West Virginia’s three-game homestand rolls on Friday night, and the next visitor to Hope Coliseum is Stetson, a team that has already taken its lumps in a tough early schedule.
The Hatters arrive from the Atlantic Sun Conference after road losses at Clemson and South Carolina. In the opener, Stetson fell 85-72 to the Tigers but did manage to flip the script after halftime, outscoring Clemson 48-36 in the second half. On Tuesday night at South Carolina, senior forward Collin Kuhl turned in the best performance for the Hatters with 17 points and seven rebounds.
Kuhl, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound senior, has been the centerpiece of Donnie Jones’ roster. Jones, a Point Pleasant native and former Marshall coach, brought in seven transfers this offseason, but keeping Kuhl in DeLand was the biggest win.
Kuhl averaged 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds last season on his way to third team All-ASUN honors, and there is belief he could be in the mix for conference player of the year in 2027. Across the losses to Clemson and South Carolina, he has totaled 37 points while shooting 60.9% and has added 11 rebounds.
Stetson has also gotten production from Magnus Entenmann, a 6-foot-9, 227-pound German-born transfer from Kent State. He’s averaging 10.5 points and 4.5 rebounds so far.
Still, the Hatters have been slow out of the gate in both games, getting outscored 91-49 in the first halves alone. And the schedule is only getting tougher, with trips to Louisville, USF, Miami and Cincinnati still on deck before Christmas.
West Virginia enters the matchup in a much different spot after opening with a 91-46 win over Niagara on Monday night. Freshman guard Miles Sadler nearly posted a double-double in his college debut, finishing with 16 points and nine assists while sparking a six-player scoring effort in double figures. Brenen Lorient scored 13, Martin Somerville had 12, Finley Bizjack and Javan Buchanan added 11 apiece, and Mouhamed Sylla chipped in 10.
After the game, Ross Hodge pointed to the pace and the defensive edge his team showed. “Miles got out in transition, and really after the first six minutes of the game, I thought our defensive intensity was really good,” Hodge said.
He also liked the depth on display. Every available player saw the floor against Niagara, and nine Mountaineers found the scoring column.
“I think the strength of this team will be the numbers, and then when you combine that with the ability we’ve talked about, you should be able to wear some other teams down,” Hodge noted.
The opener also produced a couple of oddities for the stat sheet: Niagara did not grab an offensive rebound, and the Purple Eagles missed all four of their free throws.
West Virginia has been nearly automatic at home in nonconference play, winning 153 of its last 166 home nonconference games. Since 2002, the Mountaineers are 217-60 in nonconference competition overall. In Hope Coliseum, they are 638-194 in the building’s 57th season.
Stetson will be making its third trip to Morgantown and its first since 2015, when West Virginia won 103-62. Friday’s game is set for 7 p.m. and will air on ESPN+.
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West Virginia Gets A Needed Boost At Texas Tech
West Virginia is set to get a welcome lift for its trip to Texas Tech, with wide receiver Armoni Weaver-Bomar, defensive lineman Corey McIntyre Jr. and cornerback Jason Chambers all expected back in the mix. Weaver-Bomars return is especially notable after he underwent surgery for a fractured finger earlier in the season, and the Mountaineers are hoping he can be available if his recovery continues on schedule.
The timing matters because Texas Tech brings its own dangerous passing-game threat, with Kenny Johnson still the Red Raiders player to watch as their leader in receptions and receiving yards. For West Virginia, getting bodies back on both sides of the ball could help against a team that can stress a defense quickly, and it adds some needed depth to a roster that has been managing absences for much of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Honor Huffs Eligibility Fight Just Became A Real West Virginia Story
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For the Mountaineers, the significance is bigger than one players paperwork. Huff had been seeking an additional year after sitting out a season under transfer rules, and his case centered on whether NCAA rule changes should apply to him. With the court siding with him at this stage, West Virginia now has a real offseason storyline to follow, even if the broader fight is far from over. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginia Has A Real Shot If One Matchup Breaks Its Way
West Virginia heads into its matchup with 15th-ranked Texas Tech with a case to make, even if the Red Raiders look like the more complete team on paper. The Mountaineers have shown enough in recent weeks to suggest they can hang around if their rushing game stays productive and they keep turning red zone trips into touchdowns, the kind of formula that can shorten the game and keep the pressure from building.
Texas Tech, though, brings the sort of problems that can spoil that plan quickly. Its offensive line has held up well enough to give the quarterback room to operate, and his mobility adds another layer West Virginia has to account for if it wants to create the sacks and negative plays that can swing a game. For the Mountaineers, the path is there, but it depends on one matchup breaking their way. [Read more 🡒]