After bouncing in and out of the starting lineup over his three years at Iowa and coming off the bench in one year at West Virginia, veteran guard Joe Toussaint is enjoying a career year in his last go around at the collegiate level with Texas Tech.
In 28 games this season, Toussaint is averaging 12.3 points, 4.3 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 41% from the field and 31% from three. He's the second-leading scorer for the Red Raiders, but has the team lead for steals and assists making him one of the best two-way guards in the Big 12.
WVU interim head coach Josh Eilert is well aware of Toussaint's defensive prowess and for a team that's had some issues turning the ball over, it could make for a long evening at the Coliseum.
"They're solid defensively. They really get up in you and force the issue," Eilert said. "Joe, we all know who Joe Toussaint is and how he plays - he's a bulldog out there on the floor defensively. I'm sure he's going to come in with that chip on his shoulder coming back to Morgantown and try to wreak havoc, so we've got to take care of the ball."
Although the Mountaineers don't have much to play for, they can still play the role of spoiler down the homestretch of the regular season and a win over the Red Raiders will put a sizable dent into their NCAA Tournament resume. Currently, ESPN's Joe Lunardi projects Tech as a No. 7 seed.
West Virginia will welcome Toussaint and Texas Tech on Saturday at 6 p.m. EST.
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