Between The Eers: Can West Virginia Make the Tournament in Year One Under Ross Hodge?

Talking expectations for the Mountaineers' men's basketball team.

Can WVU Do Dancing in Year One Under Ross Hodge?

Here in just a few weeks, the West Virginia men's basketball team will unofficially lift the lid on the 2025-26 season with an exhibition against Wheeling. On November 4th, they'll open the regular season at Hope Coliseum against Mount St. Mary's.

It's been a while since we talked about some hoops, given that we are knee deep in football, but with it being the bye week, this felt like a good opportunity to shift the focus for a day here on Between The Eers. Don't worry, for you diehard footballers, we'll be back to talking football on the show tomorrow.

On today's episode of BTE, I discuss whether or not Ross Hodge has the pieces to take this team back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2023.

Looking at the roster, the most obvious concern is the frontcourt. Harlan Obioha is the unquestioned starter at the five, but what's the plan beyond him? Abraham Oyeadier is the only other true center on the team, and he took a redshirt last year. Is he all of a sudden going to be game-ready? If not, the Mountaineers may have to move Jackson Fields to the five when Obioha is either in foul trouble or needs a breather. The problem? Fields is working his way back from a wrist injury that required surgery. There is no defined timeline for his return, but he appears to be pretty close.

The other concern is the level of physicality. Does this group have enough of it to go through a brutal 18-game stretch in Big 12 play?

If you haven't yet, please go over to our YouTube page, West Virginia On SI (@SI_WVU), and subscribe. You'll get a notification the second a new episode of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru GameDay Show, or Mountaineer Postgame drops.

Recent Between The Eers episodes:

Should Khalil Wilkins Be QB1 for West Virginia?

Nicco Marchiol Update Raises Many Questions

Can WVU Football Compete in This Era of NIL?

WVU Needs to Identify Building Blocks for 2026 and Beyond

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI

West Virginia Scoops Up Another Four-Star Commitment in 2026 Class

Could WVU Shake Up the Offense? Here’s a Depth Chart Projection After the Bye

WVU Receiver Oran Singleton is off the Team Roster

Kickoff Time and TV Info Set for West Virginia's Road Game at UCF

Every Post-Bye Week Game in Rich Rodriguez’s Career Broken Down by Year and Team