College Hoops Insider Believes WVU is 'Becoming Nationally Relevant Again'

Will the Mountaineers turn the corner in year two under Ross Hodge?

Mouhamed Sylla

The first 365+ days for Ross Hodge in Morgantown have been quite the success. Sure, he would have liked to have made the NCAA Tournament, but the Mountaineers were able to finish four spots higher than they were picked in the preseason, win 21 games, and cut down the nets at the College Basketball Crown.

To make matters better, he and his staff have put together a top 15 class in the high school ranks and out of the transfer portal. West Virginia is loading up on talent, and people are taking notice, including Jeff Goodman from The Field of 68.

OFFSEASON/PORTAL WINNERS NOW!!!

1. FLORIDA
2. ILLINOIS
3. SAINT LOUIS
4. TEXAS
5. WEST VIRGINIA https://t.co/WfurBocXEp

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) May 4, 2026

“What Ross Hodge has done with this West Virginia team…I mean, (Mouhamed) Sylla is really good. One of the best bigs in the portal," he said. "Finley Bizjack was really productive last year at Butler. You brought (Joson) Sanon from St. John’s, a really good, talented wing, and you got one of the best freshmen in the country in (Miles) Sadler. I think for them, it was like a little bit outperforming my expectations of what they were going to do this offseason and now becoming nationally relevant again.”

What does nationally relevant look like in 2026-27?

This team that Hodge and Co. have put together is extremely intriguing, but they're not going to become a Final Four contender overnight. This is still going to take some time, especially with how young parts of the rotation will be.

What it does mean, though, is that the ceiling, and floor for that matter, is significantly higher. They could be a top four or five team in the Big 12, fare better against Top 25 teams, and perhaps even make an appearance in the Top 25 themselves for multiple weeks before ultimately punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

This group will give Hodge a real opportunity to show what this program can do under his leadership. They have depth, athleticism, and multiple guys who can put the ball in the basket consistently — all things that were absent during year one, and yet he still found a way to exceed expectations. Becoming nationally relevant is just the first step in this turnaround, but it's a big one.

West Virginia's 2026 Transfer Portal Class

Guards: Joson Sanon (St. John's), Finley Bizjack (Butler), Martin Somerville (Florida State)

Forwards: Javan Buchanan (Boise State), Seydou Traore (Utah)

Center: Mouhamed Sylla (Georgia Tech)

West Virginia's 2026 High School Class

Guards: Miles Sadler, Keonte Greybear

Forwards/Centers: Aliou Dioum, Amadou Seini