WVU to Tip Off New Hoops Season with Unique Event at Historic Woodburn Hall

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We're about to embark on a new era of West Virginia men's basketball yet again, as Ross Hodge will be the program's fourth head coach in as many years following the resignation of Bob Huggins, the interim stint of Josh Eilert, and the one-and-done by Darian DeVries.
To get the party started, WVU will host an event at Woodburn Hall, yes, you read that correctly, where both the men's and women's basketball teams will give a sneak peek of what to expect this upcoming season. The event is set for October 24th.
Per the university release, "The new tip-off event will feature food trucks, a live DJ, emcee, team intros, interactive competitions with players and fans, a live interview with staff/players, performances from the WVU cheerleaders and dance team, and more. Fans will also be able to get autographs from the men's and women's basketball teams for 30 minutes following the event."
The first 500 fans will receive a free Ballin' at Woodburn t-shirt. Admission to the event is free, and entry begins at 7 p.m., with the action starting around 8:15.
Things are already off to a pretty strong start for Ross Hodge, at least on the recruiting trail, with the staff already securing commitments from two four-star prospects and having three more (two in the 2027 class) who are scheduled to make a visit in the coming weeks.
As far as this year's group is concerned, obviously, there's still a lot to figure out in terms of lineups and who can do what, but Hodge likes where the team is at.
“I think they’ve established really good routines. It’s a hard-working group. They really support each other. They’ve allowed us to coach them hard and direct. Still a lot of learning, but we’ve kind of transitioned to the phase where I like to call it, we’re making some new mistakes. You want to get to the point where you’re not making the same mistakes. Let’s make some new mistakes. They’ve done a good job of that. It’s a fun group to be around.”
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Schuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast. The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.
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