MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — For the first time since the 2022-23 campaign, West Virginia’s men’s basketball program isn’t starting a season with a new head coach.
The first look at the second version of Ross Hodge’s Mountaineers comes at 7 p.m. Monday when WVU plays host to Niagara at Hope Coliseum. The contest can be seen on ESPN+.
“We’re not anywhere close to a finished product, but I think we have what we need to play the game on Monday,” Hodge said.
Among rotation regulars, fifth-year forward Brenen Lorient is the only player with significant experience at West Virginia and under Hodge, as the Mountaineers break in 12 new players and what will likely be four different starters from last season.
“It’s exciting to me. We go so hard in practice and go hard in the weight room,” said senior guard Finley Bizjack, a Butler transfer expected to be among the starting five and one of the team’s top offensive options. “They’re honest about meals and stuff. There’s not one thing in this program we’re not super strict about. Finally getting to the games, we play Monday then Friday, that makes me happy. I’m sick of all this getting ready for games and I’m ready to play them.”
WVU played the permitted three exhibition games, first losing two weeks ago at Maryland in overtime before winning convincingly against Glenville State and Wheeling — a pair of Division II programs and members of the Mountain East Conference.
Freshman guard Miles Sadler, Bizjack, Joson Sanon, Lorient, Seydou Traore and Mouhamed Sylla were all part of the starting five across the three exhibitions, with Sanon starting against Maryland and Traore part of the first five in the other two tune-ups.
Guard Martin Somerville, forward Javan Buchanan and freshman center Amadou Seini all played extensively in reserve roles, and the aforementioned group of nine looks primed to comprise Hodge’s rotation to start the season.
“Starting, to me is probably one of the least important things, but I know it’s super important to people,” Hodge said. “We easily could have nine or 10 starters in their own way. You’re looking more at combinations of people playing and when they play, because you know they’re not all going to be able to play at the same time.”
Sadler is among the more decorated recruits in program history and the point guard will heavily factor into how the team operates offensively. In the most recent exhibition Wednesday against Wheeling, he had game-high totals of 15 points and six assists.
“He’s been growing incredibly fast adjusting to the college game versus high school,” Bizjack said.
Hodge was pleased with his team’s body language and togetherness throughout the preseason, but recognizes situations will arise starting Monday that the Mountaineers aren’t yet accustomed to.
He’s eager to see their response.
“Do I feel like we’re good enough right where we are to win the games that we need to win and play? Of course, but this will be a long journey to playing the best basketball,” Hodge said. “You don’t want highs and lows. It’s a challenge for players in the climate that we’re in, because there is such emotional swings from one game until the next and everybody kind of wants to be the person to make very robust statements and opinions on something as if it’s finite. There’s just a lot. It’s a long journey.”
Former Duke point guard and Syracuse quarterback Greg Paulus enters his eighth season as the Purple Eagles’ head coach.
Niagara has had one winning season and two non-losing campaigns during Paulus’ tenure.
A member of the Metro Conference, Niagara was slotted 12th among 13 teams in the league’s preseason poll.
Niagara finished 8-22 last season.
November 2nd marks the earliest start date to a season in school history for WVU, which is 101-16 all-time in openers and 107-10 in home openers.