Shanna Rose I WV Sports Chat
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — As the West Virginia University men’s basketball team begins its first season under new head coach Ross Hodge, the early weeks of practice have been about more than installing systems. For Hodge, it’s been about watching a new group find its rhythm together.
“I think they’ve established really good routines as a group,” Hodge said. “It’s a hard-working group. They really support each other. They’ve allowed us to coach them hard and direct and still a lot of learning. But we’ve kind of transitioned to the phase where I like to call it like at least we’re making some new mistakes. Instead of you want to get to the point where you’re not making the same mistakes. Let’s make some new mistakes, which I think they’ve done a good job of that. And just again, it’s a fun group to be around. It’s an enjoyable group to work with on a daily basis. They’re getting better.”
One of the most noticeable individual improvements has come from big man Harlan Obioha, who transformed his body over the summer with hopes of improving his game.
“Some guys have made some really big strides like big Harlan, his body, the work that he and Coach (Jason) Martinez put into his body this summer, came in pushing 300, now he’s around 267, and did it the right way,” Hodge said. “Lost bad weight and put on some muscle mass. All those guys have really worked hard in that area.”
Fitting together also means learning what shots and decisions work for the group as a whole, not just individually.
“You’re trying to get your team to understand what is going to be good for us,” Hodge said. “So much of everything in the recruiting process and even in the summer, a little bit, is devoted to the individual… and then you start slowly but gradually kind of like merging into, okay, like, hey, is this a good shot for player A? Is it a good shot for us? You know, that shot for player B may not be that good of a shot for us.”
Hodge believes this group has the maturity to make that transition smoothly.
“We’ve got a smart group, a very mature group, even the younger players,” he said. “So I think they have self-awareness… and we try to help them and try to reinforce that through film and data and statistics.”
That includes freshmen like DJ Thomas and Amir Jenkins, who have stood out early for their approach.
“There’s a physical requirement but a lot of it is mental and the mental makeup and the mental maturity and the ability to process information,” Hodge said. “I just told our team just now we got off practice, DJ Thomas what is going to ultimately give him a chance to be a very very good player for a long time is his ability to listen and then comprehend and do, which sounds simple, but it’s hard, and listening is a skill itself. Running and jumping, so is listening. And both those guys are incredible listeners, which allows them to get better. They have both won a lot.”
For shooters like Honor Huff and Treysen Eaglestaff, their skillsets are already impacting how the team plays together.
“Their shot-making ability and both the range that they can shoot it with creates a lot of space and it opens up a lot of space for the other players on the floor,” Hodge said. “Both those guys have a gravitational pull that you have to know where they are on the floor because if you make a mistake for half a second, I mean, the ball is in their hand and out of their hand and they shoot it at a really good clip. And both those guys are also underrated passers. They’re good passers and unselfish in their own way. I want them to be more selfish, honestly.”
Hodge knows the road ahead won’t be simple, especially with a new roster and a challenging Big 12 slate. However, he embraces the process.
“It does, man. It’s a journey,” he said. “Seasons really are like spiritual journeys in their own way. The highs are high, the lows are low, and there’s a little bit of everything in between, and you’re taking a group, and it’s like you’re running a marathon, but it’s at a sprinter’s pace, especially nowadays because of the newness of rosters. Every day matters.”
With the season fast approaching, Hodge isn’t getting lost in the big picture just yet.
“We do want to win Big 12 championships. That is the ultimate goal,” he said. “Macro, that is the big goal. And that is what our goals are. But in that short term, right now, I’m just trying to get our guys to sprint back on defense and call ball and stay in a stance.”
The Mountaineers open the season with an exhibition game against Wheeling University on Sunday, Oct. 26. at the Hope Coliseum.
Photo Credit: WVU Athletics
