Apr. 5—MORGANTOWN — The search is over. The press conference is over.
The question now: How will Ross Hodge begin to rebuild the WVU men's basketball team ?
We'll tell you how he's going to do it. Step 1, resist temptation.
Think of it from Hodge's perspective. He's still a young guy at just 44, and he's got his first chance to coach at a Power Five Conference school.
He's got his first major payday of his career. He's got top-notch facilities. He's got resources like never before.
Wouldn't the temptation be to instantly go out and sign the guys who were once 4-and 5-star recruits ? To go out and get the guys transferring from blue-blood schools ?
You bet your basketballs that would be a major temptation.
Except it truly makes no sense for Hodge to win the public relations game in April and May.
Imagine if his first signing was some kid transferring from UConn or Michigan State. That would almost instantly create a great deal of unity from a fan base that still might now know where it lands on Hodge quite yet.
That would be a win, for now. It might not be one still five months later if that player turns out to be a spoiled brat who doesn't put in great effort.
That's the temptation Hodge has to overcome.
"You don't want to feel the panic, and just start feeling like you have to get something done, " is the way Hodge put it. "I'm confident we'll get the right people and the right players in place.
"We just have to make quality decisions."
And that's the pressure behind it all and it is a different type of pressure Hodge faces than what Darian DeVries did a year ago.
DeVries came in with the program and fan base still reeling over the outing of Hall-of-Fame coach Bob Huggins.
In his one season, DeVries more than stabilized that situation. He picked the program up and got everyone on board with moving on.
Hodge is now in charge of a program that hasn't played a game in the NCAA tournament since 2023 and hasn't had a 20-win season since 2020.
Those are the facts that stand out about the Mountaineers now.
And it is time to turn that around. Not next year. Not two seasons from now.
Right now.
Hodge not only has a grasp of that feeling, but appears extremely comfortable in that atmosphere.
Which is why it may still be a few more days before you start to see the first pieces of the 2025-26 roster come into place.
"We're going to get players we feel can help us win basketball games, " Hodge said. "We're going to find what that fit is for us. We'll not only evaluate their talent as basketball players, but as people. I think we'd all would rather be excited in January, February and March than making a splash in recruiting headlines right now."
It's a be quick, but don't hurry attitude Hodge has. Do the research. Watch the tape. Do the homework and then do it again.
"There are still plenty of good players in the portal, " he said.
It's not about just finding one or two guys. Hodge has to find a team. That's the only similar comparison you can make between Hodge's situation and where DeVries began last season.
If finding that team takes a few extra days, maybe weeks, Hodge is just fine with that.
"I'd rather it take a little longer and everybody be a little uncomfortable with the time frame of it, " he said. "I know everybody wants something done and is excited to see how the roster comes into form, but we also want to make really good decisions."
