West Virginia spent the offseason trying to do something simple but essential: find some stability.
That has been in short supply in Morgantown lately. Bob Huggins was dismissed, Josh Eilert didn’t stick as the interim answer, and Darian DeVries left after one season. Ross Hodge arrived after helping the Mountaineers reach 21 wins and win the College Basketball Crown, and now the challenge is turning that finish into something more lasting.
The problem is that last season’s roster was loaded with veterans, which leaves very little behind. Amir Jenkins is the lone returning player who actually saw meaningful court time, and he’s coming back after averaging just over 3 points per game as a freshman. Honor Huff, Brenen Lorient and Chance Moore are among the major departures, so Hodge had to rebuild quickly.
He did that with help from both the recruiting class and the portal. West Virginia added two four-star recruits, including point guard Miles Sadler, who is viewed as a Top 20 prospect in this class.
The transfer group brings six notable newcomers, with Joson Sanon arriving from St. John’s, Finley Bizjack coming over from Butler and former Boise State forward Javan Buchanan adding more help in the frontcourt.
But the transfer who matters most is Mouhamed Sylla.
The 6-10 center from Senegal comes in after his first college season at Georgia Tech, where he averaged 9.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in 16 games. An ankle injury kept him out for most of ACC play, but the upside is obvious. He was a former Top 50 recruit, and he’s still growing into what he can be.
That makes him a big get in an offseason when teams everywhere were chasing size and strength. West Virginia landed one of the more intriguing big men available, and that matters because Sylla’s production has come in such a limited sample. The raw tools are there, and if he can stay healthy and take a real sophomore leap, he has a chance to become a notable Big 12 big.
He’s not going to solve everything by himself. Sylla alone won’t turn West Virginia into a conference contender or an NCAA Tournament lock.
He doesn’t have to. What he does offer is the most size, the most upside and arguably the highest ceiling of any of the Mountaineers’ newcomers.
If he develops into a rim protector and a threat on offense, West Virginia may have found the kind of frontcourt piece that can change the shape of this team.
In Other News...
Mike Hawkins Jr. Just Put Two WVU Defenders On Notice
Quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. already has a feel for which West Virginia defensive backs could shape the coming season, and two names he singled out stand out for different reasons. Chams Diagne brings the kind of length and coverage ability that can change how an offense attacks, while Geimere Latimer has the reputation of a disciplined piece who should be steady in the back end.
For WVU, the intrigue is in how much more each player can add beyond the basics. Diagne still has to prove he can finish plays better in space and hold up against the run, while Latimer is being counted on to bring more pressure and handle a bigger share of the dirty work near the line. With the defense still sorting out its identity for 2026, those two may end up mattering as much for what they can prevent as for what they can create. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Finally Landed The In-State Addition Fans Have Been Waiting For
West Virginia has added a familiar name with real upside in Alexis Bordas, the Wheeling native who is coming home after one season at Duquesne. Bordas made an immediate impact as a freshman, averaging 15.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while earning a spot on the A-10 All-Rookie Team, giving the Mountaineers a local player who already arrives with proven production.
For a fan base that has been waiting to see a West Virginia-born player in the womens basketball program again, Bordas checks a box that goes beyond the numbers. She brings four years of eligibility under the new rules, which gives WVU a chance to build around her for more than just the short term, and it adds another layer of intrigue to how the roster will take shape moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginia Still Has One Running Back Problem It Did Not Fix
West Virginia spent the summer trying to stir some movement in its running back recruiting board, hosting several official visitors and hoping to chip away at a depth chart that needed attention. The visits brought plenty of activity, but the end result was more mixed than transformational, with the Mountaineers cycling through the usual recruiting churn without truly changing the shape of the room.
One prospect ended up at Houston, another came to West Virginia but fit more as a receiver than a true back, and a third briefly pledged to the Mountaineers before moving on to Auburn. Tylek Lewis is still out there as an uncommitted option, but for now the bigger takeaway is simple enough for West Virginia: after all those visits, the running back situation looks the same as it did before the June official period began. [Read more 🡒]