Predicting WVU basketball's depth chart following Brenen Lorient's return

The West Virginia Mountaineers had already managed to put together a stellar roster this offseason between a standout freshman class and a deep transfer portal haul.

But expectations for the upcoming season skyrocketed even higher on Wednesday as the news came that Brenen Lorient, who started for the Mountaineers at power forward last season, isplanning on returning for a fifth yearamid the recent eligibility lawsuits.

After the work was done in the portal, we took a look at what the depth chartcould potentially look likefor the Mountaineers this coming season. But now that we have another major addition to the roster, and with summer workouts mostly wrapped up, things have changed. So let's take another glance at how things might shake out.

Projected West Virginia Mountaineers depth chart

PG: Miles Sadler, Amir Jenkins, Martin Somerville

SG: Finley Bizjack, Martin Somerville, Keonte Greybear

SF: Joson Sanon, Seydou Traore, Javan Buchanan

PF: Brenen Lorient, Javan Buchanan, Aliou Dioum

C: Mouhamed Sylla, Amadou Seini, Aliou Dioum

Who actually plays?

Ross Hodge's primary approach at North Texas, as well as during his first season with West Virginia, was to run an eight-man rotation – which occasionally extended to nine players. This is likely the most talented roster Hodge has had as a Division 1 head coach, so it's possible that changes – but let's work under the assumption it won't.

Lorient likely joins the starting lineup, pushing Javan Buchanan to a bench role – but Buchanan won't be cast to the side, as Hodge clearly has plans for him. And there's a debate to be had whether Joson Sanon or Seydou Traore starts at small forward, but whoever it is, both bring starting Power 5 experience. That means Hodge is going to want them on the court.

Combine that with Miles Sadler and Finley Bizjack filling the starting roles in the backcourt and Mouhamed Sylla stepping in at center, and that fills seven spots in the rotation pretty easily. So where does that leave the rest of team?

We learned this summer that returning guard Amir Jenkins is on track to get back into action this week after two shoulder surgeries this offseason, and he'll likely battle it out with Martin Somerville to pick up the remaining available minutes in the backcourt. There's been some real positive buzz on Somerville this offseason, but Jenkins has experience in the system after being crucial to the rotation as a freshman, so we expect him to have the edge there.

In the post, the next man up is likely Amadou Seini, who was a late addition to the class, but flew under-the-radar early before being deemed one of the top centers in the Class of 2026. He's raw as a player and still developing, so it's possible the team takes a guard heavy role and gives most of the remaining playing time a combination of Jenkins/Somerville. But expect Seini to get some opportunities early and become a consistent piece in the rotation if he performs well.

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