West Virginia men’s basketball continues to add to their non-conference slate for the 2025-2026 season with its latest invite to the Cleveland Hoops Showdown. Read more: WVU Men’s Basketball Set to Compete in the Cleveland Hoops Showdown
The Mountaineers join Ohio State, Ohio and St. Bonaventure in a double-header event that will take place on Dec. 13 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
WVU’s Competitor
West Virginia will be taking on just one of those teams, the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Last year, the Buckeyes had a disappointing season compared to their usual standards. They finished the year 17-15 with a 9-11 record in the Big Ten. Their season ended in the first round of the Big Ten tournament, where they fell to Iowa 77-70.
OSU is coached by Jake Diebler, who is entering his second full season with the program. He was able to retain All-Big Ten second team recipient Bruce Thornton. This was a huge retention for Diebler since Thornton led the Buckeyes in points last year with 17.7 and assists with 4.6.
Thornton was not the only starter Diebler was able to bring back. Devin Royal and John Mobley Jr also returned for another year. Royal led the team with 6.9 rebounds and added 13.7 points per game. For Mobley, he was fourth on the team with 13 points per game.
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Diebler was also able to bring in a number of high-impact players from the transfer portal. One of those was Wright State transfer Brandon Noel. Last year for the Raiders, Noel averaged 19 points and 7.7 rebounds.
He was able to grab former top-100 recruit Gabe Cupps from Indiana. Entering his junior year, Cupps suffered a torn meniscus last season, resulting in receiving a medical redshirt. While he hasn’t seen much action in his collegiate career, if Cupps can stay healthy, he will be a big addition to Diebler’s squad.
Diebler’s Response
This is what Diebler had to say about Ohio State’s invitation to the event.
“Cleveland is a great city full of Buckeye passion and rich basketball tradition,” he said. “I’m excited for our program to participate in the game against West Virginia. We look forward to the stage and atmosphere this game provides and want to continue to reach our fans across our great state and beyond.”
Ross Hodge’s Response
New West Virginia head coach Ross Hodge also seems excited for his team to take on the Buckeyes.
“This is another exciting early-season matchup that we are looking forward to playing against a really solid team from the Big Ten Conference,” he said. “This will be the third time that WVU and Ohio State have played in Cleveland since 2019, and I know it’s a border game that our fans enjoy. It also gives our team the opportunity to play in an NBA arena with the likelihood of playing on national television in December.”
WVU and Ohio State’s History
Like Hodge hinted at, this will be the third time that the Mountaineers have faced the Buckeyes in Cleveland.
The first meeting came in a winning effort with the Mountaineers winning 67-59 in 2019 during the Cleveland Classic. The second saw the Buckeyes getting their revenge in a 78-75 overtime thriller in 2023 during the Legends of Basketball Showdown.
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In total, the two programs have faced each other eight times, with the Mountaineers winning six of them. This includes a 0-4 record when Ohio State is not at home.
More Information Coming
With the season months away from starting, game times and network details will be announced at a later date.
Tickets for the event are set to go on sale on Oct. 9, with a 24-hour presale confirmed for Oct. 8. For more information regarding the event, fans are encouraged to register at www.bit.ly/25ClevelandShowdown.
WVU Men’s Basketball Set to Compete in the Cleveland Hoops Showdown
