The West Virginia Mountaineers may have just hit the jackpot with Javon Small, the lightning-quick point guard whose arrival has sent a jolt of energy through the entire Big 12 conference. While his birthday doesn’t come until December, the celebration has already started in Morgantown — and it’s not just the fans who are taking notice.
After transferring from Oklahoma State, Small wasted no time making his presence felt. With his elite court vision, confident handles, and an absolutely deadly pull-up jumper, he’s quickly become the heartbeat of the Mountaineers’ offense. Through early practices and scrimmages, insiders say he’s outplaying expectations — and making coaches adjust defensive schemes just to keep up.
“Javon’s got that ‘it’ factor,” says one WVU staffer. “He’s not just fast — he’s surgical. He makes decisions before defenders even realize what’s happening.”
And it’s not just college coaches watching. NBA scouts have already started circling games on their calendars to catch Small in action. One scout was overheard joking, “We were scouting the 6’9″ center… now we’re drooling over the 6’2″ guard.”
But amid all the praise, Small has kept things light. In a recent team interview, he cracked, “I heard someone say this is my breakout season — but I haven’t even unwrapped the birthday cake yet.” Classic Javon: grounded, funny, and always ready to drop a smooth assist—or a punchline.
WVU head coach Ross Hodge, who’s settling into his own new chapter with the program, couldn’t be happier with what he’s seen from his new floor general. “He brings fire and control. That’s rare in one package. The guys respect him, and he’s got the potential to lead this team far,” Hodge said.
With the Mountaineers eager to bounce back and re-establish themselves as conference contenders, Javon Small is quickly becoming a fan favorite and a future pro in the making. And while the draft buzz builds and defenders scramble, he’s keeping it cool — just playing his game and waiting for December.
Because when your game’s this good, every night feels like a birthday.
