Wren Baker 'Can't Wait' to Watch Miles Sadler, Believes 'Exciting Year' is Ahead

Throughout much of Ross Hodge's first season as the head coach at West Virginia, there was some skepticism from the fan base about the future of the program due to WVU's shortcomings, largely stemming from brutal offensive production.

Despite a disappointing end to the season, where they lost four of their final six games and then were a one-and-done in the Big 12 Conference tournament, they ended the year by winning the College Basketball Crown, making them one of the few teams in the country to end things with a victory.

Hodge and his staff did an incredible job on the recruiting trail, reeling in a top 15 high school AND transfer portal class, which has completely flipped the overall feeling around the program.

WVU athletic director Wren Baker admitted during his interview with 3 Guys Before the Game that there are some sports in which he's not as well-versed in the schematics and strategy of it all, but basketball is one he certainly is, given that he was once a coach. He loved what he saw from Ross Hodge in year one and believes brighter days are ahead for the Mountaineer basketball program.

“Coach Hodge has done a remarkable job. Those guys did a really nice job with what they had, and they did a great job with culture and assembling pieces. Ross is very intentional about not just acquiring talent, but acquiring the right kind of personal makeup that fits what he wants to do. I think this should be a really, really exciting year. I can’t wait, just as a basketball fan, to watch Miles (Sadler). I think he’s going to be a really great player, and I’m really excited about where we’re headed."

What are reasonable expectations for year two under Ross Hodge?

The Mountaineers are definitely going to challenge themselves early in the year with a strong non-conference schedule, facing a number of power conference opponents, which they struggled to navigate last year.

With the roster that Hodge has assembled, I think it’s reasonable to expect that they can enter Big 12 play with just a few losses, giving them a ton of wiggle room over the final three months of the regular season.

Some folks may believe that West Virginia will enter the year on the wrong side of the bubble, but I don’t think it’s going to take long before the narrative on this team changes. As Baker stated, Miles Sadler is a special player and has several talented pieces around him, so it won’t fall completely on his shoulders.

There’s no reason why this team should miss the NCAA tournament next spring. They have the talent, the depth, and a true star to punch their ticket. How far they can go in the dance is anyone’s guess. That will come down to matchups, as it always does.

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