Ross Hodge Preaches Continued Growth Following Midseason Bye

The West Virginia Mountaineers are back on the road and will head to the Sunshine State to take on the UCF Knights Saturday evening at Addition Financial Arena. Tip-ff is set for 6:00 p.m. EST and the action will be televised on FS1.

West Virginia fell at home to Baylor 70-63 on Sunday while UCF returns after dropping a pair of road games (Houston, Cincinnati).

WVU head coach Ross Hodge met with the media to provide a reacap of the week and a look ahead to the Knights.

Where the team has evolved and areas the team needs to improve

“I feel like we’ve gotten better really everywhere. I feel like our collective understanding of what we’re trying to and defensive and offensive spacing has both gotten better. I feel like individual players have gotten better.”

“Where we can continue to improve is really in all areas – individually, collectively, we’ve all kind of got to keep improving. Theres a battle you got fight this time of year not internally all the time, but that you are kind of what you and this is who you are. And I think until the last horn goes off of the last game, you can continue to get better collectively, individually, coaches can coach better.

“I feel like we’ve gotten better in all areas. Defensively, you kind of morph each year and different teams have different identities and different strengths.”

Bye week recap

“The bye was good. It was a little different because you played on Sunday. So, it if was Saturday, you would for sure would just have took Sunday and Monday off, no doubt about it, but with where we were and we did decide to go ahead and take Monday and Tuesday off and got back after it on Wednesday. Then, got back today (Thursday), this morning, and you’re in full prep mode. So, I think it was a good combination of getting away a little bit, getting a little mental and physical rest, and getting a good day of playing, preparing just for ourselves and now your back in your normal routine.”

Staying connected to recruits that have signed to play for WVU

“You definitely want to stay connected to what they’re doing, and they’re connected to what we’re doing, not only myself but all of our staff, but not only with (guard) Miles (Sadler) but the rest of his family and coaches and everything. So, you want to continue strengthening those relationships and bonds and try to stay connected not only Miles but all those guys, (Center) Aliou (Dioum) and (guard) Kingston (Whitty) and try to get to know each other as much as you can, so by the time they get on campus in June you feel like there is some connectivity already.”

Where the team has evolved and areas the team needs to improve

Bye week recap

Staying connected to recruits that have signed to play for WVU

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI