Quick Hits: Playing with Pressure, Big Concerns, Comeback Comfort + More

Ross Hodge chats with the media ahead of Wednesday's game against Utah.

Nov 30, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Ross Hodge is interviewed at halftime against the Mercyhurst Lakers at Hope Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Tuesday afternoon, West Virginia men's basketball coach Ross Hodge sat down with reporters for about half an hour to talk about the progress his team has made and what lies ahead for this group.

If there’s comfort in knowing this team can make a comeback

“It’s the one thing we write on the board before every game is stay together for forty minutes. There’s going to be ebbs and flows. You would hope they wouldn’t be as dramatic as some of those have been, but I think our guys do a really good job of staying together in those moments, and certainly not any panic amongst the group. There is some level of confidence knowing we can get the stops to get back in games and make the plays when necessary.”

Jasper Floyd scoring the ball vs. UCF

“He made big shots, and he’s done that throughout his career in certain moments. It just gives you an extra punch. We’ve talked about those opportunities being there for him, and he’s got to step into those with confidence, which he did and made some big shots for sure.”

The concerns about tomorrow’s game vs. Utah

“Their guards are extremely dynamic. They have two of the top ten scorers in the Big 12 (Terrence) Brown and (Don) McHenry. Brown is aggressive with the ball in his hands, and he can get to spots, and McHenry has the capability to make difficult shots over you. Like most teams, maybe their record hasn’t reflected it up to this point, but they have gotten better. They were in a one-possession game against Kansas at Kansas.”

The pressure of these final six games

“You certainly want to be playing meaningful basketball games in February and March. That’s what every coach hopes for. It’s what every player hopes for. We’ve discussed it with our group, and it’s true…to feel pressure is really a privilege. That anxiety that you feel in your stomach leading up to these games and that nervous energy, that’s a feeling that a lot of people will never get to feel. So to be in meaningful moments and meaningful games, it really is a privilege to be in these situations, and it’s important not to shrink.”

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