Jon Holton aggravated his left shoulder — I say aggravated because he’s had KT tape on the shoulder all year — against Texas Tech, and Bob Huggins admitted he “got a little bit scared” when Holton walked off the floor, past the bench and to the locker room.

He surely had the same feeling in the second half when Holton rolled his left ankle, limped off the floor, past the bench and to he locker room and did not return to the game.

Huggins said afterward that Holton wanted to get back into the game. We didn’t get to talk to Holton at Monday’s media appointment, but Huggins was carefully optimistic.

“He’s still got swelling, but he’ll be all right,” Huggins said.

The Mountaineers were set to run and shoot Monday and then practice after they find their way to Kansas City tomorrow, and Holton was in the training room early Monday, making sure he made the most of the time before WVU’s game Thursday.

“We don’t need him really until Wednesday, so he’s got a couple more days,” Huggins said.

It sounds as though Holton should practice before the quarterfinal against Texas Tech or TCU, and he’ll play if he practices. The concern is what he might lose as far as conditioning goes if he’s doesn’t run much or at all today and gets a break again Tuesday.

Remember, he missed four games and needed time to get back into basketball shape after that, but understand he doesn’t need as much time as others might to find the familiar level of fitness.

“He doesn’t have a lot of fat,” Huggins said.