Ross Hodge and the West Virginia Mountaineers were major winners this past offseason, putting together elite hauls in both the transfer portal and their freshmen recruiting class. The end result? Well, it could be one of the best West Virginia teams in recent memory.
It helps that Hodge will be entering his second season on the job, a luxury no WVU basketball coach has been able claim since Bob Huggins during the 2022-2023 campaign. But the talent he's bringing in could set things over the edge, and at least one transfer that's joining the roster feels the same way.
Ross Hodge put together an NCAA Tournament level team for the West Virginia Mountaineers this offseason
Finley Bizjack, an elite shooter who transferred in this season from Butler, was the main scoring weapon for the Bulldogs in recent seasons. But during a recent appearance on MetroNews Sportsline, he talked a bit about the level of talent on the West Virginia roster this season – and fans will be thrilled with what he had to say.
“It’s very different for me because coming from Butler, I was the main scoring option, and we were riding and dying with how I scored the ball," Bizjack said.
"Because I’m surrounded by so many talented guys like Miles (Sadler), Seydou (Traore), Javan (Buchanan), Mo (Sylla), Joson (Sanon), and Martin (Somerville), the entire team is just…it’s the best team I’ve ever played on. I don’t have to do as much offensively, and I think that helps me pour into defense and just kind of playing off the ball more. It’s been a lot easier for sure."
Now, let's be clear – that doesn't mean that West Virginia is about to be a Final Four contender. Butler has not been an elite team in some time, last making the NCAA Tournament in 2018. But they did play in the NIT in 2024 and the College Basketball Crown in 2025 with Bizjack on the roster.
Considering that the Mountaineers were Crown champions last season, that puts them at roughly the same level Butler has been at in recent seasons. And if Bizjack thinks that this WVU team is better than those Butler squads, that means that the Mountaineers should solidly been an NCAA Tournament contender this coming year.
And while just making the Big Dance should not be the program standard, when you've gone three consecutive seasons without making it, getting back to that caliber is an exciting prospect. So if Bizjack's bold statement turns out to be accurate, there will be plenty of reason for those who support the program to be excited about this year.
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