West Virginia men’s basketball is tied for eighth in the Big 12 preseason coaches poll, similar to last year’s finish in a tie for seventh. The Mountaineers received 116 points, the same total as Cincinnati. Arizona was picked to repeat as conference champion by the league’s coaches. WVU finished with a 9-9 record in the Big 12 last season, and 21-14 overall. Read more: WVU Men’s Basketball tied for eighth in the Big 12 preseason coaches poll.
Where WVU landed
WVU shares its spot with a familiar face. Cincinnati is coached by Jerrod Calhoun, a former West Virginia assistant from 2007-12. He also spent time just down the road at Fairmont State, where he was their head coach from 2012-17.
Tipoff can’t come soon enough ⏳ https://t.co/QxFEcbwgoy
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) October 15, 2026
The Mountaineers have outperformed this poll before. They received 79 points last season, which had them 11th in the preseason. They finished tied for seventh and, while they did not shock the world, they outperformed expectations in Ross Hodge’s first season as head coach.
No Mountaineer made the preseason All-Big 12 team. Arizona’s Motiejus Krivas is Preseason Player of the Year, Arizona State’s Paulius Murauskas is Preseason Newcomer of the Year, and Kansas’ Tyran Stokes is Preseason Freshman of the Year.
Related: Former WVU guard Honor Huff seeks fifth season
Last season, none of the preseason awards came to fruition. All three awards went to different players. West Virginia had one player honored at the end of the season. Honor Huff was named as an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. Huff filed a complaint against the NCAA for an additional year of eligibility. Hodge said Wednesday he has not given much thought to Huff’s situation but supports him.
“I am supportive of him for sure, and I will support all these guys,” Hodge said Wednesday. “I think that’s just a different conversation for a different day, to be honest.”
Huff would certainly add experience and talent to this young roster, but Hodge is focused on what is in front of him and his team.
A roster still taking shape
WVU is in a similar situation they were in last year. A middle-of-the-pack team, with six freshmen and six transfers. Hodge said Wednesday that this roster will not look like last year’s team.
“It’s going to look different because it’s different players, different strengths and different weaknesses,” Hodge said.
He still has the same foundation, but he is working out how this group gets there.
“We’re still learning that,” Hodge said. “What do these players do best? How can we put them in position to be the most successful?”
Hodge named toughness and taking care of the ball as pillars that will not change. He also said he likes the depth he sees and believes the Mountaineers can win in more than one way.
“I do think we have multiple ways to play, and the more ways you can play to win games, the better it is for you,” Hodge said.
With the addition of Brenen Lorient and Javan Buchanan, they now have four seniors on the roster. Finley Bizjack and Seydou Traore, both transfers, round out the senior class. Freshman point guard Miles Sadler is an elite scorer with phenomenal playmaking. The depth is real for Hodge’s team, but the younger players have to adjust to the Big 12’s style of play.
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