Yusuf Ali's connections lift WVU into the mix for more game-changing recruits

Ross Hodge's assistant coach Yusuf Ali is putting in the work to turn the West Virginia Mountaineers into an unstoppable force on the recruiting trail.

Hodge hired Ali last summer ahead of his first full season with the program, with Ali coming to Morgantown after spending a season on the staff with the Arizona State Wildcats. Originally, Hodge is from Toronto, Canada, and he co-founded and served as head coach for Toronto Basketball Academy and DeepEnd Training in the city, where he mentored and coached some of the top talent in Canada.

Ross Hodge, WVU basketball using Yusuf Ali to chase top recruiting targets

And Yusuf's connections on the recruiting trail in both Canada and Arizona are serving as valuable pipelines for the Mountaineers. He made an impact early as he played a major role in landing 4-star Aliou Dioum and 5-star Miles Sadler from Bella Vista Prep in Arizona, the latter of whom is a Toronto native the highest-rated recruit in program history.

But Sadler might not hold the honor of top signee in WVU history, because the Mountaineers are trying to land yet another Bella Vista Prep player in Class of 2027 that would replace him in the top spot. The Mountaineers are heavily in play for five-star prospect and 6-foot-10 center Paul Osoruyi, another Canadian native who is currently ranked by 247Sports as the No. 1 center and No. 4 player in the entire 2027 class.

“Coach Ross (Hodge), he’s a good coach,” Osoruyi said. “I was watching their game the other day against BYU. That wasn’t a really good game, but I think my teammates (Miles Sadler and Aliou Dioum) are going to change that dynamic next year.”

“It’d be really fun to play with Miles. We’ve been playing together since he was a freshman, and I was in eighth grade. We have just built a great relationship on and off the court. I know his game, and he knows mine. I know when he wants to get a bucket, and he knows when I want a bucket. He’s a true leader, a true point guard.”

But that's not the only top 2027 target Ali is using his connections to pursue. He's also dipping into the Arizona pipeline to help WVU pursue the 15th-ranked player in the Class of 2027 DeMarcus Henry, the son of the late former WVU wideout Chris Henry. Henry cited a call with Ali when announcing an offer from the Mountaineers.

He also has West Virginia in play for another top Canadian target in the Class of 2027 in Deng Ngor, who in unrated by 247Sports and was recently ranked by NBA Draft Point as the No. 2 Canadian prospect born in 2008, only behind Osoruyi. The Mountaineers recently offered Ngor, and Ali has been cited as a major factor here as well.

Finally, Ali has been named as the lead recruiter for WVU for 2028 Bahranian big man Hassan Abdulkhadir, who also played with Bella Vista Prep this past winter and plays on the EYBL circuit for the Arizona Unity. The 6-foot-8 rising sophomore was recently offered by the Mountaineers.