MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia’s men’s basketball team has played just three times over the last two weeks and won’t be back in action until the calendar flips to 2026 when the Mountaineers begin Big 12 play at Iowa State.
While the Mountaineers largely failed to accomplish much of what they set out to in the non-league schedule by losing four or five games to Power Conference foes, a positive trend — three-point shooting — has surfaced of late.
In Monday’s 86-51 victory against overmatched Mississippi Valley State, WVU (9-4) made 12-of-27 triples, including 7 of 13 in the first half when it attempted and made more threes than two-point field goals while up against the Delta Devils’ zone defense.
“There’s not really a number you quantify on it. Some of it is who you’re playing, what they’re trying to allow you to do and taking the shots that the defense is giving you and shooting the ball with confidence,” WVU head coach Ross Hodge said. “Even tonight, we probably missed a handful of them that were really good shots and wide open. We have an unselfish group. Our post players are good passers and good ball movers, and the ball is moving and finding the open guy and the open guy is ready to step into it and shoot it. When you make shots, it makes everything easier.”
Eight of the dozen triples against MVSU came courtesy of starters Honor Huff and Treysen Eaglestaff, who each went 4 for 10 from long range. Two others came from freshman guard Amir Jenkins on as many attempts, while fellow freshman DJ Thomas and starting guard Jasper Floyd each made one as well.
Eaglestaff, who went to halftime with three points on 1-of-4 shooting, scored 20 in the second half to finish with a game-high 23. The bulk of his damage came against MVSU’s man-to-man defense, while an ability to connect from the perimeter aided Eagelstaff in one of his better showings as a Mountaineer.
“At our first scrimmage together, we had a lot of threes,” Eaglestaff said. “I don’t remember what, but we were lights out and it was really hard to guard. It’s definitely the plan. We’re just going to keep putting the work in. You can’t script anything. I’ve had bad games. I work hard before those games and it just doesn’t go in, so that’s part of basketball. We’re definitely going to work our hardest to get to where we need to be and we’re going to work hard every day.”
The Mountaineers connected on 111-of-309 triples in non-conference play. Among 16 Big 12 teams, WVU is sixth in three-pointers made and attempted and 10th in percentage at 35.9, which leaves the team in the top 100 nationally.
Dating back to December 9 when the Mountaineers defeated Little Rock 90-58, West Virginia has made 39-of-83 triples over its last three games, with the other an 89-88 double overtime loss to Ohio State in Cleveland on December 13.
WVU has made at least 12 threes in all three contests and attempted no fewer than 26.
“Our guys put a lot of work in and a lot of time in,” Hodge said. “Some of it is probably getting a little more comfortable with everything that’s going on and really understanding as a group where we want the shots to come from and where we’re comfortable with them coming from. The confidence to step into it, knowing that this is the shot I should shoot and this is the shot coach wants me to shoot and whether I make it or miss it, this is a good shot for us. It’s a combination of the work that they put in and becoming more comfortable knowing exactly the shots that I want them to shoot make or miss.“
Huff, who was tops in the country with 131 triples last season at Chattanooga, has made 27 over the last five contests and is the nation’s leader in triples with 53.
Eaglestaff is next with 19 treys, 11 of which have come during the most recent three-game stretch.
It’s a welcome sight for a team that shot 28 for 102 from beyond the arc over the four-game stretch that preceded the last three contests, including just 6 for 28 in a nine-point loss to Wake Forest.
“With our defense, we’re one of the best teams in the country when the threes are falling,” Eaglestaff said. “That’s just really hard to guard. We’re going to make you shoot tough shots and get rebounds. If our shots are falling like that, especially from multiple people, that’s dangerous.”