Shanna Rose | WV Sports Chat
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Highly touted freshmen often arrive on campus with lofty expectations, but West Virginia head coach Ross Hodge believes the key to handling them is keeping the focus on what can be controlled each day.
“I think a lot of times the intentions around these young players, whether it’s, like you’re saying, expectations, I don’t think anybody means harm by any of that stuff,” Hodge said. “But the reality is, to ultimately get to where we’re trying to get to, and even as an individual where a very talented player may be trying to get to, really you’re just trying to strip it down as, okay, let’s have a really good weight room session this morning. Let’s have a good practice, get treatment, go to class, come get your work in.”
That is how the Mountaineer head coach believes it is easier for young players to get caught up in the future instead of improving daily fundamentals and hopes to keep newcomers Miles Sadler Jr., Max Olejasz, Keonte Greybeer, and Aliou Dioum grounded.
“If you can encourage young players, or any of us, to really control what you can control, you can kind of start going down a path of what’s going to happen and what could happen and what will happen, and you don’t know what’s going to happen,” Hodge said. “Whether it’s, ‘He’s going to play in the NBA.’ Well, to play in the NBA, you’ve got to have a really good practice today. We can’t beat anybody in the Big 12 today. There’s no sense in even really, it’s like, let’s just have a really good practice.”
Sadler has really impressed the second-year head coach so far for embracing that mindset.
“He’s a confident player,” Hodge said. “But his humility and his humbleness is also what makes him special. His willingness to be coached. He’s a great teammate. He endears himself to his teammates. He’s easy to pull for, and he knows he’s got to get a lot better. He’s not coming in here like he has all the answers and he’s got it all figured out.”
Hodge believes that will set Sadler apart from other talented players and help him continue elevating his game.
“His willingness to be coached and be a good teammate and not have it all figured out is probably what’s jumped out. Those characteristics usually allow talented players and talented people to even get better at a rapid rate.”
Hodge knows that each player has expectations due to the talent in this recruiting class but each one of them is working to be the best athlete, they can be individually.
“I think it’s probably to each their own,” he said. “They’re just trying to be the best version of themselves, and up until this point the best version of themselves has been pretty good.”
For Hodge, the message remains simple regardless of a player’s reputation.
“Pressure is a privilege, and he has earned the right to have those expectations,” he said. “But the reality is none of that is going to be able to be accomplished today.”
Photo Credit: WVU Athletics
