Takeaways From the WVU Basketball Exhibition Game

WVU basketball fans got their long-awaited first look at Ross Hodge’s team in an 80-54 exhibition game win over Wheeling.

Here is what stood out from WVU’s first public competition.

Defense, Defense, Defense

Hodge has touted his defensive mindset since his inaugural press conference. On Sunday, Hodge’s squad forced seven steals and 16 total turnovers against the Cardinals. WVU also added four blocks.

Hodge mentioned the slow defensive start to the second half when WVU allowed a 10-2 run out of the locker rooms.

Even when defensive plays did not turn into WVU possessions, the Mountaineers stayed disruptive with active hands and diving for multiple loose balls. The effort is there, and defense effort is a requirement to being successful in the Big 12.

Front Court Dominance

WVU only went 6-20 from three-point range, but the post play made up for it. Senior center Harlan Obioha and senior forward Brenen Lorient led scoring with 33 combined points, tallying the team’s first nine points for an early 9-0 lead.

Obioha tallied a team-high 19 while going 8-9 from the floor. Even with his individual success, Obioha said the most important part is a WVU win in the postgame press conference.

“I don’t really look at all that, but I appreciate that. I think, you know, my team seen a mismatch obviously down low, they didn’t have a lot of size down there, so I think we exploited that a lot today. And I just executed the game plan,” Obioha said.

WVU also won the rebounding battle 40-26, with 12 on offense leading to 13 second chance points.

Freshmen Settling In

While the game was the first time the team has played together, it marks the first time the team’s freshmen have played in front of a WVU home crowd. Freshman guard Amir Jenkins and freshman forward DJ Thomas both played 17 minutes while freshman guard Jayden Forsythe had nine.

Jenkins had plenty of reps as the primary ball-handler and dished out a team-high three assists. Thomas had five rebounds, tied for second on the team. Forsythe added a trio of three-pointers for a total of nine points.

All available Mountaineers made it into the game. Senior guard Jackson Fields was out with an injury.

WVU will kick off its regular season against Mount St. Mary’s at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4 at the Hope Coliseum.

Find more coverage of Ross Hodge and WVU Basketball at WV Sports Now.