of them this year.
"I'm going to be thankful and blessed to step on the court and play for the state of West Virginia. I've been waiting so long just to put a jersey on this year. It's going to be unbelievable," he concluded.
Tuesday Sound
It could have been two years ago, following an outstanding senior season at South Charleston High in 2016 when he averaged 28.5 points, six assists and 5.4 steals per game for coach Vic Herbert's Black Eagles.
But West Virginia coach Bob Huggins felt it best for Brandon to get a little more seasoning in prep school, so Knapper agreed to go to Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia, where he played for former Marshall standout guard A.W. Hamilton.
At Hargrave, Knapper's name blew up nationally when he averaged 18 points and 3.1 assists per game for the Tigers, who won 43 games and advanced to the national prep school Final Four in 2017.
His impressive play at Hargrave drew rave reviews.
"When I was in prep school I give a lot of credit to A.W. Hamilton," Knapper said before Tuesday's practice. "He made me a better point guard because all I wanted to do was score. I had to find other things to become a true point guard like getting into the offense, passing and stuff like that."
That year spent at Hargrave better prepared Knapper for Big 12 basketball and it looked like he was going to see time as Jevon Carter's backup last season before he suffered a meniscus injury during preseason practice.
He rehabbed the knee and got it to the point where he was practicing with the team late in the season.
Then, this summer the 6-foot, 160-pound guard suffered another setback when he was held out for an undisclosed medical condition, further delaying his college basketball career.
It wasn't until Aug. 13 when Knapper was finally given the green light to continue playing restriction-free basketball.
"It was very frustrating," Brandon admitted. "God has plans for me and I just had to stay positive and stay in the gym."
'The positive is he was allowed to work out," Huggins added. "He just wasn't allowed to play. (The doctors) were more concerned with contact with him than coming in and spending time (working out), so I don't think it was as bad as it could have been. If he was totally shut down I think it would have been really hard on him."
Knapper said it was still hard enough.
"Sitting out the game I love, I had to find myself mentally," he said. "Physically, I knew I could go out there and play, but mentally I had to find myself and stay positive."
So, he remained positive and kept good thoughts in his head until he received the good news.
Now, the good news is Knapper is finally back out on the court to give West Virginia another physical presence at point guard this year.
He spent last year learning from All-American point guard Jevon Carter, now a rookie with the Memphis Grizzlies.
"He plays hard. He's been telling me all the time that's what Huggs loves – 'give it everything you've got every time you step on the court,'" Knapper said. "On the defensive side; he basically told me to stay in front of my man and don't try and reach. It was tough hearing him say that, because he gets a lot of steals, but that's what he's good at."
What wasn't tough for Knapper to hear was Carter constantly telling him to play tough they way Bob Huggins always wants his players to play.
"That's why he recruited me because of how tough I was," Knapper explained. "A lot of people didn't see that when I was coming out of high school because I scored the ball a lot, but I always had that gritty, want-to-punish-the-defender mentality."
Knapper said that comes from his grandfather.
"He's a real military guy, and he's always telling me to do this and do that and have a killer instinct every time I step out on the court," Knapper said. "That's what I try to do every time I get out there."
Brandon will be battling junior Beetle Bolden, 6-foot-7-inch juco transfer Jermaine Haley and touted Wisconsin Mr. Basketball Jordan McCabe for playing time as the replacement for Carter at point guard this year.
Chase Harler can also handle the ball, as can preferred walk-on Taevon Horton from Fairmont Senior, giving Huggins six different options to run the offense this year.
According to Huggins, the job is wide open.
"I don't care who plays," he said. "I don't play favorites. The way we play, and the number of guys we're going to play, it's their fault if they don't play."
Huggins said the new guards are already getting pretty familiar with the offensive sets, but there is far more to it than just knowing the offense.
They need to be able to recognize first, second and third options - and be able to do so with a defender up on them.
"It's what happens if they take something away. Then what do you do?" Huggins explained. "If you are a guy with the ball, who comes open first? A lot of times, your first option is open and you're looking at the third one because you're getting a little bit of pressure or maybe you didn't penetrate it deep enough to show the passing lane. If the passing lane gets too long they're going to run through it.
"There are a lot of variables," he added.
Including the number of variables out on the floor recognizing all of those options.
Thankfully, Knapper will be one of them this year.
"I'm going to be thankful and blessed to step on the court and play for the state of West Virginia. I've been waiting so long just to put a jersey on this year. It's going to be unbelievable," he concluded.
Tuesday Sound
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