West Virginia has found another transfer portal scorer, and this one sounds ready to buy into the defensive grind Ross Hodge demands.
Butler transfer Finley Bizjack arrives in Morgantown after a big season in the Big East, where he ranked third in the conference in scoring at 17.1 points per game. He shot 42.6% from the field and hit 34.9% of his three-pointers, giving the Mountaineers a proven three-level scorer who can create his own looks and finish at the rim.
Bizjack said on MetroNews’ Sportsline that the defensive side of the game is still a work in progress for him, but he sees that as part of the appeal of coming to West Virginia.
“The defensive transition has definitely been a struggle for me because I’m not typically known as a defensive player. But Coach Hodge’s system has definitely helped me a lot whenever I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.
It’s been hard, but definitely good for me because I can feel myself getting better. I wanted to go somewhere where I could grow the most as a player and prove to the world that I could be a winner.
And so, Coach Hodge definitely emphasized that whenever he was recruiting me. He led off in all of our recruiting meetings like, ‘Hey, we actually play defense here, and if you can bring the scoring, I can make you a better defender.’
And so, that was beyond important to me.”
That message clearly landed. Like Treysen Eaglestaff before him, Bizjack is stepping into a system that will ask him to do more than just score, but the fit looks different this time because he won’t have to carry the offense on every possession. West Virginia’s roster gives him more help, and Bizjack says that has made the adjustment easier.
“It’s very different for me because coming from Butler, I was the main scoring option, and we were riding and dying with how I scored the ball. Because I’m surrounded by so many talented guys like Miles (Sadler), Seydou (Traore), Javan (Buchanan), Mo (Sylla), Joson (Sanon), and Martin (Somerville), the entire team is just…it’s the best team I’ve ever played on.
I don’t have to do as much offensively, and I think that helps me pour into defense and just kind of playing off the ball more. It’s been a lot easier for sure.
“Seydou and Joson can jump out of the gym. Even Mo.
Mo’s, I think one of the best bigs I’ve ever played with in my life. Definitely having those guys around me offensively helps, but even more so defensively because they’re just such good athletes and have such good instincts.”
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Foxs outlook is tied closely to the present setup, since the job belongs to Mike Hawkins and the path beyond this fall is what makes the situation interesting. For Livingston, the uncertainty is more immediate and more practical, with the staff weighing how best to fit experienced pieces into the interior and keep the offense steady as new options come into view. [Read more 🡒]
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West Virginia Camp Is About To Answer Its Biggest Roster Question
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Michael Hawkins and Scotty Fox headline the quarterback race, while the line and secondary are crowded enough that every rep should matter. In the middle of the defense, several players are pushing for playing time, and at cornerback the mix of familiar names and newcomers gives the coaches plenty to sort through. By the time camp settles in, West Virginia should have a much clearer picture of where its roster stands, even if one of the most important decisions still hangs in the balance. [Read more 🡒]