West Virginia is set to open the season with a starting five that mixes freshman pop, transfer scoring and a defensive anchor, as Ross Hodge turns in his lineup for tonight’s matchup with Niagara.
Miles Sadler gets the nod at point guard after flashing exactly the kind of upside the Mountaineers were hoping to see in the three exhibitions. The freshman guard has looked every bit the part of a high-end playmaker, bringing speed, shot creation and the ability to seize control of a stretch of the game. That kind of burst at the point has been missing for West Virginia for years.
Finley Bizjack joins him in the backcourt, and he arrives with a reputation as an instant offense type. The Butler transfer caught fire in the exhibition against Maryland, and his scoring isn’t limited to outside shots. He has a knack for getting the ball in the basket however it comes, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he finishes the season as the team’s top scorer.
On the wing, Seydou Traore gives West Virginia a player who stands out most on defense. The Utah transfer is described as the Mountaineers’ best defender, with the length and athleticism to stay with opponents on the ball and recover when things break down. He can make an impact offensively too, and the staff knows he can score when needed.
Brenen Lorient is also in the starting group, and his status remains tied to the NCAA situation surrounding him and teammate Javan Buchanan. Lorient is still eligible for now after the NCAA appealed the ruling from about a month ago that granted the two a temporary restraining order against the organization.
If that process keeps moving slowly, both players should be positioned to play the full season. Lorient may not be the first, second or even third option this year, but after being one of the go-to players last season and the only starter with experience under Hodge, he remains a steady glue piece who can still produce.
The middle belongs to Mouhamed Sylla, whose talent has already shown through even if the adjustment process is still underway. After a quiet outing against Maryland, he put together a strong pair of performances in the next two exhibitions. The tools are obvious; now it’s about getting more comfortable in the system and building experience.
West Virginia and Niagara tip off at 7 p.m. ET, with the game streaming on ESPN+.
In Other News...
WVUs Bowl Future Now Hinges On A Stretch That Could Change Everything
West Virginias bowl picture is getting clearer, but not necessarily easier, as the projection chatter around the Mountaineers keeps turning back to the same point: the next stretch of the schedule. With Texas Tech, Kansas, Houston and Utah still ahead, the conversation around where this team might land in December is tied directly to what happens over those four games, and to whether the Mountaineers can keep building on their current standing in the eyes of the bowl selectors.
For now, the various media projections are little more than a snapshot of where West Virginia sits in the moment, with different outlets slotting the Mountaineers into different postseason spots based on current performance and rankings. The real story is still ahead of them, because bowl eligibility is going to be decided by how they handle a run that could either stabilize the season or leave the postseason picture far murkier than it looks right now. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginia Still Has A Big 12 Chance Entering A Statement Game
The Big 12 race has tightened again after a weekend that shuffled the leagues pecking order, with Iowa State making the biggest climb thanks to a statement win and UCF taking the sharpest tumble after a lopsided loss. For West Virginia, that kind of volatility is exactly why the next stretch matters so much, because the Mountaineers are still very much in the mix and every result around them seems to carry extra weight.
Texas Tech now looms as one of the more important games on the conference slate, and it arrives with both teams looking to prove they belong in the upper tier of the league conversation. For West Virginia, it is the kind of matchup that can either reinforce a real Big 12 path or leave the Mountaineers watching the standings shift without them. [Read more 🡒]