MAILBAG: Amir Jenkins' Future, Odds Chase Meyer Returns, Expected Departures + More

Good Monday morning, Mountaineer fans! It's time to crack open this week's West Virginia On SI mailbag.

From @willgriertruth:

Q: Is Amir transferring a likely possibility? It feels like he’s gotten way less playing time as the season has gone on, and we have a 5-star guard coming in.

A: I don't believe so. Anything is possible these days, but from what I've been told, both he and DJ Thomas are committed to staying here. Jenkins reclassified to come a year early, and knew there would be a possibility that he would not eat up serious minutes here and there. There was an understanding that minutes would jump significantly in year two. The addition of Sadler won't have any impact on him. Those two will form a nice starting duo and wouldn't be surprised if WVU targets a bigger guard who can shoot to start along with them.

From @Trey_Ebc11:

Q: it’s seems like WVU '27 recruiting is off to a good start with the commitment of Webb. Do you expect to see more commitments coming during camp, or are we going to have to wait?

A: Oh yeah, more are on the way this spring for sure. How many? Not exactly sure, but I would definitely expect a handful or more to happen. The big fish that they are after probably won't make a decision until the summer when they take their official visits. They are in a great spot with a bunch of coveted recruits, so it would be surprising if this weren't another top 30 class. They'll need to land one or two of those big fish for it to be a top 25 class, though.

From @CkNiTisLeGiT:

Q: Obviously, the WVU men’s team is on the outside looking in. If they don’t make noise in the conference championship, The Crown would be a no-brainer, right? Essentially free NIL money. What are your thoughts compared to the NIT?

A: They'll have to be invited, but yeah, I would imagine that's where they would want to be. That's where they should go if given the opportunity as well. The NIT just isn't what it used to be. The Crown may not be the premium non-NCAA Tournament tournament in the future, though. I'm sure others, be it the NIT or a newly created event, will start including NIL prizes as well. This year, though? Definitely the Crown.

From @willgriertruth:

Q: What are the odds that Chase Meyer could rejoin the team?

A: Only Steve Sabins knows the answer to that. It's extremely rare that a player who is dismissed from the program returns. Even in what may have seemed like an in-the-heat-of-the-moment decision, there's likely more to it than we are aware of. I wouldn't completely rule it out, but I wouldn't expect him to return.

From @MrEd315:

Q: How many WVU men’s basketball players do you think will be transferring out for greener pastures?

A: Great question, Ed! I don't see a ton of movement. mainly because a large chunk of this roster is graduating. Also, I don't see DJ Thomas or Amir Jenkins going anywhere. So that leaves Jayden Forsythe, Jackson Fields, Morris Ugusuk, Evans Barning Jr., and Abraham Oyeadier. Of those, I'd guess two.

From @WVUJonesy:

Q: Let’s say WVU doesn’t make the NCAA tourney, but Cincy and UCF do. After a sweep of both, what is the reasoning?

A: UCF doesn't have many bad losses and only has 10 in total, at the moment. They also have a win over Texas Tech in addition to Kansas and BYU, which WVU has. If you ask me, UCF is a tournament team. As for Cincinnati, there's no way. They have 14 Ls, including a Quad 4 loss. If they get in and WVU doesn't...yikes!

To participate in next week's mailbag, send me a DM on X (@Callihan_) reply to my tweet asking for submissions on Saturday, or place your question in the comments section under my poston Facebook.