Brenen Lorient's return is a serious game-changer for WVU basketball

Ross Hodge and the West Virginia Mountaineers got the next piece of news they've be waiting for on Wednesday, as Brenen Lorientis reportedly set to return to the programfor a fifth season in the wake of the recent Colorado court case.

Lorientalso paired up with incoming WVU transfer Javan Buchananto recently file a separate eligibility lawsuit in West Virginia courts, with a part of that lawsuit seeking the ability to enter the transfer portal, which the Colorado ruling does not permit. But despite that initial hint that Lorient would seek other potential landing spots, it now appears he is set to return to Morgantown to play one final season.

What does Brenen Lorient add to the West Virginia Mountaineers?

With Lorient's return, the Mountaineers get a starter back from last season's roster – and given the amount of returning minutes on the roster this season otherwise, that experience is priceless alone.

Having someone on the team who has starting experience against Big 12 opponents, that is intimately familiar with Ross Hodge's system and program culture, will go a long way in making WVU more dangerous. And Lorient is not just familiar with Hodge from last season. He followed Hodge from North Texas, and this will now be his third season playing under Hodge's leadership. That's an invaluable asset for a coach to have in the portal era.

And re-adding Lorient immediately elevates the talent level for the Mountaineers, giving critical depth to the roster. He averaged 11.9, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks last season for West Virginia, and wasamong the most consistent players on last season's team– so with the added year of experience and development, you can automatically expect him to be one of the best players on the roster. Some analystsbelieved he was a legitimate NBA-caliber talentafter last season.

To summarize all that in short: getting Brenen Lorient back for one more season is a game-changer for Ross Hodge and the West Virginia Mountaineers. He's the level of player that instantly elevates this roster – and given that depth at power forward was one of the biggest concerns for many when analyzing the roster, he happens to play the perfect position for such a late-addition.

It may take some time for him to get into game shape, depending on how seriously he was training for a professional contract or potential college return this past offseason, but he's already quite familiar with the system – so it also shouldn't take him long to make an impact. But is this all 100 percent set in stone, or are their still eligibility concerns?

Is Brenen Lorient eligibile to return?

As of right now, the injunction granted in the recent Colorado court case paves the way for Lorient to return to West Virginia. Returning to the same school means portal entry is a non-issue and WVU currently has a roster spot open: so provided the revenue-sharing cap isn't excited to pay him, Lorient is clear to come back. But how long will that be the case?

Just yesterday, the NCAA released a statement discussing their plans to expedite an appeal to the Colorado case, indicating that they'll will be putting up a fight to ensure no athletes who exhausted their fourth season of eligibility last year will be able to play.

That's where the recent lawsuit he filed alongside Buchanan, who had an eligibility waiver denied, could come into play. If the players emerge victorious in that case, that means the NCAA would also have to appeal that decision.

And the judge in that case has previously waived the Rule of Restitution in similar eligibility cases, meaning that if the players are later ruled ineligible by an appeal, the NCAA can not punish the program for playing them. So if that judge grants a similar decision and an appeal is dragged out, it could open the door fully for Buchanan and Lorient to play without concern.

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