After the first two games of the season, Ohio guard Javarez “Bean” Willis said reality hadn’t set in yet in regards to his play.
The Texas Tech transfer said he was rusty, but sooner or later he’d find himself back in the groove of playing basketball after sitting last season out.
“In the game, from a point guard’s perspective, you’ve got to do a lot of thinking,” Willis said in November. “The game is just too fast for me right now, but once I get comfortable… it’s coming soon. I can feel it.”
The non-conference slate was a struggle for Willis, as he averaged nearly as many turnovers (1.8) as assists (2.3) while only shooting 32 percent from the field.
It took longer than Willis had hoped, but the Bobcats’ backup point guard is finally getting into the swing of things with a nine-point, three-assist performance in a 65-46 victory against Northern Illinois capping what has been a strong week for the Homer, La., native.
Willis has shot 50 percent in his last two games – both Ohio victories – averaging 8.5 points, two assists and 18 minutes on the floor.
Willis said talking to coach Jim Christian after games and practicing patience have helped him clean up his game of late.
“After every game, I’ve been talking to Coach and he’s been telling me exactly what he wants me to do,” Willis said after the win against Northern Illinois. “I think lately, I’ve been too focused on getting in the game, and right out the whip trying to make a play. Coach has been telling me let the game come to me, so that’s exactly what I did in the second half.”
Willis scored six of his nine points in the second half and didn’t turn the ball over once in the final period after two first-half turnovers.
The performance of Willis is indicative of how Ohio’s played against Mid-American Conference foes, playing poorly in the first 20 minutes before turning on an extra gear in the last 20 minutes.
Despite shooting 10 of 20 from the field, the Bobcats found themselves with a slim 24-23 lead at the break, as nine first-half turnovers kept Ohio close with a Northern Illinois team that shot 33 percent.
In MAC play, Ohio has averaged 7.5 turnovers and 25.5 points in the first half, with 4.5 turnovers and 38.5 points averaged in the second half.
“It’s a two-half game,” Christian said. “That’s two games in a row we were poor in the first half and really, really good in the second half.”
Christian said that he was impressed by Willis, as well as freshman Antonio Campbell, who had his best game as a Bobcat in the win against the Huskies.
The 6-foot-8-inch forward out of Covington, Ky., scored six points to pair with a season-high six rebounds in eight minutes on Saturday, as the big man who sometimes looked lost when given minutes in the non-conference slate has gained confidence as the second big man off the bench in conference play.
ch20310@ohiou.edu
@C_Hoppens
