Ross Hodge Reveals What Has Him So Excited About Mouhamed Sylla

The Georgia Tech transfer is expected to do big things in his first season in Morgantown.

WVU Athletics Communications

West Virginia basketball is going to look a whole lot different in 2026-27 for a variety of reasons. One of the most obvious, though, is the style of play they will get from the center position.

Harlan Obioha was a big dude, yet didn't really establish much of a presence on the offensive end of the floor. He was a pass-first player, and at times, that cost WVU. Georgia Tech transfer Mouhamed Sylla can pass it as well, but if you don't have someone draped all over him, he's going to score it. The athleticism he has is off the charts.

“He’s a very fluid mover at his size," WVU head coach Ross Hodge said. "He gives you more of a vertical presence in your pick-and-roll game. He can get behind the defense, and when it doesn’t take him long, if he can get behind the defense, then you’re able to play over the top at a higher rate than you were because of his speed, because of his fluidity, because of how quick he can get in and out of ball screen actions. He’s improved a lot in the summer, and he can continue to get a lot better. He’s a young player as well. He only played twelve games last year, but he’s been an incredible learner. He’s eager. He wants to be coached. He wants to be told the truth. The biggest difference in that position is just end-to-end speed and then vertical presence, where Harlan’s strengths defensively were position-based, and he really got to turn into a really good defender using his brain and just his positioning. Mo can do that as well, but then Mo also has the ability to make plays above the rim on both sides of the floor."

Sylla is a day one gamechanger for the Mountaineers

Mouhamed Sylla

Just a year ago, Sylla was ranked as the No. 17 player in the country by 247 Sports, and 10 of the players listed ahead of him were first-round picks in this summer's NBA Draft. It's reasonable to think that one day, Sylla could be a first-rounder himself, be it in 2027 or later. Although he saw limited action before his season-ending injury, Sylla proved that he can get it done in all phases of the game, averaging 9.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per contest. Pairing him with one of the top guards in the country, Miles Sadler, will be quite the show.