An Early and Unexpected Goodbye

After it was announced that Jevon Carter would be coming back for his senior season, there was an almost audible sigh of relief around the program. It appeared that the storm had calmed and that the team would be as intact as possible heading into 2017-18.

Unfortunately, though, news broke today that Elijah Macon will not be returning this upcoming season and has opted to turn pro instead.

AP Photo

Macon had the definition of a rough start to his college career. He was ranked first in the state of Ohio and 45th overall as a senior, with a grade of 94 by Scout. He was coming off of two AAU national championships, and both he and WVU had big expectations for him.

But after transferring to Huntington Prep for his senior year of high school 2011-12, Macon had to spend the 2012-13 season in prep school and then spent the 2013-14 season at WVU as a "partial qualifier" which kept him from even being able to practice with the team. It wasn't until the 2014-15 season that he was able to make it on the court for the Mountaineers, and it was around that time that he lost his mother to breast cancer.

The guy that coach Huggins affectionately calls "Eli" in his press conferences has matured as a man as well as a player as he's worn the gold and blue, and losing both Eli and Teyvon Myers in the same season is going to be a brutal blow to the enthusiasm, leadership, and energy on the team. The two of them could always be seen propping up their teammates and cheering louder than anyone else in the arena.

Additionally, Macon really started to find his groove on the court. He averaged more than 16 minutes, 6 points, and 4 rebounds per game on the season, but that increased to 23 minutes, 9.4 points, and 6.4 rebounds over the final 11 games (including 17 points and 12 rebounds in a crucial double-overtime win against Texas Tech). He drastically improved his field goal percentage and free throw percentage, and he took over a handful of games when the team desperately needed someone to step up.

He "got in the gym". He "put in work". He was everything Huggins wants in a player. Knowing that there was one too many scholarship players on the team, it was clear that someone on the roster wouldn't be around next year. I can't say for sure one way or the other, but it wouldn't surprise me if Macon stepping away right as he was poised to take on a larger role was just one more selfless act as a Mountaineer, making way for the next generation.

We're proud of you Eli. Thanks for everything.