3 Things to Watch Out For West Virginia Basketball

West Virginia basketball news has yet to slow down as the fall semester begins. The coaching staff is continually looking to add from the transfer portal while dealing with work behind the scenes. Here are three things to keep an eye on as WVU looks to conclude their offseason.

RaeQuan Battle’s Waiver

Be patient on this one WVU fans.

WVU G RaeQuan Battle will need a waiver cleared by the NCAA to compete in the 2023-24 season. Battle has transferred multiple times as an undergraduate student-athlete and is not a grad transfer after this summer session. West Virginia’s staff is currently working on Battle’s waiver and the timeline for an answer from the NCAA is unknown.

Battle transferred from Montana State this April after averaging 17.7 points on 47% shooting for the Bobcats. Battle led Montana State to the NCAA Tournament, giving 3-seed Kansas State a game in the first round. Battle and the Bobcats fell short but the current Mountaineer scored a game-high 27 points.

West Virginia has not had the greatest luck submitting waivers in the past eight months. WVU G Jose Perez had his waiver and appeal denied last season after transferring in late October. After a long offseason, Perez is set to have a big role for the Mountaineers in his final year of college basketball. Perez’s childhood friend Omar Silverio wasn’t as fortunate as the NCAA ended his collegiate career last week. Silverio needed a waiver after transferring multiple times and leaving Manhattan during the school year. The NCAA did not give a full reason to Silverio for the denied waiver.

Registration Deadline is Aug. 22, but Still Portaling

West Virginia University’s deadline to register for classes is next Tuesday, Aug. 22. This is a date to keep an eye on as the basketball program looks to keep adding from the transfer portal.

**Update (4:45 p.m.): WVU adds a commitment from EMU transfer Noah Farrakhan.

Most recently, the team added Georgetown transfer Akok Akok. Akok (6-foot-10) averaged 6.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks over 31 games for the Hoyas. He shot 46% from the field and 28% from three on 2.7 attempts per game and recorded three double-doubles last season against Coppin State, Villanova and Xavier. The Manchester, Nh. native had three games of five blocks or more.

Akok will join Jesse Edwards down low in the frontcourt.

West Virginia’s staff is currently looking to add players that have an immediate impact as well as ones that have multiple years of eligibility. West Virginia can still add players after the enrollment deadline but risk the headache of needing a waiver for either semester.

Fall Visits Scheduled for High School Recruits 

As the summer concludes teams around the country are scheduling fall visits for high school recruits. West Virginia’s staff is currently beginning to schedule visits.

2025 four-star G Jeremiah Green is officially visiting WVU on Oct. 21. The top 75 prospect is visiting during the West Virginia-Oklahoma State game. WVU interim HC Josh Eilert has a great relationship with the Texas native, visiting Green and contacting him multiple times.

Top 2026 guard Jayden Johnson from Kentucky is also planning a visit to West Virginia. No official date has been set for the potential five-star recruit.

WV Sports Now will keep you up to date on the latest West Virginia Basketball news.