Miles Sadler wasted no time making his presence felt again, and West Virginia kept rolling right along with him.
The Mountaineers handled Stetson 91-53 inside Hope Coliseum on Tuesday night, backing up their earlier win in the building and moving to 2-0. Sadler, the true freshman who opened his college career with 16 points and nine assists earlier this week, was even sharper in this one. He had 14 points by halftime, hitting 6 of 9 shots and going 2 of 4 from deep before finishing with 25 points on 11 of 16 shooting.
West Virginia’s shooting from the perimeter was the difference early. St.
John’s transfer Joson Sanon caught fire and buried four straight threes, stretching the margin from 19-9 to 31-16. Sanon stayed hot all night and finished 6 of 8 from beyond the arc.
Stetson did hang around for stretches in the first half. Sean Morgan and Collin Kuhl combined to go 5 of 9 over the opening 20 minutes, and the Hatters were still within striking distance at halftime.
But Ross Hodge had reason to be unhappy with the defense, especially inside, where Stetson scored 14 of its 30 first-half points. The Mountaineers were late on rotations and didn’t bring enough physicality from the bigs.
That changed quickly after the break. West Virginia opened the second half with a 6-0 run that forced a Stetson timeout, then tightened everything up defensively. The Hatters managed just 25% shooting in the second half, while the Mountaineers turned it over only twice over the final 20 minutes, both coming in the last minute with the younger players on the floor.
Sadler and Sanon weren’t the only ones connecting from outside. Finley Bizjack, Miles Sadler, and Martin Somerville all knocked down multiple threes, and West Virginia shot 42% from deep as a team.
The Mountaineers now have nearly a week before their next game, giving them time to sort through the first two performances before facing Mercer next Thursday.
In Other News...
Ex-WVU QB Nicco Marchiol Gets Another Chance To Reopen Old What-Ifs
Nicco Marchiol is about to get another meaningful shot, and for West Virginia fans, that alone is enough to stir up some old memories. The former Mountaineer quarterback is set to start for Northwestern against No. 19 Iowa, giving him his first extensive action since last season and putting him back in the kind of spotlight he once occupied in Morgantown.
Marchiols WVU tenure included some of the programs most memorable moments in recent years, including two wins over Pitt, but his path never settled into a clean arc. Coaching changes and shifting offensive schemes helped shape a career that never quite found full traction, and his limited playing time this season at Northwestern has only added to the sense that his story has remained unfinished. Now he gets another chance to change the conversation, even if one familiar thread from his West Virginia days still hangs in the background. [Read more 🡒]
Ross Hodge Just Teased A Nonconference Opportunity WVU Fans Will Love
Ross Hodge is already looking ahead to next seasons nonconference slate, and he dropped a hint on a radio show that should catch the attention of West Virginia fans. The Mountaineers new coach said he will try to line up a game at Madison Square Garden next year, a setting that would give his program a marquee stage and a chance to test itself in one of college basketballs most recognizable arenas.
A matchup there would also fit the kind of East Coast opponent Hodge seemed to have in mind, with St. Johns mentioned as a possible fit. West Virginia and St. Johns have met before, which only adds to the appeal, but nothing is scheduled yet. For now, it is just a promising idea with plenty of intrigue for a fan base that likes the sound of big-stage basketball. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Has A Chance To Silence Doubters Against Texas Tech
West Virginia heads into Week 10 with a chance to do more than just add another win. A victory over Texas Tech would not only give the Mountaineers a quality result in a big conference matchup, it could also push them back into the AP Top 25 conversation and give the program another chance to show it belongs in the national picture.
The challenge is obvious, though, because ESPNs Bill Connellys SP+ model leans toward the Red Raiders in this one. With Mike Hawkins Jr. and Texas Techs Thomas Castellanos among the players to watch, the matchup has the feel of a late-night test that could tell a lot about where West Virginia stands, and the 9:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN should make it a national showcase for a team trying to quiet plenty of outside skepticism. [Read more 🡒]