MAILBAG: Portal Expectations, The Crown, Overseas Prospect, Hodge's Grade + More

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

From @willgriertruth:

Q: Why did we not see more of Ugusuk this year? It made sense why he got fewer minutes after Moore and Fields came back, but when Fields stopped playing, and Eaglestaff was struggling, and the offense did nothing, why was Morris not given opportunities? I feel like he’s probably gone.

A: Offensively, he doesn't offer much outside of three-point shooting, and he was ice cold from the perimeter this year at just 26%. He played well defensively in the non-league, but got shoved around in Big 12 play. The physicality just wasn't there, in my opinion.

From @wvuremfan:

Q: Do you feel the WVU men’s basketball team over- or underachieved this year? And what are the MUST-HAVES in the portal for the team? Any other HS recruits worth knowing about?

A: This is a tricky question, and my response will sound like I'm not giving the players any credit, but don't take it that way. I think Ross Hodge overachieved, and the roster underachieved. Yes, that is possible. The team threw away several opportunities and came out flat against teams they should have beaten. Hodge didn't have the talent to win 18 games, yet he found a way to go 9-9 in Big 12 play. Hope that answers it.

From @MikeontheMic79:

Q: Why did the team play so timidly all year? Rebounding terrible. Free throws are rare and often missed. Offense is minimal & slow, often with a last-second heave from three. Our PG's can't penetrate. No inside offensive presence. Nobody cuts to the basket. Defense gives up so many 3's.

A: Timid? I'm not sure I have the answer to that other than so much of the team was making the step up to major college basketball. The free throws were painful to watch, I agree. However, a big part of that is because Chance Moore and Harlan Obioha were the only two constantly in position to get to the line, and they're not good free throwers. The guards not attacking the rim played a big part in the poor free-throw percentage.

From @wvufan2023:

Q: How do you expect recruiting to go in the portal for us this time around, since Hodge will have more time to recruit and not just grab what’s left?

A: Much better. I firmly believe they'll be able to tap into a different section of the portal that they couldn't access a year ago. That doesn't guarantee a better product on the floor, but certainly improves the chances of being a tournament team a year from now. Next spring could be a massive portal period if they have success next season and guys see how good Miles Sadler is.

From @wveers4life:

Q: What will be different next year? Another crop of new but young players?

A: A lot. Offensively, they should be more diverse, assuming they're able to land multi-dimensional scorers in the portal. I don't believe they'll be all that young, though. Sure, they'll have Amir Jenkins, DJ Thomas, and the three incoming freshmen, but they're still going to have to rely on the portal for one more year. Defensively, I'd be willing to bet they prioritize getting a true rim protector — something they lacked this season.

From @WVUJonesy:

Q: Is Roi Behar still set to join WVU? Being a pro in Israel, what can we expect?

A: Nothing imminent. He's still weighing his options. WVU is in the mix, as are TCU and a few others. Hoping to have an update published in the next day or so on where things stand with him.

From @The_Bald_Eagl:

Q: Why was this bench not extended when so many of the starters were meh...

A: If I'm being brutally honest, it's because they didn't have much of a bench. Fields was injured, they wanted to redshirt Forsythe and Barning, Oyeadier isn't ready to contribute, and Ugusuk, as mentioned in a question further up the page, just didn't offer much outside of an ice-cold three-point shot. I'm not sure who they could have turned to.

From @WVUBUMDITTY:

Q: Will Hodge's slow pace ever work? Even when we had Press Virginia and averaged 15-20 more shots than opponents, Huggs said he wanted to score 70 pts.

A: I think so. My best-case scenario comp for Hodge is Tony Bennett, the recently retired Virginia head coach. His slow pace worked; it just took some time for him to get rolling. In his first two seasons, Bennett went 31-31. I know that was a much different era when he began at UVA, but his philosophy was built with the same bones as Hodge's — a stingy defense that squeezes out the paint and slow pace offensively.

From @TML25302:

Q: Should we even accept a postseason invitation at this point?

A: Yes. The Crown gives Amir Jenkins and DJ Thomas more experience and stuff to put on tape and learn from. Plus, it's a chance to win some NIL money.

From @WVU_Sports_Fan:

Q: What is your initial grade and reaction to Hodge's year 1?

A: If a grade between a C+ and a B- existed, it would be that. There are some things that he needs to tweak offensively as far as the script for the start of games, end-of-half/end-of-game plays, quicker substitutions in slow starts, etc. But the work he did on the defensive end was incredible. I'll lean B-.

From @pittsburghfan25:

Q: Is the basketball team gonna have a better offense next year?

A: I'd like to think yes. That said, there's absolutely no way of telling until we see what the roster looks like. Miles Sadler is a massive upgrade at point guard, so that's a nice start. Still a long way to go, but we'll learn a lot in the next two months.

From @KevinH85539981:

Q: Do we get an NIT invite or Crown?

A: I know you asked this before the NIT was announced, but that was never really something WVU strongly considered. It's the Crown. That was the preferred destination.

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.