The Mountaineers named Staten, who sat out last season after transferring from Dayton, as a team captain this season.

Staten, the Atlantic 1o’s leader in assists in 2011, made that sort of impression despite not traveling, let alone playing with the team. People know a transfer is gone a lot, but they overlook all the formative things that happen during those absences. They don’t realize how much film and scouting reports and practice and simple camaraderie a player misses when he’s not around.

He must has otherwise managed the situation perfectly to be named a captain, though, and he looks and sounds like the kind of player WVU has not had at that position in a few years.

“I felt last year that we kind of lacked that guard that kind of brought everyone together,” Staten said. “I want to go out there and be a leader every time I step out on the court. I feel like I know what’s going on and it’s my job to help people who don’t and make sure the team gets into plays when we need to and gets into sets when we need to and plays defense when we need to.”

Teammates feel and play more confident with Staten and they just seem to really like and obviously respect him and what he’s thus far achieved at WVU. His beginning here is certainly going better than his end at Dayton.