Fran Fraschilla Loves What He Sees From Ross Hodge, Expects a Strong Finish for WVU

The one thing West Virginia basketball needed more than anything was stability. Wren Baker hired Ross Hodge away from North Texas, believing he could not only win in Morgantown but also have the desire to build something special here.

When a program has four coaches in four years, it usually spells doom. Instead, WVU has made out okay thus far. They made the NCAA Tournament in Bob Huggins' final year, had a brutal year under interim head coach Josh Eilert, pieced together several quality wins in one year under Darian DeVries, and are off to a respectable start under Hodge.

ESPN college basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla, who is known to always show some love to the Mountaineers, praised the job Hodge has done following Tuesday night's win over Kansas State.

“WVU hoops is now 14-7 and 5-3 in the Big 12 Conference. Only losses are to Iowa State, Houston, and Arizona. I believe they can get to 9-9, maybe 10-8. Ross Hodge put a roster together quickly & has embraced the great people of the state. Bright future!”

I couldn't agree more. Sure, there are some games that slipped away, but he's done an admirable job with this roster that doesn't have a single NBA-ready player on it. Darian DeVries had Javon Small and still lost 13 games. On top of the early success, he's done a tremendous job on the recruiting trail and has already made a strong connection with the fanbase, as Fran mentioned.

Pretty much after every home game, Hodge makes sure to thank the fans, but last night, he opened both his postgame radio interview and press conference by tipping his hat to those who showed up due to the weather.

"A lot of work went into it (and I’m) thankful for the administration trying to do extra to get the students in there. Super thankful for all the people who plowed parking lots and sidewalks. A lot goes into just making it possible for people to get to this game. And then, when you throw on the people that actually decided to come, just want to make sure that I personally, and our program, just how much it means to us to have them come on a night like tonight, and again, being a Texas boy, I said it out there, like I may have watched this one on TV in my covers and blankets. That’s what makes this place special and makes this fanbase special. So, just want to thank all of you."

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