Former West Virginia guard Javon Small gave Memphis exactly the kind of Summer League performance that gets attention.
In the Grizzlies’ 106-85 win over the Golden State Warriors, Small finished as the game’s leading scorer with 26 points on 7-of-12 shooting and knocked down 5 of 8 from three. He added seven assists, four rebounds and one steal in a stat line that showed plenty of polish beyond just the scoring.
He also punctuated the night with a two-hand dunk, then explained afterward that the moment was as much about the challenge from his teammates as the open lane.
“I just saw an open lane and my teammates have been saying I can’t dunk the ball, so it was an opportunity for me to dunk and I just dunked it," he told Grind City Media after the game on the highlight reel slam.
Small said he feels good about how his Summer League run has gone, even if the shot wasn’t dropping early.
“I feel like I’ve been doing good (in Summer League)," he continued. "My shot wasn’t falling in the first few games.
I’m a shooter, and at the end of the day, I’m going to keep shooting. But my focus is to get my teammates involved, make sure that the offense is ran and playing to our best ability.”
For Small, the performance matters because he’s still working to carve out a real place with the Grizzlies. The article points out that his path is tracking in some ways with Miles McBride’s early climb in the NBA, though Small has one important head start: he already logged half a season at the league level and didn’t have to spend extended time in the G League early on.
That experience came with opportunity. With Ja Morant sidelined for much of last season, Small played more than Memphis likely expected and handled it well, averaging 9.7 points, 3.7 assists and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 46% from the field and 42% from three.
Now the door is open again. Morant is in Portland, and Small has a chance to move up the depth chart. Ty Jerome is projected as the team’s starter, while second-year guard Walter Clayton Jr. is also in the mix and expected to push for minutes.
In Other News...
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West Virginias offseason search for a cleaner answer in the run game has led back to a position college football has mostly left behind. Rich Rodriguez has made it clear he wants a true fullback in his offense, and the Mountaineers have leaned into that idea by bringing in a player who fits the old-school mold and was recognized before the season as one of the Big 12s top preseason fullbacks.
The appeal is obvious for a team that had trouble finishing short-yardage chances a year ago and at times needed too much size on the field just to move the chains a few feet. In Rodriguezs system, the fullback is not a decorative piece, and West Virginias willingness to keep using one says plenty about how it plans to attack defenses this fall, even if the exact impact of the addition is still to be proven. [Read more 🡒]
EA Sports Just Disrespected WVU In A Way Fans Will Hate
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Wards rating stands out because he is being treated like a lesser option in a room he could help lead, while King is lagging behind another WVU lineman even though he still looks like the likely starting center coming out of fall camp. Torbors placement also feels off for a player who drew praise in the spring and has a real path to a starting job, which is why the overall picture has Mountaineer fans wondering how closely the games ratings actually tracked what has been happening around the program. [Read more 🡒]
Former Mountaineer JJ Wetherholt Is Turning Rookie Of The Year Heads
Former West Virginia star JJ Wetherholt is wasting no time making his presence felt in the majors, and the early buzz has spilled well beyond the box score. Drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals, the rookie has quickly become one of the names collectors are chasing too, with his 2025 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autograph already drawing serious attention on the hobby market.
Wetherholts fast start has only sharpened the spotlight around him, especially with fellow young standouts Sal Stewart and Nolan McLean also surging into the conversation. For Mountaineers fans, the appeal is obvious: one of their own is not just settling in at the big-league level, he is pushing his way into the Rookie of the Year picture while his cards keep climbing right alongside his profile. [Read more 🡒]