MORGANTOWN — West Virginia head coach Ross Hodge didn’t have to go too far out of his comfort zone for the latest transfer addition this off-season with forward Brenen Lorient committing to the Mountaineers.
That’s because Lorient spent last season playing for Hodge at North Texas.
Lorient, 6-foot-9, 215-pounds, is coming off a standout season with the Mean Green where he averaged 11.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and over 1.1 blocks per game across 24.8 minutes per game.
He shot 57% from the field. His efforts were rewarded by being named a first-team all-American Athletic Conference selection and the league’s Sixth Man of the Year.
Lorient announced his decision on social media.
Lorient came to North Texas from Florida Atlantic where he spent two seasons where he appeared in 21 games as a reserve as a freshman and followed that up appearing in all 31 games while averaging 2.2 points and 1.3 rebounds per game before leaving for Denton.
Lorient’s game blossomed in his lone season under Hodge where he became one of the most valuable players on the Mean Green roster without starting a single game. A highly athletic forward, Lorient developed his offensive game this past season on top of bringing plus defense to make him a well-rounded option.
Lorient displays the ability to finish above the rim and has a crafty repertoire around the basket. He also displays the ability to hit jumpers and while he didn’t do it a lot was an effective three-point shooter hitting 47.8% on 23 attempts over the course of last season.
The Florida native entered into the transfer portal April 7 with a no-contact tag and that familiarity with Hodge certainly played a role in him committing to the Big 12 Conference program.
Lorient is the second transfer addition this off-season since Hodge took over the program joining UNC Wilmington center Harlan Obioha to help bolster the front court.
The work is far from finished though as the program once again is tasked with essentially reconstructing the entire roster due to graduation and departures through the transfer portal. Still, adding a piece like Lorient is certainly a major boost to what the final product is going to look like under Hodge.
— Story by Keenan Cummings
