MAILBAG: Portal Progress, Chances for Braydon Hawthorne, Thinking Omaha + More

Good Monday morning, Mountaineer Nation! It's time to kick off the week with our West Virginia On SI mailbag.

To participate in next week's mailbag, send me a DM on X (@Callihan_) or reply to my tweet asking for submissions on Saturday.

From @timbaker55:

Q: Who was the last WV high school player to lace up her sneakers for the WVU women's basketball team? Seems like a long, long time.

A: Oh gosh, you put my mind hard at work this morning, haha. I knew it had been a long time, but I didn't realize it had been 10 years. Olivia Seggie, a Morgantown native, was the last West Virginia native on the roster. She played in 24 games, but had a limited role, averaging roughly 11 minutes per game.

From @wvufan2023:

Q: How do you like the look of the basketball team so far and who do you think the staff ends up getting next? For the record, this is your opinion and not based off of what you know.

A: Things are coming together a lot quicker than I expected, I'll admit. I figured it would take Ross Hodge and Co. some time to fill out the roster because of the dead period, but that hasn't stopped them from landing commitments. I'm really intrigued with the pickup of Honor Huff. He and Brenen Lorient are going to be an exciting duo to watch. Harlan Obioha offers something West Virginia hasn't had in years - size and a dominant offensive rebounder. So far, so good.

From @baylee_vankirk:

Q: Two quick ones. 1. What are our chances to land Hawthorne? 2. Any assistant coaches that we get not from UNT? If so do you have any guesses who?

A: I'd say 50/50. I mean, they'll land him, or they won't, right? Alright, alright, I'll stop playing around and being a smart aleck. I don't know if I could put a firm number on it because there are so many scenarios with his situation, and much of it is being kept close to the vest. I do feel better about WVU's chances than, say, a week ago. Hodge is pushing hard, but so are Kentucky, Virginia Tech, and a few others. I do believe, WVU is one of the top options, however.

As far as the second part of your question, I haven't heard anything about a non-NTU assistant, but that's not to say it can't/won't happen in the near future.

From @fauxcaridi:

Q: How soon is too soon to be checking Omaha hotel room prices in June?

A: Don't judge me, but for some reason, the way you phrased this question made me think of Three Days Grace's "Never Too Late." It's Monday; my mind likes to wander. But honestly, though? It's never too soon. This team looks to be a legitimate Omaha contender. As always, it will come down to which region they're in and who they would face in a potential super regional. A handful of people I talked to last year bought tickets to Omaha toward the end of the regular season and then sold them once they lost to North Carolina. I don't think it's crazy to believe this team can make it to the College World Series. They can hit and that takes you a long, long way.

From @baNarDeaux4real:

Q: Where do we stand with CHJ. How much is it going to cost to get him to WVU. It just means MORE-gantown!!!!

A: I'm assuming you're referring to Chris Henry Jr., and if that's the case, it doesn't look like it's going to happen. He appears to be pretty firm on his pledge to Ohio State. I don't know exactly how much he'll make there in Columbus, but their structure may be more of an upfront situation compared to WVU's, which is more performance-based. Rich Rodriguez isn't going to pay a recruit several millions of dollars who hasn't played a single snap yet, regardless of name or connection to the program.

From @timbaker55:

From @wvufan2023:

From @baylee_vankirk:

From @fauxcaridi:

From @baNarDeaux4real:

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