After what’s certainly been a rocky stretch in program history, West Virginia is finally realizing some stability. Legendary coach Bob Huggins was dismissed, then interim coach Josh Eilert was shown the door after one season before Darian DeVries bolted from Morgantown for the Indiana job after just one year. Last season, Ross Hodge took over the Mountaineers as the fourth head coach in a row but he appears to have staying power.
His first year was a step in the right direction for West Virginia, even if the program didn’t quite accomplish all of their goals. The Mountaineers tied for 7th in the Big 12 but weren’t in the NCAA Tournament, instead winning the College Basketball Crown and finishing with a 21-14 record. You could argue either way about the important of winning a postseason tournament; Hodge knows that that was an important stretch for the future of this program.
Big time losses in Morgantown
The issue that the Mountaineers are facing is a lack of continuity on the court, with a majority of last season’s talent not back this year. This isn’t exactly a new phenomenon in this current era of college hoops, but Honor Huff, Chance Moore, and Treysen Eaglestaff are all major departures, and that’s not the end of it. West Virginia lost some talent into the transfer portal, though this staff utilized that same portal to replenish.
Stability is the key for West Virginia basketball, even if the continuity isn’t quite there yet. A veteran team thrived at times last season and this year’s squad will have an entirely new look. We’re going to take some time and run through the faces expected to contribute, including a few whose eligibility are still up in the air.
Projected Starters
Guard – Miles Sadler (Freshman)
The biggest part of West Virginia’s incoming freshman class, Sadler is a 4-star point guard considered one of the Top 25 prospects in the country. An elite scorer and playmaker, Sadler is quick, craft, and has great potential on both sides of the ball. He’ll slide right into a major role with the Mountaineers, though we’ll see how long he stays in Morgantown with his pro potential.
Guard – Finley Bizjack (Senior)
Bizjack is a 6-4 guard out of Texas who spent his first three collegiate seasons playing at Butler. He spent two seasons starting for the Bulldogs and did great work, putting up 17.1 points and 2.5 assists as a junior while nabbing Third Team All-Big East honors. Expect a significant role for Bizjack, who made 35% of his 3-pointers and should be one of the more consistent offensive pieces for the Mountaineers.
Guard – Joson Sanon (Junior)
A 6-5 guard from Massachusetts, Sanon was considered a Top 25 prospect back in the class of 2024 and is still trying to find his footing. He did some great work as a reserve at Arizona State as a freshman, putting up nearly 12 points a game, before last year was spent with St. John’s. He wasn’t as vital for the Red Storm, averaging 7.9 points and 2.4 rebounds, but he’s a talented scorer who could be a major weapon at West Virginia this season.
Forward – Brenen Lorient (Senior)
We’re waiting for confirmation on his eligibility, but getting Lorient back for a second season in Morgantown would be a major victory. A previous reserve at Florida Atlantic and North Texas, he averaged 11.9 points and 5.2 rebounds as a starting forward for the Mountaineers as a senior, with great work as a shooter and defender. If he’s granted that fifth year and remains eligible, then that’s not just a veteran piece but a rare bit of continuity for this coaching staff in this lineup.
Center – Mouhamed Sylla (Sophomore)
An ankle injury limited Sylla to just 16 games last season, but the 6-10 center from Senegal made an impression during that time. That freshman year was spent over at Georgia Tech as a starter for the Yellow Jackets with 9.6 points and 7.2 rebounds a night. A former 4-star prospect, Sylla has great length and speed for his size and isn’t the kind of center that just gets locked in the paint.
Key Reserves
Guard – Amir Jenkins (Sophomore)
Another rare returning player from last year, Jenkins joined the Mountaineers as a freshman last season and carved out a decent role off the bench. The Massachusetts native averaged 3.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists and could be in for increased minutes this year. Jenkins is a versatile athlete and explosive guard who can be a great scorer or game manager if needed.
Guard – Keonte Greybear (Freshman)
A 4-star point guard originally from Frisco, Texas, Greybear is another talented young weapon in this backcourt. At the high school level he really showcased both his scoring ability and athleticism and he stands to develop into an even better shooter and defender in the months ahead. He’s one of many young faces in this backcourt and we’ll see just how much run can get right off the bat.
Center – Amadou Seini (Freshman)
Another massive freshman addition, Seini is literally a big deal, as a 7-1 center is a massive athlete with great potential in the future of this lineup. A 4-star recruit, Seini uses his size well and is a great rebounder, especially on the offensive end. He’s still developing his game and will need to stay out of foul trouble, though he’s a great depth piece right away and a future starting center if he stays in Morgantown.
Guard – Martin Somerville (Junior)
The 2025 America East Rookie of the Year at UMass Lowell, Somerville took his talents to Florida State and put up solid figures in the ACC as a sophomore. That lone year with the Seminoles saw him average 8.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, though his shooting numbers understandably took a step back. Somerville earned some starts with Florida State and could play a similar role with West Virginia, though this staff is excited about the experience and playmaking ability he brings in this new-look backcourt.
Guard/Forward – Seydou Traore (Senior)
Traore is another well-traveled addition, having spent a single year at Manhattan, Iowa, and Utah before landing at West Virginia this offseason. He was the MAAC’s best shot blocker as a freshman, a solid asset with the Hawkeyes, and just put up 9.0 points and 3.4 rebounds as a starter with the Utes. There’s a path to significant minutes thanks to his versatility, physicality, and defensive talent.
Forward – Javan Buchanan (Senior)
Technically Buchanan’s eligibility is still up in the air as well, thanks to two seasons at Indiana Wesleyan and two more with Boise State. He was Mountain West Sixth Man of the Year as a junior before averaging 12.6 points and 5.0 rebounds last year as a starter for the Broncos. He’s not the greatest athlete in the world, but there’s a lot to like about his physical gifts and the experience he brings if he is part of the equation here.
Center – Aliou Dioum (Freshman)
The last piece in an impressive freshmen class, Dioum is a 4-star center from Denver who also projects to be an important depth piece in this frontcourt right away. Dioum is another surprising athlete who can handle the ball around the rim and doesn’t just hover in the paint, with shotmaking ability and defensive potential.
Schedule Outlook
It’s a relatively simple start to the regular season with three home games for the Mountaineers, but that ease doesn’t last long. They’ll head to Las Vegas in mid-November for the Players Era 8, getting three games including Auburn and potential Kansas, Houston, or Florida on the following days. Right after Thanksgiving on November 27th, they’ll have another tough task at the Dick Vitale Invitational in Charlotte against North Carolina.
We’ll learn a lot about the Mountaineers in late November, though there are still a few notable games in December’s schedule. West Virginia welcomes Virginia Tech to town on December 5th a few days before playing another rival from the ACC. Their classic rivalry title against Pittsburgh comes on the 9th and will be highly anticipated. Surrounded by some easy matchups at home, one last notable matchup comes in Greensboro as the Mountaineers play Holiday Hoopfest against Wake Forest on December 19th.
Big 12 play starts with a major test at Kansas on January 2nd, though the schedule clears up for a few weeks after that. However, the Mountaineers see Cincinnati, Iowa State, and UCF twice and have a ton of tough matchups in the two months of league play. A particularly tough February also includes road games at Baylor and Texas Tech and their one look at Houston before ending the season against the Cyclones on March 6.
Season Outlook
Whether or not you see it as a winning strategy, it’s important for coaches these days to win in the transfer portal, because landing veteran players and experience builds better lineups. Hodge and his new staff did that last season and had quite the postseason, though the goal is the NCAA Tournament and beyond. Did the Mountaineers add enough talent this time around?
The backcourt shows us that it’s not all about the veteran pieces, as an impressive freshman class should see Sadler develop into a star while Greybear certainly has a role as well. Don’t underestimate what a veteran piece like Bizjack could mean, especially if he continues his upward trajectory, while Sanon is hoping to live up to high expectations at his third school in three years.
That nice mix of raw talent and experience continues in the frontcourt as long as everything goes West Virginia’s way in the courts. Lorient becomes a major playmaker if he’s back again while Buchanan’s role could be just as significant. Beyond them, Sylla looks the part of a game-changing center and there’s plenty of talent behind him in freshmen Dioum and Seini.
There’s so much talent in the backcourt that we forgot to mention Somerville and what he could mean to this lineup. The problem may come closer to the hoop, as a young frontcourt really needs those players eligible or the depth will take a significant hit. On paper, this absolutely looks like a team that can win real games in the Big 12 and get back into the NCAA Tournament, though we’ll have to see how Hodge handles all of this talent in his second year at the helm.
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