Devin Williams has had a truly interesting season. He was dominant — All-America good — in the opening games, and that’s probably to be expected. But through the two games in Las Vegas and the Jimmy V Classic against Virginia and then all the way through Marshall and Virginia Tech to to conclude (early) non-conference play, Williams was something special: 15.5 points per game, 9.1 rebounds per game and 57.3 percent shooting 12 times out.

Within those 12 games, he had 10 with at least 10 points (and two with nine points) and six double-doubles.

January and conference play have treated him differently: 10 points per game, 7.6 rebounds per game and 36.5 percent shooting in seven games.

Within those seven games, he had three games with fewer than 10 points and two double-doubles.

We’ve heard some explanations, and Bob Huggins clearly believes his rock is getting rolled and officials aren’t adjudicating fairly or consistently. He won’t say it, but he’s saying it.

“I don’t think I can say what I want to say,” Mountaineers coach Bob Huggins said. “I can’t say the truth, and I don’t know how to say it and massage it. Watch the film.”

Watch the film. Flip through pictures snapped during games. Do not call the police.

“He’s constantly got a knee in his behind and a shoulder in his back, and I think after a while that gets frustrating,” Huggins said.

I’m not sure he’s off base there. Williams gets mugged, but he hands it out, too. Sometimes he does that on offense. Sometimes he does that when he’s rebounding. Sometimes he can’t figure out what he can and can’t do. Whatever the case, Williams is a big, aggressive player who goes where he wants to go, but it’s fair to say and easy to see he’s frustrated.

He’s not playing as well … or as much. Williams is playing 21.3 minutes per game in league games, 3.7 minutes less than he did before.

But consider this: In non-conference play, Williams shot 6.2 free throws per game and was called for 2.3 fouls per game. In Big 12 play, he’s shooting 6.1 free throws per game and getting whistled 2.6 times per game. He’s fouled out twice and finished with four fouls once in league play. He fouled out one less time and had as many four-foul games in the November/December games. But Williams already has as many zero/one foul games in the Big 12 (four) as he did before it started Jan. 2 at Kansas State.

Again, it’s truly interesting. There aren’t great differences between then and now, and it’s hard to use the most convenient explanations to address some slips. The shooting percentage is the concerning number, and it stands to reason it won’t stay that low.

There’s really no great answer apart from better opposition, and Williams will meet a familiar foul tonight in Kansas State’s Stephen Hurt. On the surface, these two have little in common. Hurt is a “pick-and-popper,” Williams said, and he can hurt defenses from the perimeter. Yet he’s not a top option on offense and he doesn’t contribute a lot of defensive and rebounding statistics. Williams can shoot, but he does his best work under the basket on offense and defense, and he’s a very, very good rebounder.

Yet there’s one undeniable bond, and Williams isn’t quite thrilled about it.

“I don’t like it,” Williams said. “I’m the only one who wears goggles.”

Williams is nearsighted, meaning he can see items up close, so he wears goggles and an elastic band that keeps them fixed to his face. Hurt suffered a serious eye injury when he was in junior college, and he protects his right eye with a set of frames that are more like sunglasses.

“I’m joking, but I’m dead serious,” Williams said. “There’s no hard feelings or anything like that. I don’t want to kill the guy. But I’m the only goggle man.”