Ross Hodge Highlights Room for Growth After WVU Basketball Win Over Coppin State

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – WVU basketball is two games into having its full roster available after senior forward Jackson Fields and fifth-year guard Chance Moore entered the lineup last week. Despite being at full strength, there are still growing pains in the product on the court.

Head coach Ross Hodge said it best after the team’s 91-49 win over Coppin State Wednesday.

“The band’s back together, but it ain’t like they’re playing hit musics right now,” Hodge joked with a smile in the postgame press conference. “They’re not topping the charts.”

Hodge may be correct, but the team could be trending in the right direction. The remark comes after WVU’s second-half bludgeoning of CSU, but it wasn’t like that the whole game. The Mountaineers were only up 40-32 at halftime.

“Wasn’t pleased with the way we kind of started the game. That was like the first, first time since this group’s been together that we haven’t started pretty fast…  We were step slow defensively, had a time keeping the ball out of the paint. They drove us early, we fouled early, which is typically a sign that you’re a little late,” Hodge said.

On the bright side for WVU, Wednesday’s contest was just the ninth game of the year. For game No. 10, the Mountaineers will face a solid Wake Forest team at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention center in Charleston, W.Va., giving them a chance to be tested with its full lineup.

“It is nice to have everybody and it’s a great opportunity to learn more about ourselves and our team and in a great environment against a great team,” Hodge added.

WVU has multiple scoring threats, with seven leading scorers in its first eight games. Now, Hodge is in the process of finding which combinations of players work best in certain situations.

“I’m still learning and learning this group and learning combinations and figuring outwhat lineup combinations work best together and what’s your best defensive lineup, what’s your best offensive lineup, you know, who do you wanna play? If you need to stop, who do you wanna play? If you need a bucket, and we’re learning, we’re learning… it’s fun, and it’s something that I’m thankful for,” Hodge said.

WVU outscored Coppin State 51-17 in the second half Wednesday.

WVU basketball will take the court again at 6 p.m. on Saturday against Wake Forest.

Find more coverage of WVU basketball at WV Sports Now.