MORGANTOWN — There are so many “buts” rolling around the WVU men’s basketball program today, you’d swear Sir Mix-A-Lot was playing power forward for the Mountaineers.
Now, we totally understand that not everyone will get that hip-hop reference. That, too, is fitting, because not everyone truly understands just where the WVU hoops program fits on a national scale these days.
It’s not where you think, not even close. And that’s not a Ross Hodge problem or even a Darian DeVries problem.
It’s a you problem, meaning the fan’s overall expectations and beliefs that the program is still held on the same high pedestal it was in 2010 or even as recently when Jevon Carter was sporting a Mountaineers’ uniform.
And that’s where the buts come in, as in:
** It was nice to see WVU win the College Basketball Crown on Sunday with an 89-82 overtime win against Oklahoma, but the standard is to advance in the NCAA tournament.
** It was a great effort against the Sooners, but this was still a team that lost to the likes of Utah, Kansas State and Oklahoma State.
The problem with “buts” is, generally, both sides of the fence are correct and the argument just drags on endlessly and no one takes a peek at the larger picture.
Lucky for you that you are here today, because we’re all about tackling the larger picture. It’s not even that hard of a tackle, nothing compared to NFL linebackers trying to bring down Saquon Barkley, as long as you’re willing to take a step back and look at things in an unbiased manner.
That’s exactly what Hodge did in a sort of parting shot prior to the team leaving for Las Vegas last week.
As he closed out his press conference with local media, Hodge stood up and headed for the door. Before getting there, the WVU head coach turned back to the writers and spoke what was on his mind.
To paraphrase – and we have to paraphrase, because everyone who was there had already turned off their recorders and cameras – Hodge simply asked those in the room if they could recall what WVU’s record was in Big 12 play during the previous six years before DeVries took over the program.
His point: As much heat as Hodge has taken over the course of his first year with the Mountaineers for simply being average – WVU finished 9-9 in the Big 12 in his first season – average is a step up from where the program had recently been.
We stray away for just a moment to add some context. Hodge was asked a lot of questions that day about not making the NCAA tournament and this moment of thinking out loud, of sorts, was his way of defending his production.
It was totally justified, at least that’s the view from here, but by making that statement in that sort of manner, Hodge better be prepared to back it up. There better not be a 5-13 or 6-12 finish in the Big 12 next season or any season, for that matter.
To get back on point, this is where WVU fans’ perception is not reality. We remember the Da’Sean Butler years as if they were yesterday without truly realizing they weren’t yesterday. It’s fantastic to still daydream about the Press Virginia years, but that doesn’t mean you get to wipe out the 2018-19, 2021-22 and the 2023-24 seasons like they never happened.
They did happen. WVU was awful. In the previous six years before DeVries took over, the Mountaineers were a combined 39-68 in Big 12 play.
It’s marvelous to speak of WVU’s tradition, which reaches all the way back to before Jerry West even put on an East Bank jersey in high school.
WVU’s tradition goes back for generations, but don’t confuse tradition with national buzz or relevance. WVU’s national relevance spans all of the last 48 hours, with the starting point being when Honor Huff nailed that big-time 3-pointer with 65 seconds left in regulation to tie the game against Oklahoma.
As far as what current high school prospects really know about WVU’s program, that’s it. Sure, they know who West is and Bob Huggins, but that doesn’t sway their intentions.
National buzz and relevance holds so much more water than tradition. In those terms, what WVU has to throw at potential recruits and transfers is Huff’s heroic performance in the College Basketball Crown finals and that’s it.
There hasn’t been any NBA first-round picks since 2008. The only McDonald’s All-American WVU has signed this century left the school after a year and a half and transferred to Kentucky. And WVU hasn’t even had a winning record in Big 12 play since the 2020-21 season.
True, it hasn’t all been bad. WVU has put a nice little whooping on Kansas over the last three years and former standout Deuce McBride has a good role with the New York Knicks. Former standout Joe Mazzulla just may be the best head coach in the NBA right now.
But, in terms of current national relevance, WVU is closer to UTEP than it is to UConn, whether you want to believe that or not.
And that’s what Hodge is focused on changing. Did he do it in his first year? Obviously not, but he did leave Las Vegas on Sunday with one final parting shot in where he envisions the program in the years to come.
“When we are playing in Final Fours and winning national championships, these guys will know they started it,” Hodge said. “They’ll look back on it and know they laid the foundation for what is about to come.”
