Ross Hodge Reveals Treysen Eaglestaff Played Through Injury at End of the Season

The Mountaineer forward battled to the finish line.

Jan 21, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers forward Treysen Eaglestaff (52) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It wasn't the type of season West Virginia fans had hoped to get out of Treysen Eaglestaff, and he would be the first to admit that he fell short of expectations. The North Dakota transfer had an ice-cold start to the season shooting the ball, but also struggled to find his place in the offense after being the main guy over the past two years.

Part of the problem at the end of the year, though, was an injury that the team kept under wraps.

“Trey’s been playing through a lot," WVU head coach Ross Hodge said in his postgame press conference on Sunday. "He would never make an excuse, and he would never want me to say it, but I’m going to say it — he was dealing with a really bad turf toe at the end of our regular season. Had we beat BYU in the conference tournament, he probably wouldn’t have been able to play the next game. He was probably like 40% then. The time off was really good for him and he probably came back about 75-80%. The cumulative effect of playing so many games in so many days takes a toll on you, and if anybody’s dealt with an injury before, you start overcompensating, and you run a little different. He would never say it, and we’re a no-excuse culture. We don’t make excuses and never have. There’s excuses, and there’s reasons, but yeah, he’s been gutting through it the whole end of the season.”

WVU Athletics Communications

Eaglestaff only took five shots in the championship game of the College Basketball Crown, but he was a huge reason that the Mountaineers were even able to play on Sunday.

In the first round matchup against Stanford, he drained 5/11 shots from the field (2/4 2FG), made all six of his free throw attempts, pulled down four rebounds, and came away with three steals in the overtime win. In the semifinals against Creighton, Eaglestaff connected on 4/7 attempts from beyond the arc, finishing the game with 16 points, three boards, and an assist.

Just like the rest of his teammates, he never complained, never felt sorry for himself, and never pointed the finger. Although it was a season full of disappointment, he was able to push through it, deliver some big performances here and there, and play a key role in helping the Mountaineers get to the Crown championship.