MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Jonathan Holton sounded sentimental over senior night sneaking up on him. Jaysean Paige was apprehensive about making a pregame speech at midcourt.
While unlikely to leak as much emotion as Gary Browne and Juwan Staten did before last season’s home finale, Holton and Paige will find Wednesday night’s ceremony awash in reflection and gratitude.
And it flows both ways.
West Virginia offered Holton a rebirth after his expulsion from Rhode Island, just as it gave Paige a safe landing after Southern Miss changed coaches late in his recruitment. Both players helped elevate the program to its current top-10 status, where ambition mounts for the Mountaineers (22-7, 11-5) to improve upon last year’s Sweet 16 run.