A new roster for a program trying to change its direction
West Virginia men’s basketball begins its second season under coach Ross Hodge with a roster that looks markedly different from the one that finished last year. The Mountaineers have missed the NCAA Tournament for three consecutive seasons, the program’s longest such stretch in two decades, and they will open this campaign Nov. 2 at home against Niagara.
That opening arrives after a season in which West Virginia went 21-14 overall and 9-9 in the Big 12. The team finished seventh in the conference and went 2-4 against ranked opponents, with victories over Kansas and BYU. Those results offered evidence that Hodge’s first-year foundation could work, even as the offense kept the team from making a larger move nationally.
Hodge brought a defense-first approach to Morgantown after coaching at North Texas. West Virginia gave up 65.7 points per game in his first season, a figure that ranked 14th nationally. The challenge was on the other end of the court: The Mountaineers averaged 70.6 points, ranking 290th in the country. The roster changes are designed to address that imbalance without abandoning the identity Hodge established.
Fresh faces are being asked to supply more offense
West Virginia enters the season with nine underclassmen and only two returning players from last year’s team. That combination gives the program an unusually young and unfamiliar look. It also leaves Hodge and his staff with the task of building cohesion quickly, particularly in a conference schedule that will place the Mountaineers against established national programs.
The most closely watched newcomer may be Miles Sadler, a 6-foot point guard who played at Bella Vista Prep in Scottsdale, Arizona. Rivals.com ranked Sadler 23rd nationally, making him one of the highest-rated recruits in West Virginia history. His arrival gives the Mountaineers a highly regarded option in the backcourt as they seek to improve a scoring attack that struggled last season.
Sadler will share the backcourt with Finley Bizjack, who spent three seasons at Butler and averaged 17.1 points last year. The addition of a proven scorer could be particularly important for a team that defended well but ranked near the bottom nationally in scoring. Together, the two guards represent a significant part of the program’s attempt to make its offense more productive.
Eligibility cases add uncertainty to the frontcourt
West Virginia also expects to rely on forwards Brenen Lorient and Javan Buchanan, though their availability is tied to an ongoing legal and eligibility dispute. The players won a preliminary injunction in September allowing them to play a fifth college season. The NCAA is appealing that decision.
Lorient was West Virginia’s second-leading scorer last season, averaging 11.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Buchanan averaged 12.6 points and five rebounds at Boise State. Their potential return would give the Mountaineers experience and production in the frontcourt while the rest of the roster adjusts. The appeal, however, means their status remains an important issue surrounding the season.
| Player | Previous production or profile | Role in the new roster |
|---|---|---|
| Miles Sadler | Rivals.com No. 23 nationally | Highly rated point guard |
| Finley Bizjack | 17.1 points at Butler last season | Scoring backcourt addition |
| Brenen Lorient | 11.9 points, 5.2 rebounds at West Virginia | Returning frontcourt production, pending appeal |
| Javan Buchanan | 12.6 points, 5 rebounds at Boise State | Experienced forward, pending appeal |
A transfer-heavy group will have to become a team
Several other additions bring experience from different programs. Center Mouhamed Sylla recorded five double-doubles at Georgia Tech before an ankle injury limited him to half of his freshman season. Seydou Traore, who has attended four schools, averaged nine points last season at Utah. Martin Somerville and Joson Sanon averaged eight points at Florida State and St. John’s, respectively.
The movement also extends in the opposite direction. Jasper Floyd, who followed Hodge from North Texas to West Virginia a year ago, entered the transfer portal in April and later played professionally in Mexico. His departure is another reminder that this is not simply a recruiting class added to an intact group; it is a broad reconstruction of the roster.
The schedule will test the makeover early
West Virginia’s schedule offers little time for a young team to settle in before facing national competition. After the home opener against Niagara, the Mountaineers will play Auburn in the first game of the Players Era tournament Nov. 17 in Las Vegas. They will meet North Carolina Nov. 27 in Charlotte.
- Nov. 2: Home opener against Niagara.
- Nov. 17: Auburn in the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas.
- Nov. 27: North Carolina in Charlotte.
For a program coming off three straight seasons outside the NCAA Tournament, those games offer immediate measuring points. They also place pressure on a roster with limited continuity. Hodge’s first season demonstrated that West Virginia could become difficult to score against. The central question now is whether the new guards, transfers and possible returning forwards can turn that defensive strength into enough offense to keep the Mountaineers in the national conversation.
That answer will develop over the course of a season defined by change. West Virginia has kept the defensive standard that Hodge introduced, but almost everything around it has been remade. In Morgantown, the hope is that a younger, more talented and more versatile group can end the tournament drought. The first evidence will come quickly, beginning with Niagara and continuing against two of the country’s best-known programs.
