We may need to pump the brakes on expectations for WVU Men’s Basketball this season. READ MORE: Temper the expectations: WVU Men’s Basketball is still finding its identity
Unfortunately, Mountaineer fans are becoming all too familiar with rebuilding under a first-year head coach. Just a year ago, WVU welcomed Darian DeVries, who by nearly every measure delivered a highly successful season. Despite that success, the Mountaineers were snubbed by the NCAA Tournament – a decision that still stings. Everyone knows what followed. DeVries left for Indiana and took his NBA-prospect son with him, forcing WVU to start over yet again.
Now, the program turns the page to Ross Hodge, who is hoping to replicate that same level of early success.
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The season began promisingly. West Virginia opened 5-0, highlighted by a dominant win over archrival Pitt, which made it feel like the Mountaineers were trending in the right direction. Reality has set in since then. WVU has dropped three of its last five games, with losses to P4 opponents Clemson, Xavier and most recently Wake Forest.
“I got to do a better job,” said Hodge after the loss to Wake. “It’s easy to point the finger at the players, it’s easy to blame them, but I got to take accountability too and I’ve gotta do a better job of putting these guys in better positions again, where they can play to their strengths and try to try to keep them away from having to play to some of their weaknesses.”
Growing pains
That stretch underscores the challenge ahead. Rebuilding an entire basketball roster – again – is no small task. DeVries was able to bring in both his son, Tucker, and Javon Small, who became the backbone of the team. When DeVries went down with a season-ending injury in November, Small carried the load and was simply outstanding throughout the year.
The roster this season still has some growing up to do. The bottom line is the transfer portal is a mixed bag. While it can add experience quickly, it doesn’t always deliver elite, program-changing talent – and that reality is showing up at times for this group.
There is still plenty of time to get things on track. There is no denying that Honor Huff, the transfer from Chattanooga, can absolutely fill it up from three-point range and stretch defenses. There is also reason for optimism with portal addition Treysen Eaglestaff, who has yet to fully take off in Morgantown.
Eaglestaff averaged nearly 19 points per game at North Dakota and turned heads nationally when he scored 40 points against Alabama last season. He also posted a 51-point effort in the Summit League Tournament and brings unlimited shooting range.
After flashing his potential in recent games, Eaglestaff did not attempt a shot in the loss to Wake Forest. That was largely a product of game flow, Huff’s hot shooting and Chance Moore – the St. Bonaventure transfer – taking control down low as the team’s second-leading scorer.
Laying the foundation
In many ways, this men’s basketball team mirrors where the football program currently stands. Both are in the early stages of establishing an identity under a new head coach and will need a sustainable combination of high school recruits and portal additions – not just one-year subcontractors – to build something lasting.
For now, expectations should be tempered. These non-conference losses could loom large when March rolls around and tournament resumes are under scrutiny. There is real upside here, and this team will be competitive in Big 12 play at times. But if the past couple of weeks have shown us anything, it’s that West Virginia is still growing. The flashes of excellence are there, yet the growing pains are unavoidable.
Circle next Saturday’s game against Ohio State as an early litmus test heading into conference play. A win over the Buckeyes would go a long way toward building confidence – and helping the Mountaineers’ NCAA Tournament chances later in the season.
