As it is with many young men handed the keys to a shiny, new, fast car, West Virginia State freshman point guard Frank Webb is learning that the gas pedal doesn't always have to be jammed to the floor.
Eager to help the Yellow Jackets however he can in his first year on the roster, there are times Webb becomes a little overzealous when some patience might be the better play.
"I'm getting used to it," Webb said. "They're telling me all the time in practice. I'm just learning to dial back and change my speeds."
Webb has served State well in the midst of that education, cracking the starting lineup in the Yellow Jackets' last two games and becoming an important contributor in that span.
It helps that, for a Division II point guard, Webb is a pretty big one. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Baltimore, Maryland, native averaged 11 points, 3.7 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals for Our Lady of Mount Carmel High School. Webb's frame was the first thing that stood out to WVSU coach Bryan Poore. Then he saw what Webb could do with it, and was committed to signing him.
"I liked his toughness and his athletic ability, his decision making," Poore said. "I saw his size first, and then the things he did with it after that."
Webb learned early what to do with the size he's been given. He didn't have too much of a choice, as his brothers played football and Webb had to get tough to keep up.
"We grew up being pretty aggressive," he said, "so I'm trying to take that on with others."
The Yellow Jackets have taken notice and rewarded his work with increased playing time. He played big minutes off the bench against Seton Hill and Notre Dame College, averaging 24.5 minutes in that pair and scoring 12 points in each.
That motivated Poore to start him in State's last two against Urbana and Bowie State. Webb averaged 31 minutes in those two games and proved he can handle the load. Against Urbana and Bowie State he went 8 for 12 from the floor, 25 for 26 from the free throw line and averaged 21.5 points and 6.0 assists. Versus Bowie State, he finished with a perfect shooting day - 3 for 3 from the floor, 10 for 10 from the free throw line - and recorded a career-high eight assists.
Webb said it was the support around him that allowed him to shine in those last two games.
"My teammates have faith in me," he said. "They believe that I can do it, so I just find the confidence in myself to find my role on the team and help it do better."
The next step in Webb's evolution, in Poore's eyes, is to gain a better understanding that full speed isn't always the best option. That excitement sometimes can backfire. Against Bowie State, it led to four turnovers.
"The only thing with him is, sometimes you've got to drive that Ferrari at 65 and not 125," Poore said. "A couple of times in those four turnovers, he just gets going too fast, there's nothing there and there are no lanes, but he still wants to go all the time."
Webb admits that the pull of playing full steam ahead every second can be strong. He's trying to adjust his playing style, but there are times the adrenaline rush of competition makes that tough.
"When I get going, I just feel it, so I go with my gut and keep going," he said. "Sometimes they tell me to take my time and slow down, but sometimes it'll slip my mind."
Even with the growing pains, Poore has been impressed with the way Webb has gotten so comfortable so quickly in the college game. The coach likes what he's seen from both his freshman point guards - Webb and Brent Bauer - that he started them both against Bowie State. The concept of two quality ball-handlers on the court at the same time could make a difference for the Yellow Jackets, who went into the holiday break at 4-5 overall and 2-2 in the Mountain East Conference. State visits two of the MEC's top teams when the season resumes - national No. 1 West Liberty on Jan. 4 and Wheeling Jesuit on Jan. 6.
"They're going to play a lot of minutes together, because both of them can handle it," Poore said. "They both have a pretty good head for the game, so I think our future's bright as far as our backcourt with those two out there."