Bock: WVU Basketball in Unique Situation College Basketball Hasn’t Seen

WVU Basketball once again just can’t have a normal month in 2023.

After what seemed like the longest offseason in college basketball history, WVU interim HC Josh Eilert and the team are still dealing with offseason-type situations. On top of that, the team is 4-5 and has shown signs of rock bottom. West Virginia is not a good team right now and is currently looking at a long season in the Big 12. They do have a very unique situation that has not been seen before in college basketball, which could possibly turn the season around if it’s not too late.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a college basketball team struggle out of the gate, under .500 in December, while continually adding back starting caliber players to games. At the beginning of the season West Virginia was left with just eight scholarship players eligible to play. Now this was all out of Eilert’s control when he took over in June, except when he parted ways with Jose Perez in late September. That’s the critical off-the-court decision Eilert made that was a bad one since it turned out WVU needed bodies. Up until the Pitt game, that’s what Eilert and his staff had to work with. Tough situation but that group couldn’t get anything going consistently. West Virginia had a terrible loss to Monmouth at home, letting Xander Rice do whatever he pleased in Morgantown. WVU played Virginia and St. John’s close but bad second halves against SMU and Pitt have resulted in more early losses.

WVSN photo/Kelsie LeRose

Now sitting at five losses in mid-December, it seems like the season is already over as the Big 12 is once again the best conference in the sport. But you can’t deny that West Virginia is in a unique situation that could turn into more wins.

West Virginia finally received good news with forward Akok Akok returning after he was out for six weeks with a health issue. Akok collapsed on the floor in the George Mason exhibition and it was unknown if the Georgetown transfer could ever play basketball again.

While Akok is adjusting back into games, starting point guard Kerr Kriisa is set to return to the court on Saturday against UMass. Kriisa completed his nine-game suspension after receiving unauthorized benefits while enrolled at Arizona. Kriisa was the first piece to WVU’s top transfer class way back in April under former HC Bob Huggins. Adding Kriisa to the rotation is huge for West Virginia as Kobe Johnson was the team’s go-to facilitator. Now Johnson, who has been a needed surprise for the Mountaineers in his junior season, can move off-ball and play alongside Kriisa.

With Akok and Kriisa back for the Mountaineers, that leaves just 2-of-4 ineligible players from the beginning of the season: RaeQuan Battle and Noah Farrakhan.

WVSN photo/Kelsie LeRose

After weeks and months of fighting for Battle’s eligibility, a TRO hearing is set for Wednesday at 10 a.m. as seven states go to bat for all multi-time transfers vs. the NCAA. If passed, this could result in all multi-time transfers becoming eligible. There are a few potential hoops for West Virginia if this occurs but the door is open for the opportunity. To add another factor, West Virginia could be allowed to have Farrakhan suit up as well. WVU’s staff never applied for a waiver for Farrakhan as the Eastern Michigan transfer was brought in to be the future. West Virginia and Farrakhan treated this season like a traditional transfer or redshirt season. The plan all along has been for Farrakhan to sit this season and play the following two years while at WVU. It also gave Eilert and his staff a player for them to be able to say they have for next season if they’re retained.

Before I hype it up as a very good possibility of happening, it’s also worth considering that Farrakhan may want to sit out this season and save his eligibility. But the opportunity could be there for him to play this season, which was unexpected until recently.

If West Virginia adds Battle, and maybe Farrakhan, with Akok, Kriisa, Jesse Edwards, Quinn Slazinski, etc., then that’s a very different team from what we see right now. It’s unknown how a team of talented transfers coached by an interim head coach will do in the Big 12, but while Eilert and his staff are fighting to keep their jobs, it’s worth a shot.

WV Sports Now will continue to provide updates on WVU Basketball throughout the season.