Ross Hodge Calls Out WVU's 'Urgency and Desire' in Loss to K-State

All West Virginia had to do was beat a reeling Kansas State team that was 2-14 in league play entering Tuesday night to be one win away from firmly being in the conversation for the NCAA Tournament.

Of course, just a few days after taking down No. 19 BYU, the Mountaineers put up a stinker and lost to the Wildcats, who were without PJ Haggerty, the nation's third-leading scorer.

The offense, as usual, was abysmal, but that's not what lost WVU this game. It was their effort, their intensity, and awareness. They turned the ball over as if they were handing out early Easter baskets, and that can't happen when you're already struggling to make shots. K-State went on a 21-0 run early in the second half, and the thing that frustrated head coach Ross Hodge the most was the effort during that stretch.

Mar 3, 2026; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Ross Hodge reacts to a play during the second half against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bramlage Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

“I’m disappointed with what was at stake tonight that we got beat to loose balls," he explained. "Would it have been nice to finish more layups? Of course. Would it have been nice to have made a couple more threes? Of course. But when those things aren’t happening, then you better be doing those other things. If your guards are going to go 7/29 or whatever it is, then you better be getting some loose balls, and you better be making some tough plays.

“The level of urgency and desire to win a game with so much on it just wasn’t where it needed to be. Not always in life, but sometimes you get what you deserve, and we deserved this loss tonight.”

It wasn't until about the eight-minute mark or so of the second half that West Virginia threw it into another gear and played like their season was on the line. If that energy and desire were there in the first half, they probably would have left Manhattan with a win. Instead, they got out to a sluggish start, were going through the motions offensively, and allowed K-State to hang around.

“When you’re playing a team that is a little down and out, you can’t give them life, and you can’t give them hope. We had so many opportunities in the first half and in the beginning of the game to make some plays that gives you a bigger cushion that could maybe entice a team that’s struggling that it’s going to keep struggling.”

Hodge has done a decent job with this group considering the level of overall talent, but this is now twice they've lost games to really bad teams — the two worst in the league — in meaningful situations. Not having this group ready to go is a big red flag.