Javon Small Solidifies Status as Big 12 PotY Frontrunner

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — When asked about potentially winning Big 12 Player of the Year, Javon Small couldn’t get a single word out before his teammates chimed in.

“He is Big 12 Player of the Year,” Eduardo Andre said.

“Yeah, come on now,” Amani Hansberry added.

Small was the only one in the press conference after WVU toppled No. 2 Iowa State Saturday that didn’t seem to have an opinion about him potentially winning the award.

“I don’t ever think about it,” Small said after dropping 27 points on the Cyclones. “The only thing I’m worried about is winning at the end of the day. You can only win Big 12 Player of the Year if you win. I’ve never heard of a Big 12 Player of the Year that lost, so the only thing we can do is keep winning.”

And winning is exactly what the Mountaineers have been doing, with Small as the undeniable driving force. Not only did he lead WVU in scoring on Saturday, he also had team-highs with seven rebounds, five assists and four steals. He scored 12 of West Virginia’s final 13 points to seal the victory in the final minutes.

“Like a lot of great players, and it’s really fun when you’re the coach of one of those, you can tell when they’re in that zone,” WVU coach Darian DeVries said. “You could see it in his eyes he wanted to take that game over.”

Saturday’s win gave the Mountaineers three victories over top-10 teams this season, a feat that has only been accomplished two other times in program history. In those three wins — over Gonzaga, Kansas and Iowa State — Small has averaged 23.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 39.7 minutes while shooting 23-46 (50%) from the floor and 19-22 (86.4%) from the line.

“Since day one, I’ve just done whatever I can to help my team win,” Small said. “If it takes me scoring 12 of the last 13 points, then that’s what I’ve got to do.”

The leading scorer in the Big 12, Small’s name has been coming up in discussion for Big 12 Player of the Year more and more in recent weeks. Saturday’s performance cements his spot as the current frontrunner.

“He’s playing at as level as high as anybody in the league,” Iowa State coach TJ Otzelberger said. “He deserves all the credit.”

Among the Big 12, Small is first in scoring (19.8), 11th in shooting (43.5%), third in free throws (88.7%), seventh in three-point shooting (36.1%), fourth in assists (5.2), sixth in steals (1.9) and first in minutes played (36.1). Needless to say, no other player ranks as highly in as many categories as Small.

“He’s just been incredible all year. I think he’s the best guard in the country right now,” DeVries said. “I wouldn’t trade him for anybody.” 

Darian DeVries on Javon Small: “He’s the best guard in the country. He’s something special.”

— Mike J. Asti (@MikeAsti11) January 19, 2025

The other top contenders for Big 12 Player of the Year right now are Kansas center Hunter Dickinson, the preseason pick for the award, and Iowa State’s Curtis Jones. 

The Mountaineers take on Arizona State and Kansas State this week before getting another shot at the only top-10 team to beat them this season, Houston. The Cougars held Small to just 13 points in their first meeting and come to Morgantown for the rematch on Jan. 29.

For a related story, ESPN ranks Javon Small as one of the best players in the country.