Ross Hodge Breaks Down Why Sadler, Dioum, and Whitty Can Make Instant Impact at WVU

A look into the future by WVU head coach Ross Hodge.

Kingston Whitty

Ross Hodge's first true high school recruiting class as the head coach at West Virginia finished with a No. 16 ranking by the folks at ESPN, landing a top 25 player in Miles Sadler, and a pair of four-star recruits in Aliou Dioum and Kingston Whitty.

During his radio show earlier this week, Hodge dropped some thoughts on each of the three signees.

G Miles Sadler

"He'll fit in great around here. Comes from a great family. He actually left home when he was nine years old and came to the U.S., and spent time in Arizona. He's a very mature young man. He really is one of those guys that makes everyone around him better. He has a will and an ability to do things out there that are difficult to replicate. Like Amir (Jenkins), he doesn't need play calls, and he doesn't need ball screens. There's not a lot of people out there that can just get to where they want to on a basketball floor whenever they want to, and he can. He's got an incredible work ethic and incredibly high character. We were fortunate to get him to Morgantown, and they were all in as a family. Had a chance to go watch him play not long ago, and his team looked like they were dead in the water. It was looking very bleak, and he legitimately willed his team single-handedly back into the game. Ended up missing the shot to win it, but took it, and you got to respect that. How you carry yourself in those moments, adversity is going to hit. I love the fact that he took the shot, missed the shot, and didn't put his head down."

F Aliou Dioum

"Runner, jumper, high-end athlete. Incredible motor. One of those guys that you're going to have to slow down. You don't have to speed him up, which is nice as a coach. He's got an incredibly high motor, and it just runs from the moment he steps on the floor. He provides length on the back end of your defense. Has switchability and versatility. He's an enjoyable person to be around."

G Kingston Whitty

We all feel like Kingston is one of the most underrated guards in the country. He can play either guard position. He's an elite athlete. Comes from an incredible family. He's a hard worker. His best basketball is in front of him. He can score at all three levels.

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