West Virginia’s basketball outlook has shifted fast, and Wren Baker isn’t hiding his optimism.
After a first season under Ross Hodge that ended with four losses in the final six games and a one-and-done exit in the Big 12 Conference tournament, the Mountaineers still managed to close the year with a win by taking the College Basketball Crown. That finish, along with a top 15 high school and transfer portal class, has changed the mood around the program in a hurry.
Baker, speaking on 3 Guys Before the Game, said he was impressed with what Hodge and his staff built in year one and with the way they approached roster construction.
“Coach Hodge has done a remarkable job. Those guys did a really nice job with what they had, and they did a great job with culture and assembling pieces.
Ross is very intentional about not just acquiring talent, but acquiring the right kind of personal makeup that fits what he wants to do. I think this should be a really, really exciting year.
I can’t wait, just as a basketball fan, to watch Miles (Sadler). I think he’s going to be a really great player, and I’m really excited about where we’re headed."
Baker also made clear that basketball is a sport he understands well, noting that he was once a coach himself, and he came away from Hodge’s first year believing the Mountaineers are moving in the right direction.
The schedule won’t make things easy early. West Virginia is set to test itself against a strong non-conference slate that includes several power conference opponents, the kind of stretch the team struggled to handle a year ago.
Still, with the roster Hodge has put together, there’s a case to be made that the Mountaineers can enter Big 12 play with only a few losses and give themselves plenty of breathing room over the final three months of the regular season.
Some around the program may start the year wondering whether West Virginia is on the wrong side of the bubble, but that kind of conversation may not last long. Baker pointed to Miles Sadler as a special player, and he also likes the depth and talent around him, which should keep the burden from landing on one set of shoulders.
For West Virginia, the expectation now is straightforward: there’s no reason this team should miss the NCAA tournament next spring. What happens after that will depend on matchups, as it always does.
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WVU Is Moving On From A Longtime Helmet Look In 2026
West Virginia is making a notable visual change for 2026, swapping out the white matte helmet that has been part of the look since 2013. The new version will bring back a gloss finish, a move the program says better fits the current uniform design and freshens up one of the more familiar pieces of the game-day identity.
The updated lid will feature a blue state decal with a gold flying WV at the center, keeping the Mountaineers' branding front and center while changing the finish underneath it. The matte look is not going away entirely, though, since it will stay attached to the Coal Rush uniforms, preserving a style that has become tied to that alternate set. [Read more 🡒]
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Several Former Mountaineers Just Reached Crucial NBA Crossroads
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Miles McBride adds another layer to the picture because his name is at least being floated in trade conversation, a reminder that former West Virginia standouts are not just fighting for spots, but also for stability. For Mountaineers fans, it is the kind of NBA summer that can change quickly, with one performance or one roster move reshaping where these familiar names fit next. [Read more 🡒]