National College Basketball Insider Calls WVU the 'Sleeper' of the Big 12

The fan base's expectations for this West Virginia basketball team are to get back to the NCAA Tournament. They have the star talent in freshman guard Miles Sadler, some veteran pieces to complement his play, and a fairly deep bench. Most national analysts like the squad that Ross Hodge assembled, but are hesitant to show much love regarding what they are capable of.

Not Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

"Who is the sleeper team in this conference? I am going to Morgantown, and I am going to West Virginia. I think West Virginia ended last season on a real, real high note. They won 21 games under Ross Hodge, an excellent coach. The Mountaineers will return to the NCAA Tournament in 2027 under Ross Hodge. Miles Sadler, really talented freshman. Veteran guards with (Martin) Somerville, (Joson) Sanon, and (Finley) Bizjack. (Mo) Sylla and (Amadou) Seini up front. West Virginia is also waiting on Brenen Lorient. Will he be eligible? There’s a lot to be excited about if you are West Virginia. The Coliseum in Morgantown, which is always a difficult place to play, will be on steroids this season. West Virginia has not been to the NCAA Tournament since Coach (Bob) Huggins was there. That’s a long time for a very proud program.”

That sneak peek proved they are capable of being a really good team

Ross Hodge — WVU Athletics Communications

West Virginia fell to Mayland 90-81 in overtime on Sunday in what was the first of their three-game exhibition schedule. The offense faded in the second half, and they had a bunch of problems reeling in a rebound, keeping one of the nation's best offensive rebounders, Pharrell Payne, off the glass, but there were a ton of positives to take away from it.

For the most part, the defense was pretty good, both on and off the ball. The length proved to be a factor, with Sylla and Seini providing some rim protection, which was essentially non-existent a year ago. You could see Sadler and Bizjack's explosive nature on the offensive end, and they made 19/22 free throws as a team. Not to mention, Hodge was toying with a bunch of different lineup combinations to see what could work in the regular season, too. Had this been a regular season game, his rotations would have been different.

This group definitely has the look of an NCAA Tournament team, and perhaps one that could finish pretty high in the Big 12 standings, as Rothstein believes is possible.

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